Maison et objet (autumn 17)

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Toothpicker

Hall 6 at Maison et objet

The term ‘enochlophobia’ means fear of crowds, a phobia that I suspect I have – mildly. Although I don’t experience blackouts or panic attacks in crowded places, I do feel overwhelmed, as if my energy is being sucked out of me, and I often feel exhausted afterwards.

This can be a problem when I visit business-related trade fairs, hence I rarely spend more than a few hours at a trade fair (or even art fairs). However, once in a while, I have to conquer my fears and plunge into it. It took me some time to decide whether I should spend €60 on a ticket to Paris’ mega design trade fair, Maison et objet, particularly when most trade fairs in the world are free of charge. Perhaps the reason why they could charge so much is because of its reputation and history (it is 22 years old); and it attracts luxury and well-respected brands, independent names, as well as up-and-coming designers from around the world. If you want to know the trends of interior, furniture and products and what is happening in the design world right now, then this fair is most likely to provide some ideas. With over 3000 brands exhibiting at Paris Nord Villepinte (about 45 mins outside of Paris) for 5 days, it would be wise to do some preparations before the visit.

My strategy was to spend a day there focusing on 2-3 halls only (there are 8 in total), because it would impossible to see everything in a day. But soon after I arrived via the entrance of Hall 6 (the largest hall), I was lost, stressed out, and feeling overwhelmed. I thought I was mentally prepared, but the sheer scale of the venue was staggering. The layout of this hall was like a vast maze and it wasn’t easy to navigate at all. Luckily, Hall 7 (Now! Design a Vivre) was more spacious and it gave me some breathing space. Six hours later, I only managed to cover 2.5 halls, but it was sufficient for me already.

Top left: The classic Eames Elephant at Vitra; Top right and 2nd row: new collection by Marimekko; Botton row: Flensted Mobiles

But was it worth all the fuss and sweat? Yes, I suppose. Since most of the trade fairs in London focus mostly on British brands and businesses, M & O provides a more global perspective of the design world outside of the U.K. There are many interesting brands that I have never heard of before, and many of them are based in Asia too.

Here is an overview of some of the brands/products that I encountered during the 6 hours at the fair including many Asian participants:

Gmund papermakers and stationery (Germany)

Papier Machine (France) is a booklet gathering a family of 13 paper-made electronic toys ready to be cut, colored, folded, assembled or torn.

Samesame recycled glass products (Germany)

Storytiles from the Netherlands

Animal theme

Top and 2nd rows: super cute cuddly toy chairs at AP Collection from Belgium; 3rd row: elephant table and chairs; Bottom left: Peacock; Bottom right: Zoo collection at Element Optimal from Denmark

Materials

Top row: Wonders of weaving (Indonesia); 2nd row: Luce Couillet textiles (France); Bottom: origami textiles at the Material lab

Japan

In the last few years, Japanese art/digital collective teamlab has created some fascinating immersive installations around the world. After their popular installations at Pace London earlier this year, they have teamed up with tea master Shunichi Matsuo to promote his new brand, En tea, a new tea grown in Hizen.

Visitors were led into a dark room, where they would sit at the table and be given a bowl of green tea. Then virtual flowers would appear when tea is poured in the bowl; the visuals are rendered in real time by a computer program and are not prerecorded. Petals and leaves would scatter and spread as you move your bowl. It was a fun experience, and a nice way to rehydrate and enjoy a bit of downtime away from the hustle and bustle outside.

Top row: flowers blossom in the tea bowl: Bottom row: En tea & More trees space outside of the installation

Misoka – an award-winning toothbrush that requires no toothpaste

The quirkiest lamps ever… Pampshade is made from real bread by bread lover/artist, Yukiko Morita. I have ever seen anything like this before!

Osaka design centre – Washi paper and K-ino Inomata

Top left: Draw a line tension rod by Heian Shindo and TENT; Suzusan shibori textiles and lighting

Korea

Top row: Ceramic products at I.Cera; 2nd row: Lee Hyemi; 3rd row: Korean craft & design foundation; Bottom left: Small good things; Bottom right: Kim Hyun Joo studio

Taiwan

A notable presence from Taiwan at the fair, aside from the Taiwan crafts & design stand, there were other independent brands like Haoshi, Toast, EY products, new brand called Melting, and the 2017 Rising Asian Talents: Kamaro’an.

