Hasta La Ideas

Milan 2013: Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola unveiled a chair with a backrest wrapped in rush for Italian brand Moroso in Milan this month.

Patricia Urquiola’s Mathilda chair for Moroso has a curved plywood backrest, which comes encased in woven rush or in fabric and is bound to the A-shaped wooden legs with a contrasting colour.

Urquiola presented the chair alongside seats made from rigid felt at Moroso’s stand at Salone Internazionale del Mobile – see Dezeen’s round-up of the best furniture and lighting from Salone and see all news and products from Milan 2013.

Other designs created by Urquiola for Moroso include a sofa inspired by traditional patterns from Uzbekistan and a woven chair on a tubular steel frame – see all Moroso design.

We recently featured Urquiola’s collection of ice cream coloured poufs and rugs and a movie by Dezeen in which she explains why most kitchen design is “too masculine” – see all design by Patricia Urquiola.

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for Moroso appeared first on Dezeen.

(Photo: Maharam)

After four generations of family ownership, Maharam is changing hands. The beloved New York City-based textiles firm, founded in 1902 by Louis Maharam, is being acquired by Herman Miller for $156 million, the company announced this week. “Much as we’ve struggled with this decision, our philosophical kinship with Herman Miller helped make this difficult step a far easier one,” said CEO Michael Maharam, who along with his brother, Stephen (who serves as COO), will remain active in the day-to-day management of the company for the next couple of years. “Herman Miller’s potential to provide the wherewithal to pursue important new initiatives, as well as an established reach into both retail and international markets and the greatest possible strength of association, offers a powerful lever in achieving our design-centered strategic vision.” Maharam is perhaps best known for its re-editions of iconic 20th century designs, including the work of Anni Albers, Charles and Ray Eames, and Alexander Girard. In recent years the company has developed textiles with collaborators such as Hella Jongerius, Paul Smith, Marian Bantjes, and Sarah Morris.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

“Pig on the Wings” is both a stool and an end table. Pig on the Wings has a very simple two leg design, the inspiration for its shape can be found in ..

Milan 2013: French design brand La Chance launched its second collection in Milan earlier this month, featuring a bright red winged bench by Luca Nichetto and a fragmented coffee table by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance (+ slideshow).

Among the new products unveiled by La Chance this year was Italian designer Luca Nichetto’s Earhart outdoor bench, which is named after aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart and finished in the shiny red of her Lockheed Vega aeroplane.

French designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance contributed a coffee table to complement his Borghese sofa, while Israeli designer Dan Yeffet and Lucie Koldova presented Apollo, a cone-shaped glass and marble floor lamp.

La Chance has also initiated new collaborations with Paris-based architects Tolila + Gilliland, who created a wall-mounted wood and marble coat hook called Jeeves, and German designer Sebastian Herkner, who came up with an occasional table to go with his Salute armchair.

Nathalie du Pasquier, a founding member of the influential Memphis Group, unveiled a rug called France, while Beijing architects PIDO (People’s Industrial Design Office) came up with a tilted shelving system made of cross-shaped modules that can be positioned horizontally or diagonally.

French designer Guillaume Delvigne produced two pendant lamps – Hal, a thin LED disk that fits under different glass shades, and Swan, a large glass pendant (not pictured).

Finally, Spanish and Ecuadorian designers Jorge de la Cruz and Diana Vernaza Gonzenbach came up with Podium, a tubular candle holder that places one of its three candles at a lower height.

The collection was unveiled in the Brera district of Milan during the city’s design week earlier this month – see all products and news from Milan 2013.

Last year’s inaugural collection by La Chance included designs by Nichetto, Duchaufour-Lawrance, Note Design Studio and Francois Dumas, and we also filmed an interview with the brand’s founder Jean-Baptiste Souletie while reporting on 2012’s design week.

Here’s some more details from La Chance:

One year after its launch during Salone 2012, La Chance is back in Milan to present 10 new products: tables, seating, shelves, but also a new range of lighting, a rug, and some accessories. The French brand carries on developing a distinctive style with references to Art Deco with a great variety of materials in graphic and decorative yet practical designs.

La Chance continues the collaboration with hyperactive designer Luca Nichetto who created Earhart, a scenic and aerial outdoor bench inspired by the aircraft industry. It is named after the American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart and shares the shiny red color of her Lockheed plane. Noé Duchaufour Lawrance enriches the Borghese range with a coffee table that completes the acclaimed Borghese landscape sofa. They share the characteristic vegetal structure inspired by the pine trees of the Rome’s Villa Borghese. Dan Yeffet and Lucie Koldova pursue the research on marble they began with the Iconic standing mirror and present Apollo, a surprising floor lamp that makes marble glow.

