ICFF 2008: Lighting Part 1

All in all, ICFF was rather lackluster this year, although there were a few gems in the crowd. The new 'Cloud' lights by Molo (top) were some of my favorites, although they are not yet in production. Hopefully they will sell them both with and without the light fixture itself because they looked really wonderful with just the ambient light coming down from above.

Ango displayed another unusual piece this year which I, of course, loved. Perhaps it's because it resembled a lava tube, but the 'Twig' light was fascinating. To make the lamp they coated it with tapioca powder and applied heat, giving it the cracked appearance. Josh Urso experimented with new fabrics, creating a much softer (and nicer) look than his previous resin dipped pieces.

ICFF 2008: designboom mart

One of the best parts of ICFF every year, hands down, is the designboom mart. Not only is it like a mad flea market with vendors selling their wares and people waving money, there truly is an excitement in the air that you generally don't find in the thousand dollar exhibit booths across the way.

These are young (or new) designers who are eager (and happy) to talk about their work. That's not too much to ask from the design world is it? Here are the highlights from this year's group (from top to bottom):

• Concrete Rings from 22designstudio (not new, but I bought one so...)
• Kubo Bowls made from steel and found branches
• Skin Series Vases by The Mighty Bearcats (they remind me of the Studiomold vases I wrote about for MoCo...I knew I would remember that!)
• Nice ceramic vases by Erika Hegenberg
• Calendar Vase by the Nothing Design Group (there is a bud vase suspended inside the pages)
  

Found in Future Perfect: V20 Vase

Believe it or not, I still have not made it into the Javits Center yet - my days have been spent wandering around the many satellite shows going on all over the city. Today I was in the Future Perfect in Brooklyn and spotted these great fabric waterproof vases by Cody Hudson for Raptus Lab. Tomorrow I really am going into ICFF - we'll see if I can get it all done in a day. To check out my coverage of the satellite shows, visit MoCo Loco over the next few days.

ICFF Sneak Peek: Flavor Paper

Here's a special sneak preview of some of the patterns Flavor Paper will be releasing at this year's ICFF - I can't wait to see them in person. If I've counted correctly it looks like my friends at the Flavor Lab will be exhibiting ten new designs! (Thanks Jon.)

This will be my last post until Saturday, but there will be lots more photos to come.

ICFF Ready

Busy getting ready for ICFF and all its madness. I'll be in town helping with coverage for MoCo Loco so look for lots of posts over the weekend both there and on designklub. If you will be attending the show, check out the Design Week Guide put together by Core77, an invaluable piece of literature.

Cayetano Ferrer

Found the work of Cayetano Ferrer on the KithKin blog. These shots are part of a series where Ferrer placed photographic prints over Chicago street signs, revealing part of the scene hidden behind the sign.

Oz by Cate&Nelson

Cate&Nelson's 'Oz' chair is an interesting take on the classic lounger. The user can flip between pieces of felt to change up the color and mood. I am curious about the comfort factor though - I guess we'll find out at ICFF where 'Oz' will be on display as part of the ICFF Studio competition.

Pieke Bergmans: Blubs

Words cannot possibly express how much I love these 'Light Blubs' by Dutch designer Pieke Bergmans. A Blub is, in her own words, "a light bulb that has gone way out of line. Infected by the dreaded Design Virus, these Blubs have taken on all kinds of forms and sizes you wouldn't expect from such well behaving and reliable little products. Nevertheless, they seem to be enjoying their new free existences." These charming characters use LEDs and recently made their debut at the Salone Del Mobile in Milan.

Ditte Hammerstrøm

Danish designer Ditte Hammerstrøm has some wonderful pieces in her 'Socialising Sofas' collection. My picks are 'Loungescape' (top) and 'Sofa Set' (below) - I like the small details in Loungescape, especially the wrapped legs and cushions.

Animal Index

Playful bookends by Japanese designer Hiroshi Sasagawa. 'Animal Index' is available from h-concept. (via MoCo Loco)

Jens Praet

Dutch designer Jens Praet kindly sent me an email sharing some of the latest work from his ongoing series called 'One Day Paper Waste'. Using shredded documents mixed with resin, Jens creates a line of furniture which includes a table (shown above) and shelving. The table was part of Droog's exhibition at the Salone del Mobile in Milan this year.

Found in Mexico

Spotted these chairs during my trip to Mexico - nice colors, clean lines and a cup holder too! (That's particularly important for your afternoon cerveza.)

Blog Break: Mexico or Milan?

