Salone del Mobile 2019: bold works and theatrical projects that framed Milan Design Week

The myriad of patterns in this design is the result of hacking traditional stone methods. On view at Alcova, the project is a collaboration between stone tailor Manuel Coltri and DWA Design Studio, and curated by Paolo de Vivo. A cocktail of Carrara, lava stone, green onyx and more form the stripes, graphic shapes, and contrasting tones of these vases and trays, giving classic materials and methods a new edge

The results of a collaboration between students of the Master of Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship course at ECAL and Italian marble brand Marsotto LAB were on view in Brera. Following a tour of its Verona factory, the students were able to get to grips with Marsotto’s meticulous methods with marble and under the guidance of French designer Pierre Charpin, they produced a collection of kitchenware that includes a champagne bucket, containers and trays.

Student Nabhadr Apiwanopas created a poetic vase titled ‘Vortex’ that is a marble disk harbouring a gentle water flow (left), while Lorenzo Giovannoni created trays inspired eroded landscapes (right). Courtesy, ECAL/Younès Klouche

Two collaborations came to fruition for Hem’s Salone spectacle. In Brera, the brand coined the ‘Hem Gallery and Garden’ where it presented the monolithic ‘Max Table’ by Max Lamb, stretching three metres and made from Douglas Fir. The Swedish brand also launched its first collaboration with Modern Design Review – an ornamental ceramics project with John Booth and Ian McIntyre that was both playful and experimental.