Credit Patricia Urquiola with rescuing wicker from musty, outdated porches and transforming it into chic furniture worthy of dressing up the most stylish homes. And she’s inspired a younger generation of designers (even if they don’t realize it), including a young designer named Rami Tareef.
With a blend of artistry and commercial savvy, Patricia Urquiola enthralls tony Italian furniture makers--as well as BMW, H&M, and high-end hotel chains such as Mandarin Oriental. Here's a look at her beautiful business.
With a blend of artistry and commercial savvy, Patricia Urquiola enthralls tony Italian furniture makers—as well as BMW, H&M, and high-end hotel chains such as Mandarin Oriental. It’s a beautiful business.
Design is change, by definition. But the world in which design exists changes too, and the current velocity of that transformation, and its effect on designers, is at the heart of our 2010 Masters of Design issue.
Ever since the 70s, when Alexander Calder debuted BMW’s first art car, the car as canvas has been embraced by cool-hunting auto manufacturers. The Milan Furniture Fair has increasingly become the place to view these editions. Here is a quick look at this year’s offerings.
One thing you'll notice at the Milan Furniture Fair is how totally international the designs appear---and I don't necessarily mean that as a compliment. The designs, and the designers could have come from anywhere. Modernist architects used to dream of an "International Style," and that ethos now permeates product design. But one outstanding exception is Moroso, which more than any other design house has put ethnically inspired design centerstage, in a niche dominated by works that all look vaguely related. Here's a sampling of what they presented this year:
