Singapore creativity at Milan Design Week

WITH more international borders now open, this year’s Milan Design Week saw an increase in the number of overseas visitors, and the excitement is slowly but surely returning to pre-Covid times.

The annual showcase of international design took place this year from Jun 7 to 12.

Among those from Singapore who visited was designer Nathan Yong, who launched a new collection of tables with Spanish brand, Sancal.

“There were a lot of positive vibes and I feel that things are slowly returning to normal,” says Yong. He noted that unlike previous years, the renowned Italian brands were not yet participating in the main Salone Internazionale de Mobile, the highlight of the week, but chose instead to host their own launches in the city. 

“Perhaps they might be feeling conservative knowing that the Chinese buyers aren’t able to visit yet, but overall, there are signs of hope,” he says.

Mauro Bonizzoni, project manager and partner at Lanzavecchia + Wai, says “the crowd is almost back to what it was during the pre-Covid days”. Design firm Lanzavecchia + Wai is founded by Italian Francesca Lanzavecchia and Hunn Wai, a Singaporean.

Here’s what the Singaporean designers showed.

Faces by Nathan Yong

Forget conventional side tables that come with 4 legs and a table-top. For Spanish brand Sancal, Yong has created Faces, giving a playful touch to furniture design.

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Faces is a collection of anthropomorphic tables that allow them to go from being a piece of furniture to an abstract art work.

Made from oak, each piece is sturdy enough to support not only books and coffee cups, but also plants and lamps.

Breathing Batik by Supermama

A lacquerware collection with batik-inspired prints, Breathing Batik features the works of Singaporean artists with disabilities.

The artists are makers from i’mable Collective, an initiative by SG Enable to develop a viable market for quality merchandise made by persons with disabilities. 

“Through the partnership with local label Supermama, these artists now have an international platform to showcase their talents and the social service agencies have built their capabilities in creating a commercially viable product that carries a unique Singaporean identity,” says SG Enable’s CEO, Ku Geok Boon.

Merlion Mambo by Supermama

The Merlion is well-known around the world, but let’s face it, its look hasn’t changed in decades.

To give it a refreshed look, Supermama’s founder Edwin Low called on 5 local illustrators to give their perspective on the Merlion.

The results are Merlions with more updated and fun looks. These are printed on a collection of Japanese glassware.

Koyabari console by Gabriel Tan

Gabriel Tan, who runs his eponymous design firm, is also the creative director for Japanese furniture brand Ariake. This is the first time that Ariake is showing at Milan Design Week.

For the show, Tan has created the Koyabari collection, which includes a dining table and console.

Koyabari means roof beam in Japanese and Tan was inspired by Japanese roof joinery techniques.

The pieces have a thick beam that is close to the ground for stability, and the beam also prevents the feet from touching when two users sit opposite each other.

The Weaver’s Collection by Gabriel Tan

Besides running his own design firm, Tan is also the founder and creative director for furniture label Origin Made.

The Weaver’s Collection is a collection of stools and benches that came about when Tan met Maria Adelina, a weaver in her sixties and the last known one in Pacos Ferreira, a furniture-producing town in Portugal. 

Inspired by Adelina’s passion for her craft, Tan designed the pieces with wood frames and woven paper chords for their surfaces.

Nena Stools by Lanzavecchia + Wai

For Italian brand Zanotta, designers Francesca Lanzavecchia from Italy and Singaporean Hunn Wai designed the Nena Stools, great for kitchen islands.

The stool is a combination of aesthetics and comfort. It comes with a tapered tubular steel frame for a slim look, with an upholstered seat. The backrest is also upholstered and curved to envelop the user.

Segni by Lanzavecchia + Wai

With Segni, everyone should throw out conventional ideas of how a sofa should look. 

Designed for Italian label Orografie, Segni comes in 5 pieces and can be positioned to be a lounger or arm chair. The smaller pieces can double as stools or foot rests.

“Segni wants to be a hymn to individual comfort, freeing the user from predetermined spaces and postures, supporting new ergonomic needs for work, study, relaxation, physical activity and leisure,” its designers say.