Design Shanghai 2018
By Daisy
on March 19 2018
Design Shanghai is Asia’s leading international design event bringing together established international brands alongside up-and-coming designers from China and around the world. This year we saw an interesting change to the exhibition space in the form of an additional area outside of the main building, providing more room for brands to exhibit their products. In collaboration with artists, an installation was displayed upon a giant pool in the middle of the exhibition centre, capturing the spirit of design.
In contrast to last year’s show that was a collection of ‘flashy, funny & dramatic’ furniture, home ware and tableware; this year felt a lot more ‘gentle, modern & young’. Many products expressed this aesthetic through mellow shapes and subtle colours, with some interesting influences from the world of fashion.
Here’s a roundup of some things that caught our eye at the show this year…
Wooden Textiles & Wooden Cabinet by Elisa Strozyk
New tactile experience from traditional materials…
These intriguing ‘Wooden Textiles’ by designer Elisa Strozyk are a material somewhere between hard and soft, rigid and malleable, familiar through tactility yet strange in form; creating a new tactile experience. The wood is deconstructed into different shapes and sizes and mounted onto a textile backing; depending on the geometry and the size of the tiles each design behaves differently in terms of movement and flexibility. Applications are more akin to textiles rather than what you would expect for wood and include drapes for beds & sofas, table runners, rugs, curtains, wall hangings and lamps; each giving a unique pattern through colour and movement.
The Rug Company – Festival by Paul Smith, Chiaroscuro by Alexander McQueen
From fashion to floor, capsule collection…
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, The Rug Company has created a capsule collection of handmade rugs by leading designers, including fashion designers Paul Smith, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. The distinct styles, characteristics and colour palettes of each designer have been skilfully translated into these rugs, all of which are handcrafted in Nepal using traditional time-honoured techniques; allowing people to express their fashion tastes though their home as well as through their clothes.
‘La Collection’ bathroom by Jacob Delafon and and Alexis Mabille
Interdisciplinary blends capturing the spirit of the bath…
‘La Collection’ is a bathroom furniture and accessories collection encapsulating the ‘spirit of the bath’ and born out of collaboration between French bath specialist Jacob Delafon, Parisian Couturier designer Alexis Mabille and master craftsmen. Designed to create an atmosphere of old washrooms from the 1930s, the combination of soft pink walls, beautifully veined marble and brass gilded with gold creates a sophisticated and feminine aesthetic. The bathtub, basin, shower tray and stool were crafted by a stonemason from the same marble block and hand sanded to a matte finish. While the shower cage with round showerhead, faucets and towel rails were crafted from brass and gilded with a fine gold by a master locksmith.
If you would like to find out more about what the team saw at Design Shanghai contact Daisy on: [email protected]