In addition, La Chance has initiated new collaborations and continues its search for talents worldwide with Spanish, German, American, French, Italian, Ecuadorian and also Chinese designers join in the team. Franco-­American architects Tolila + Gilliland have updated the conservative valet / jacket stand into an elegant wallmounted object made of wood and marble. It is called Jeeves in reference to the P.G Wodehouse novel character, a butler who defines himself as a gentleman’s personal gentleman. La Chance also works with Nathalie du Pasquier – founding member of the Memphis group ­‐ who created a rug called France. Strong graphics and explosive colors are the ingredients to this rug in line with her most spectacular creations. The rising star of German design Sebastian Herkner presents Salute, an occasional table meant to stand proudly by the side of the most iconic armchairs.

French designer Guillaume Delvigne has designed two very different pendant lamps: Hal is a small and easy lamp with a very simple and pure construction: a thin LED disk on which you can put different glass shades. On the other hand, Swan is an opulent large glass pendant with smooth curvy lines. La Chance also confirms its will to work with emerging talents and collaborates with Spanish and Ecuadorian designers Jorge de la Cruz and Diana Vernaza who designed a candle holder called Podium. La Chance also initiates one of the first collaborations between a European and a leading member of the boiling Chinese design scene. Beijing based architects PIDO 众产

Milan 2013: wingback armchairs by Spanish designer Jaime Hayón for Danish brand Republic of Fritz Hansen were unveiled in Milan earlier this month (+ slideshow).

Ro, meaning “tranquility” in Danish, features a curved seat shell that swoops out on both sides to form armrests and dips inward at the neck to follow the shape of the user’s body.

Separate rounded cushions for the headrest, back and seat are covered in a slightly different texture to the shell they sit in.

Two small buttons at chest height provide small details on the otherwise uninterrupted surfaces.

The chair is supported on four smooth, rounded legs that can be chosen in different coloured woods or metals.

Nine different fabric colour options and a variety of materials including leather and velvet are available.

Jaime Hayón debuted the chairs at the Republic of Fritz Hansen showroom in Milan and also presented a series of outdoor furniture for BD Barcelona during the city’s design week.

Other chair launches from the event we’ve featured include Konstantin Grcic’s Parrish collection for Emeco and Stefan Diaz’s trio of chairs for e15.

See more designs by Jaime Hayón »
See all our coverage of Milan 2013 »
See more chairs on Dezeen »

Read on for more information from Republic of Fritz Hansen:

Ro – the new comfort zone

The world-renowned Spanish designer Jaime Hayon has worked together with Republic of Fritz Hansen to create today’s answer to tomorrow’s easy chair. A chair where you can find room for your inner space and take a break from the hectic bustle of everyday life. The chair is called Ro and will be launched at Salone del Mobile 2013 in Milan.

Time for reflection is a luxury in today’s world. We are all busy and always short of time to create a moment for quiet contemplation. The new easy chair springs from a desire to create a piece of furniture that offers an opportunity for reflection in our busy lives.

However, Ro is much more than an easy chair. It’s a 11⁄2-seater where you can relax, change positions and have your newspaper, computer or child next to you and create a new comfort zone.

The design of the shell is elegant and simple, pleasing to both the eye and the body and offers the promise of tranquility in both its visual expression and its comfortable functionality. Furthermore, the form of the shell gives you the choice of being part of what goes on in the room or relaxing in your own private space.

Fritz Hansen’s design brief to Jaime Hayon was “… to create a comfortable seat for one person”. “We put a great deal of effort into the form of the chair, which is inspired by the human body. We wanted a chair that was comfortable as well as beautiful. My goal was to create a slim and elegant chair that encourages reflection and comfort,” says Jaime Hayon.

“Ro” means tranquility in Danish. The name was chosen because it captures the point of the chair in just two letters, thus reflecting the Nordic approach and concept of beauty.

Ro is made with great craftsmanship and in the highest sustainable quality. Combined with the sculptural and elegant design, the result is a functional and aesthetic chair that fascinates its surroundings. One seems to fall in love with it. Ro does not compromise on either comfort or aesthetics.

The easy chair is available in nine colours: three traditional options (black, grey and taupe), three bright colours (violet, blue and yellow) and three soft colours (light pink, sage-green and sand). For a more vibrant look, the chair features two different textures: one for the seat shell and one for the cushions, which supports the contrasted expression of the hard shell and the warm and soft interior.

Ro is launched in the Republic of Fritz Hansen’s showroom in Milan during Salone Internazionale del Mobile in April 2013. The easy chair will be available from Republic of Fritz Hansen and authorized retailers from September 2013.

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for Republic of Fritz Hansen appeared first on Dezeen.