1st row: Taiwan crafts & design; 2nd row: Haoshi; 3rd row: Kamaro’an; 4th row: Toast; 5th row: Melting; bottom row: EY products

Thailand

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) also showcased TALENT THAI, which introduced various Thai lifestyle/design brands to an international audience. Thai design studio, Atelier 2+ was also selected one of the 2017 Rising Asian Talents.

1st left: Zen Forum; 1st right: Handmade jewellery by Saprang; 2nd row: Greenhouse Mini by Atelier 2+; Bottom left: woven chair by Salt and Pepper design studio; Bottom right: wooden panels by Deesawat

Singapore

The stand of Singapore-based architectural practice WOHA was named Designer of the year Asia 2017

Hong Kong

2017 Rising Asian talent: Lim + Lu Studio

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Tent London 2014

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Toothpicker

Top: Danish made; Bottom left: 100% Norway; Bottom right: visitors relaxing outside on a warm Sept day

This year, I was surprised by the number of Asian designers participating at Tent London. I ended up spending about 3 hours there and chatted to many designers, which left me feeling quite exhausted and design-overdosed!

The first surprise came when I saw Tokyo design week in London occupying a large area at the back of the ground floor. The theme was Tokyo Imagine, which showcased interactive design and technology, products, graphics and animation etc. There was some amazing digital technology on display esp. by Amana, where an app Arart was created to turn an ordinary two-dimensional image into motion graphics. However, I found the curation random and inconsistent, among the futuristic interactive design and technology, there were also some traditional displays that looked completely out of place!

Top left: Koda Kumi’s Dance in the rain; Top right: Amana x Arart; 2nd row: Tokyo Merry-go-round by Asami Kiyokawa; 3rd row left: Kenjya‘s manga; 3rd right: IgaChie – traditional decorations; 4th row: Nest; Bottom left: Mangaka’s manga knife and chopping board set; Bottom right: Handmade-Japan

My favourite of the section was Nest created by Junya Shigematsu, featuring different sets of handmade wooden toys inspired by Russian Matryoshka dolls. These sets teach the structure/anatomy/scale of animal and human body, they are both playful and educational.

Upstairs, I came across a group of Japanese design students who have teamed up to create furniture and goods inspired by manga. Mangaka‘s designs are fun and unusual, I especially like the Kill Devi wooden chopping board set.

Top: ‘Stationery object’ range by Michael & George; 2nd row left: recycled lamps by Creare; 2nd row right: Gróa Ólöf Þorgeirsdóttir‘s Wooly; 4th row left: “Dive in” by Vezzini & Chen; 4th row middle: Campobag; 4th row right: Random by Studio; 5th row: Louise Tucker; Bottom left: Mutton & Flamingo; Bottom right: Yoin design

In recent years, I noticed that lighting design plays a more prominent role at various design trade shows. Lighting is now being treated as important as furniture, and designers are experimenting with different materials and craft techniques to create many interesting designs. One of the most playful design at the show was Michael & George‘s HB lamp, part of their ‘Stationery Objects’ range. It’s quirky and brings a smile to my face, perfect for stationery addicts!

I also like the way glass and ceramics are used in London-based design team Vezzini & Chen‘s lighting design. Their “dive in” wall installation features glass bubbles filled with ceramic forms that emulate forms and textures of underwater creature; while their “close up” lamps are made up of slip casted and hand carved bone china pieces inside the free blown glass form. On the glass, bubble-lens were created to distort and magnify the view of the Bone china inside. Simple and yet beautiful.

Another interesting glass lamp that I cam across was Random, created by Taiwanese design team, Studio If. The pendant light has two strings and when one string is pulled, the light balls are turned on one by one in random order. And when the other string is pulled, it dims the light in the reversed order till all balls are off. I love this cool and elegant lamp!