I thought about packing my laptop or pre-loading some posts, but nope - I'm going on vacation and I'm taking a blog break. If I can't be in Milan, I'll take Mexico. Plenty of show coverage at MoCo Loco though, and lots of nice links to the left. See you in two weeks.

Joris Laarman WirePod

Joris Laarman, (of famed radiator design), has taken his curlique, twisting vine motif to the floor with WirePod, a multi-plug power outlet. Manufactured by Artenica. (via dezeen)

Still: Reinier Korstanje

The OKES lifestyle bike is another piece on display at the Design Academy Eindhoven exhibit. This oak frame beauty was made by Reinier Korstanje. Photo by Rene van der Hulst.

Still: Eindhoven in Milan

Students from the Design Academy Eindhoven will be taking part in an exhibition called Still during this year's Milan Furniture Fair. This piece, called 'Waterevaporation', is by Hanneke Guerts vanKessel. I love futuristic-looking plant orbs!

More Meta: Barber Osgerby

Here are a few more pieces from the upcoming Meta exhibition in Milan. The British design team Barber Osgerby teamed up with master glass blowers in Venice to create the lovely 'Cupola' reading table (top). Also on display is their 'Cidade' collection (below). (photos via Dezeen)

Makkum Flower Pyramid Preview

Though ICFF always has a few interesting pieces, the Milan Furniture Fair and it's related shows are really where it's at. This year seems to be no exception as the initial sneak peek photos from Milan have begun to drift out. Over the next few days I'll highlight the best of what I can find coming in from the various exhibitions.

One of the shows that looks particularly intriguing is Meta, a collection of work that brings together designers, master craftspeople and top line materials. Meta is billing itself as, "the antithesis of machine-age production." In it, designers have been given full access to work with these skilled artisans to make one of a kind, or limited edition, handcrafted masterpieces.

As part of the exhibition Royal Tichelaar Makkum, a centuries old ceramics company, has teamed up with a group of Dutch designers to re-create 17th century flower pyramids. The company invited Jurgen Bey, Studio Job, Hella Jongerius and Alexander von Slobbe to work with their in-house artisans to create contemporary versions of the centuries old model. The top image is an original 17th century Delft pyramid restored by Makkum, the middle shows a close-up of Jurgen Bey's piece and the bottom is a wax model of the pyramid Studio Job created. The exhibition has not opened yet, but once it does I will share more photos.

The inside scoop is that Murray Moss has booked these pieces to be in his SoHo gallery in May. So perhaps ICFF will be exciting after all...even if it is due to second servings from Milan. (photos from the International Herald Tribune)

Nobody & Co: Missing

'Missing', a collection of seven chairs by Nobody & Co, will be on display as part of this year's Fuori Salone in Milan.

Rotario Glass in Motion

The Rotario 'Glass in Motion' by Angelika Rümmele promises never to tip. It may swivel and roll, but rest assured your beverage will be secure.

Vahakn Matossian

Vahakn Matossian is one of the young designers presenting at this year's designersblock in Milan. Above are his 'Crucifix' power strip and 'Boomboy' loudspeaker. I wonder if Boomboy is inspired by the Kidrobot Munny - they look similar and both are oh so cute.

Lina Meier: Ollo Eatingware

Ollo Eatingware by Lina Meier was created for the increasing number of people who eat their meals in front of the TV. The bowl was designed with an insulated layer to protect the hand that cradles it and along with special stay-put curved cutlery. Ollo even has it's own little cup rest so you never have to reach for your glass again. Despite the fact Meier specifically calls Ollo eatingware, not tableware, that's the category I have and thus it shall be filed. Sorry Lina.

Tamsin van Essen

Ceramics designer Tamsin van Essen's 'Medical Heirloom' series consists of apothecary jars that, "appear to have been affected by various hereditary diseases – osteoporosis (top), psoriasis, acne (bottom), cancer, syphilis. As heirlooms, the jars can be passed down through the generations of a family in the same way as the medical conditions: a legacy of ill health". Nice way to start your Monday morning.

Cecile Belmont

Sometimes I get very reluctant about posting certain items on designklub because I feel like part of their charm is the discovery of such a wonderfully crafted thing. Cecile Belmont is one such designer whose clothing, textiles and art falls into this category. Her imagery is crisp, refreshing...and was recently shared here so I don't have to feel bad about spreading the word.

Monique Goossens

Interesting ceramic work by Danish designer Monique Goossens. The mix of materials on the top right cup is particularly nice. (via designboom)