Hasta La Ideas

Light,svelte and fun, Iko Iko is the chair for day-dreaming. Designed by Australian designers Nick Garnham and Rod Carlson.From the delicate pinched e..

Milan 2010: Dutch designer Roderick Vos will present a shelving unit designed to reference Art Deco skyscrapers in Milan this week. (more…)

The idea of Loll is to transfer the idea of stretching metal from 2D to 3D into furniture solutions. Stretching the laser cut steel sheet up to maxima..

Hut-Hut (Giddy-up for Camels) is a playful reinterpretation of the rocking horse. Made on a 5-axis CNC machine, the engraved star pattern is both a de..

With Milan Design Week 2010 barely underway, Mad Agency set the bar high with their celebration of Mark Newson‘s fourth collaboration with champagne house Dom Pérignon at their brand-new Mad House in the heart of Milan’s hip Isola neighborhood. A polycarbonate container, Black Box houses a bottle of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2000, while keeping it cold for hours, even on the move. The sleek design proves essential for any luxe traveler or serves as a beautifully futuristic sculpture for the home.

Black Box will sell during Design Week at Dom Pérignon’s temporary shop as well as selected retailers around Milan, such as Antonia, Triennale Design Cafè, Wok, Spazio Santerasmo and The Special for a suggested price of €220.—Paolo Ferrarini

Dom Pérignon Black Box Temporary Shop

Via Lepontina, 8

9-15 April 2010

This year’s installations at the Salone promise to be highly interactive and engaging and the Foscarini event stands out as one of the peak examples. Visitors will enjoy two different experiences in two separate contexts.

The first, designed by Vicente Garcia Jimenez, features video installations by Massimo Gardone and Fabio Bressan and original music by Francesco Morosini. The second introduces the new elements of the Foscarini collection in a 3D setting. The experience, simultaneously immaterial and physical, drives guests to discover the accuracy and poetry of details, sounds, materials and designs. Check out the above video to get a sense of the immersive environment. At the end of the tunnel, the the new items in the 2010 collection–the Troag, Aplomb, Tua, Bahia and LumiereXXS—greet visitors.—PF

Foscarini Inside

Superstudio Pi&#249

Via Tortona, 27

14-19 April 2010

A consistent can’t miss, Designersblock is always one of the hottest hubs of activity away from the main exhibition site.

The brainchild of Piers Robers and Rory Dodd, Designersblock pioneered the off-schedule design shows, and continues to approach each exhibition afresh and encourages an ensemble approach. The results often inspire an active debate and dialogue surrounding the designs.

This year Designersblock joins Zona Isola, a new network of venues in Milan that will unite designers from all corners of the globe, including Sweden’s Johan Lindstèn and his nostalgic tapestry chairs, and the imaginative Paul Hendrikx who have vows never to make a dull item. Toby House will bring his playful work, while Sophie Hedderwick will undoubtedly display her bright neon pieces in a dark corner. A micro-trend looks set to emerge from the likes of Vesna Pejovic and Henry Ellis, with their tactile and durable metal treatments.

Also interested in processes, this year Designersblock invited a group of designers to explore traditional artisanal manufacturing techniques in a project called Bodging, the results of which will also be on display.—Richard Prime