Top left: Stix Chair by Nicolai Hansen & Clemens Hoyer; Top right: Aljoud Lootah‘s ‘Unfolding Unity Stool’; 2nd row left: Pinpres by OOO My design; 2nd row middle: Stik by Jesper Su Rosenmeier & Johan Jeppesen; 2nd row right: Middle East Revealed; Bottom left: Triplets by Brish Mellor; Bottom right: Aparentment

One section at the show that I particularly enjoyed was Danish Made, where emerging Danish Designers showcase prototypes inspired by the two great Danish furniture designers Hans J. Wegner and Børge Mogensen. Graduates from three Danish architecture and design schools reinterpret the classic forms as this year is the centennial birthday of the two masters. My personal favourite is Stix Chair by Nicolai Hansen & Clemens Hoyer (see above).

Top: 100% Norway; 2nd row left: Alghalia Interiors; 2nd row right: Artesania de Galicia; Bottom: Origami wall covering by Tracey Tubb

Like I mentioned earlier, there was a notable high numbers of Asian designers showcasing here this year. Aside from Tokyo design week in London, Constancy and change in Korean Traditional Craft also occupied a large area upstairs where the organiser Korean Craft & design foundation showcased a variety of contemporary crafts that are inspired by traditional culture, materials or techniques.

There were several Asian designers/ brands that stood out for me, and one of them was Korean designer HyunJoo Kim, who designed the natural-inspired Fallen leaf trays made of paper. Hyun Joo’s background is in industrial design, and she has designed many nature-inspired furniture pieces. The newly-launched eco Fallen leaf tray sets are simple, easy to use, and they are more aesthetically-pleasing than the standard paper plates.

Top left: Japanese origami screen; Top middle: Constancy and change in Korean Traditional Craft; Top right: Zan design at Campobag (Taiwan); 2nd row: Bonnsu (Taiwan); 3rd row left; Clippen by MZDB (Korea) 3rd row right: Fallen leaf trays by HyunJoo Kim; Bottom: Hyper stone by Korean design students from Hanyang University

I spoke to a representative at Cambobag, a Taiwanese creative team that unites artists, designers and illustrators from different disciplines and aims to explore the impact art has on the world at large. I was particularly drawn by Zan design, a Taiwanese design studio that makes vessels and tableware inspired by the traditional enamel craftsmanship and technology. I love the colours, earthy and rustic tone of their copper and enamel vessels, and I think the copper and glaze give them a contemporary twist.

I was also happy to have met the husband and wife team behind Bonnsu, a design studio based in Taiwan. Adam is Swedish and Ai is Taiwanese but they met in the US while studying design. I really like their award-winning ceramic Reflections series inspired by architectural landmarks like Taj Mahal and the Kremlin. The sets not only are unique and eye-catching, they are also functional and well crafted.

From my observations, I firmly believe that the Taiwanese design scene is the most exciting one in Asia at the moment. I am continuing to discover inspiring designs that come from the hearts of the designers, and this is what makes them stand out from the rest. And as much as I love Japanese designs, I think that somehow they are losing their direction and edge, which is a real shame.

My design festival journey continues on…

International furniture fair Singapore 2014

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Toothpicker

I was not aware of the International furniture fair Singapore (part of the Singapore design week) until I arrived in Singapore, and so I did not register beforehand. I visited the show on its opening day and a few hours before my flight with my suitcase (since the exhibition centre is situated next to the airport), and it turned out that many others had the same idea! The queue for the storage and registration took more than 1/2 an hour, but thankfully, things went more smoothly once inside.

The fair was about 4 times bigger than Maison et Objet and with more Asian companies participating, but I spent the most time wandering the hall curated by Singaplural which featured many up-and-coming designers and young design brands from Asia.

Top left: the long queue for registration; Top right: The Green Pavilion: Main & bottom row: Designer’s field

One booth that caught my eye was Designer’s Field, a Thai/Danish company that designs, sources and produces home interior and furniture products based in Bangkok. Inspired by the delicate Asian style and Scandinavian simplicity, their products are minimalist, modern, functional, and well-made too.

Another brand inspired by the Japanese/ Scandinavian simplicity is Hinika (see above), a new Singaporean brand of outdoor and indoor furniture launched last year by Austrian/ Singaporean industrial designer, Jarrod Lim. The wooden furniture collection is well-crafted, understated and highly functional.

