Bar Unikko © Sean Davidson
1. What were your highlights?
SHS – Exploring the new Porada collection was a real high point for us – ultra elegant, sleek and timeless, but at the same time totally rich in warmth and materiality. We loved it – special thanks to the always wonderful Chiara Prestigiacomo for the fabulous tour and hospitality. A standout product was the beautiful stone Oswood Rondo table.
Caro – obviously we know exactly where to go to wind down in the evenings (Bar Basso forever) but Bar Unikko, created by Marimekko to mark the brand’s 60th birthday, in collaboration with Apartmento, was a very welcome addition to the daytime programming – mixing Nordic cool with Milanese chic.
2. How would you describe MDW in 5 words?
SHS – Hectic, stimulating, inspiring, varied, welcoming
Caro – Colourful, busy, invigorating exciting, tiring
3. Who are the key ‘ones to watch’?
SHS – Editions Milano – beautiful vases and marble vessels, we fell in love with these. Atmosphera – really function colourful and aesthetic outdoor pieces. Paolo Castelli – unique playful designs, lots of fun…
Caro – We loved Josh Egesi’s Ayo Bench, shown at the Wallpaper* Class of ’24 exhibition – a truly beautiful object with the traditional Nigerian game Ayo integrated into one side of the bench, a magazine holder on the other. Incorporating playful elements into design was something we saw lots of – a very welcome trend, moments of levity and fun are really memorable.
4. Did anything genuinely surprise you this year?
SHS – The sizes and the effort made for the installations, and how well executed it was: the quality and scale of the installations was immense and really excelled this year.
Caro– the frequent use of imperfect ceramics – this felt like quite a shift away from perfection and towards letting the materials speak for themselves. It was something we saw everywhere – almost as if pieces had slightly slipped on the wheel, but in a beautiful way. It was instantly obvious that this is going to filter down to the high street effortlessly.
5. What was your major takeaway?
SHS – Milan is valuable experience for all designers, at any stage of your career – it’s absolutely a must do and a must see, but it’s imperative go into the city, beyond Salone. There is just so much going on everywhere, and it’s worth taking time to seriously explore on! Oh, and say yes to every invite – RSVP to all the parties and meet as many people as possible, you can always catch up on sleep when you get home.
Caro – Colour is so back – the incredible Verner Panton room at Capsule Plaza was filled with deep oranges and purple was a fabulous sight.
