Ahead of the annual Dulux® Colour Forecast, colour expert Davina Harper reviews her Milan Design Week highlights
‘International Klein Blue’ at Cassina.
1. Sustainable design
Sustainability, repurposing and recycling has been an ongoing focus of the design community and this year it was even more prevalent. Milanese gallerist Rossana Orlandi had an entire exhibition dedicated to recycling plastics. She also launched the Ro Plastic Prize this year to challenge designers to develop new ways of recycling and reusing plastic.
Eileen Fisher’s Waste No More installation confronted visitors with the reality of society’s discarded clothing by repurposing items from the brand’s past collections to create a range of ‘zero-waste’ works, including wall hangings, acoustic panels and decorative objects.
‘Bulbo’ chair by Campana Brothers for Louis Vuitton
2. Nature inspired
Nature was a prevailing theme, with designers looking to water, gardens and, in particular, flowers for inspiration. Natural curves, imperfect forms and textures were seen across the board. A striking example was the new ‘Bulbo’ chair by Campana Brothers for Louis Vuitton: the yellow chair creates the experience of being enveloped by a giant tropical flower. Fashion house Gucci, meanwhile, embraced floral pattern-on-pattern for the ultimate in maximalism.
3. Anniversary of Bauhaus
The 100th anniversary of Bauhaus was another theme, with Knoll teaming up with architect Rem Koolhaas’s OMA. The exhibition, curated by the design historian Domitilla Dardi, celebrated the unique influence the German school had on the modern evolution of design.
Vivid neon hues at Versace Home
4. Vivid colours
In terms of eye-catching colours, few could miss the electrifying ‘International Klein Blue’ (named after French artist Yves Klein), which was seen in exhibitions by Vitra, Kvadrat and Cassina. Or the vivid neon featured in the tropical fantasy that was Versace’s Home exhibition by Sasha Bikoff. Or the touch of vibrant red that made its way into many of the exhibitions including Normann Copenhagen.
Dulux sponsored the Best Interior award at Home of the Year 2019.
[related_articles post1=”99344″ post2=”94605″]