Top left & 2nd row: Super&Co/Supermama from Singapore; 3nd row left & bottom row: SWBK from Korea

I always enjoy talking to designers about their work and here I met Priscilla Potts, an associate designer at Super&Co/ Supermama, a Sinagporean brand founded by industrial designer, Edwin Low. Although their products are designed locally, they have collaborated with several traditional Japanese crafts and textiles manufacturers to produce various lines. Singapore Icons porcelain collection is a collaborative project that won them the President Design Award 2013. Designed by 5 design studios in Singapore, the collection was crafted by Japanese porcelain company KIHARA INC.

Like Desinere (see my earlier entry), the brand also collaborated with Japanese metal casting company, Nousaku to produce Familiar objects, a set of pencil paper weight made from solid brass, bronze or copper. Their new line is a range of textiles printed and produced by a traditional fabric company, MARUJU LTD. based in Nagoya, Japan.

S W B K is design firm in Korea, co-founded by Sukwoo Lee and Bongkyu Song in 2008. The firm’s products are often inspired by nature and made from natural or recycled materials using traditional craftsmanship. This philosophy can be seen in their new stationery line, Matter and Matter.

‘Design as it is’ curated by Eisuke Tachikawa from Nosigner

Nosigner is one of my favourite Japanese design firms; a few years ago, I attended a talk given by their chief desigber Eisuke Tachikawa and was very impressed by his design philosophy and attitude. Hence I was very happy to see him curating ‘Design as it is’ for Ambassadors of Design Japan, which showcased beautiful objects designed by him and other Japanese designers.

‘Design as it is’ was about design that do not create forms/shapes, and it examined the relationship between design and its environment. This is probably what good design is about: design that is in harmony with its surroundings without looking like it has been ‘designed’. Yet in this day and age, although we are surrounded by designed objects around us everywhere, how many can claim to be in harmony with its environment? Sadly, not a lot.

100% design & Tent London 2013

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Toothpicker

Top left: Paper space by Studio Glowacka and Maria Fulford Architects. Top right: Adaptive City Taipei pavilion; Bottom left: Tunnel lighting system by Thomas.Matthews and studio design UK; Bottom middle: Ceramicstudio “Mee” by Ji Hyun Chung at Korea design pavilion; Bottom right: Bubble chair by KEV Design studio

Perhaps the reason why all the design trade shows take place at the same period within a 4-day frame is to cater for overseas industry people, but it’s extremely exhausting to have to go from one show to another in such a short period of time. It didn’t help by the fact that I caught a cold last week and so I had to even skip some events.

My first stop was 100% design at Earls Court, which has changed a lot over the years, but I think this year’s show was much better than the previous three years. There was a new section displaying work by design students, an emerging brands section, more international pavilions and there was even a 3-D printing pavilion.

Top left: Branch Lighting System by Peter Larkam; Top middle: Crivos objetos enredados at 100% Argentine design; Top right: Dandelion foldable 3D printed chair; Main: Worldscape by Atmos studio; Bottom right: A colourful table by Alex Petunin at Russian design pavilion

I was rather disappointed by the work shown at the Korea design pavilion this year, as I have seen more interesting work shown in the previous years. The more crowd-pleasing was the Adaptive city Taipei pavilion, but I was particularly intrigued by the Russian design pavilion as I am not very familiar with their design scene.

Top left: 100% Norway; Top right: Ceramics on a conveyor belt by Soderlund Davidson; Main: Studio Jon Male’s reBay lighting

The next day, I went to Tent London at Truman Brewery, a show which I have enjoyed in the previous years. I was slightly disappointed to see some design studios showing the same work from last year. Though I was also glad to see many furniture and lighting pieces merging craftsmanship into their designs, like the beautiful wooden chairs by Laura Kishimoto, perspective furniture by Group H from Korea, bamboo sticks sculptures by Mie Matsubara and woven lamps by Louise Tucker.

Top left: Chairs by Laura Kishimoto; Main and bottom right: Perspective furniture by Group H; Bottom left: Wooden lamp by Trepan

I was sent a newsletter about one of our suppliers, Di-Classe‘s participation at the show by my Japanese friend who represents the brand in the U.K. Hence, I was able to catch up with her at the show and was shown the newer version of the “Cuore LED candles” ( which can be turned on and off by blowing over it) and new colours available for the “House tissue box”.

Elsewhere, the work shown at “Korea design membership” was too gimmicky and the Four Seasons in Shanghai pavilion was a let down. Luckily, there were some interesting work to be found at the “Fresh Taiwan” and at 100% Norway, which occupied a separate gallery opposite of the venue.

Top left and right: Di-Classe and the Cuore LED candles; Middle left: Furniture by Jake Phipps; Middle: Ceramics by Ikuko Iwamoto; Middle right: Folding books by Yumaman Creative & design; Bottom right: Dome lights by Handmade Industrials

My journey continued across London…

Beef 2012 by Seungho Lee

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Toothpicker

This blog post is long overdue… I told Seungho that I would write about his award-winning MA project after my Helsinki trip, but it has taken me all this time to get round to it!

I have been corresponding with Seungho from About:blank via emails since I started stocking their notebooks. Hence, it was wonderful when he suggested to meet for dinner when I was in Helsinki for the design week. Sometimes, it can be awkward having dinner with people who you have never met before ( even though my instinct was a positive one), and luckily, my instinct was right.

The evening went by almost too quickly, I spent an thoroughly enjoyable evening with Seungho and Hyunsun discussing design, Asian culture, Finland, vegetarianism, wastage and even politics ( we touched on many subjects that are usually ‘banned’ from dinner conversations)!

Seungho’s project was on display at the Helsinki design week

It is always exciting to meet like-minded people, but even more so with designers or creatives who share the same design philosophy and ideals. To our surprise, we quit meat around the same time, yet we would face situations that are hard to get out of because of pressure from our families. I can’t call myself a vegetarian because I still eat seafood, but for the last few years, I have chosen to stop purchasing or cooking meat at home.

An interesting part of our discussion was about the way people view “design”, since many misunderstand design as only something tangible rather than an attitude, vision, process, activity or philosophy. Seungho‘s “Beef 2012” project for his Creative Sustainability master’s programme at Aalto University demonstrates that design can be beyond aesthetics and functionality.

Beef Finland 2012 (Finnish sub) from Seungho Lee on Vimeo.

Traditionally, designers are viewed as problem solvers whose job is to improve or influence people’s lives through a means of communication. Yet as we have seen in the past two decades, the word “design” has been overused and now the market is full of “designer” products that are trend-driven and egocentric, of which many solve problems that are non-existent in the first place!

When we are faced with global crisis like climate change, shortage of natural resources, deforestation, over-consumption and wastage; we need more designers to think beyond pleasing themselves and take responsibility in their design attitude and thinking process.

As the economy in the West is shrinking, it is also a time for reflection and re-evaluation. Luckily, there are an increasing number of design firms, architects and designers ( like Ideo, Shigeru Ban and Seungho) who are trying to make a difference and create awareness to problems that need to be addressed immediately.

Ttable office & Korean stationery

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Toothpicker

As a huge fan of Japanese design and stationery, I was quite oblivious to Korean stationery until my first visit to Seoul two years ago. What I did not expect was to see so many independent stationery shops, occupying prime locations and in big shopping malls. This is quite rare to see in Asia because of the high property/rental prices, my guess is that Koreans must really like their stationery (and coffee)!

With Japanese yen being so high (vs. other currencies) in recent years, it hasn’t been easy for me esp. when I import from Japan. Most of my Japanese products are more expensive partly due to this reason, and so Korean stationery has a slight advantage in terms of costs. However, Korean stationery does have an unique appeal that differs from the Japanese ones; like the eco-friendly stationery brand, Gongjang, my latest discovery, Ttable Office is also one of a kind.

It was a few months ago that I came across Ttable Office while I was browsing on the internet and was immediately drawn to it. Yunsook Choi‘s work has a fairy-tale like/ dreamy feel to it, and it is unlike anything that I have seen before. Working from her 6 sqm studio tucked away in Sogyukdong, an old part of Seoul, Yunsook‘s studio is also a shop where visitors can enjoy the wonders of her creations. I particularly like the fact that with a bit of simple DIY, these cards can become mobile and be hung as decorations. Some of her cards carry short and heartwarming messages that are not specific for any occasion, making them quite flexible. Honestly, I am tired of seeing greeting cards with outdated jokes, and so I find these cards very refreshing and inspiring.

I decided to stock three of her cards and a letter set as a trial, but hopefully, I can expand the range in the future. You can see some of her other adorable products here: