Design Miami opens its doors on 2 December, but we have the lowdown on what you need to make a beeline for across the city. And if you aren’t catching a flight for some winter sun and design inspiration, there’s all the information and insights you need to still be in the know. From Fendi’s latest collaboration to a young designer to watch a four more must-see moments, there’s plenty to explore.
‘Fonderia Fendi’, Conie Vallese
Since first partnering with Design Miami back in 2008, Fendi has collaborated with many design greats – last year saw Lewis Kemmenoe present pieces – but, fittingly for a brand with a long history of strong female leadership, the roster has also included the likes of Cristina Celestino, Sabine Marcelis and, in 2023, creative studio Bless, whose co-founder Desiree Heiss foreshadowed the theme for this year’s collection.
‘We fell in love with all the women we met and the female power we could feel,’ she told us of her experience working with Fendi. That power was the focus for Argentinian designer and artist Conie Vallese on this, Fendi’s landmark 100th-anniversary year.
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‘For me, Fendi’s story is so deeply intertwined with ideas of family, femininity and craftsmanship – all of which resonate in my own practice,’ says Vallese, whose starting point for ‘Fonderia Fendi’ was Les Cinq Doigts d’une Main, a 1994 illustration by Karl Lagerfeld that depicts the five Fendi sisters (Anna, Carla, Franca, Alda and Paola) as fingers of the same hand, working together. Influenced by its spirit of collaboration, she approached five Italian ateliers – Fonderia Battaglia, Officine Saffi, CC-Tapis and Barovier & Toso, as well as Fendi’s own leather workshops – to produce one-of-a-kind pieces. The results are united by a constrained palette of rosy bronze, alongside Fendi shades ‘sorbetto’ yellow and ‘anice’ blue.
Forged in Fonderia Battaglia’s Milanese foundry, the bench, screen, chair and sconces feature hand-sculpted lilies. It’s a motif that also appears on the rug by CC-Tapis and the cubes clad in tiles by Officine Saffi, where the delicate floral design is interspersed with Fendi’s signature double-F monogram. A trio of glass vases, handblown in Murano by Barovier & Toso, continue the floral fantasy. The finishing touch, of course, is a limited edition version of the ‘Peekaboo’ bag. ‘I wanted the pieces to feel timeless and human – optimistic in soft yellows and pale blues – and to celebrate imperfection as a form of truth,’ adds Vallese. fendi.com
One to watch: Mehdi Dakhli
This year’s theme for Design Miami, curated by Glenn Adamson, the former director of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, is ‘Make Believe’. It’s an instruction to designers to allow us to dream, but also a demand that they take a leap of faith and turn these dreams into reality. Among the creatives entrusted with the task, who will be presenting work at the annual event, is the French-Tunisian all-rounder Mehdi Dakhli. Born in 1988, Dakhli has been on the design circuit for less than two years and is already making waves.
After studying business law and political science in Paris, he took a more creative path, moving to London to curate a private art collection, then collaborating with the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Francis Kéré on the development of Chalets African, private residencies in Gstaad, Switzerland, for which he sourced artworks from African artists including Abdoulaye Konaté and Ibrahim Mahama, and worked alongside respected names such as Joël Andrianomearisoa and Billie Zangewa on site-specific commissions. ‘Taking part in the birth of these works was a revelation. It made me want to make things myself,’ recalls Dakhli. His eye for detail and insatiable curiosity meant he soon realised this ambition. It’s fitting that the project also acted as a space to showcase one of his first pieces: the ‘Amaldies’ console (a precursor to the ‘Amaldies’ desk). An earlier launch during Collectible New York featured the ‘Sidi Bou’ chair, whose backrest resembles a motif that appears in Wassily Kandinsky’s painting Loses im Rot.
Now, Dakhli is bringing new pieces to Design Miami, including the ‘Scarab’ cabinet. A design rooted in Egyptian symbolism, it is built from ebonised oak and rests on bronze legs. The designer views it as a life-sized amulet, serving as a powerful token of strength. Just like the myths around the insect it was inspired by, the piece is meant to safeguard people’s belongings and stories, turning them into cultural heritage for generations to come.
Also on show will be a version of the ‘Muravey’ chair carved from pink ivory (a rare type of wood originating from southern Africa with a deep, rosy hue). The original was crafted from wenge wood, a timber historically used for ceremonial carvings in central Africa. For Dakhli, using materials that have cultural significance and power isn’t intended as a gesture to democratise them. Rather, it is a way to dream up and then produce the finest possible versions of his visions. ‘I am very French in that way,’ he muses. ‘To me, nobility doesn’t exist. We are all equal, so I feel free to use the best of what is out there.’ mehdidakhli.com
Four more unmissable Design Miami highlights
‘Slug Chair’ by Rich Aybar
The gooey slither of a slug may not be obvious design inspiration, but for Aybar, whose piece will show at Delvis (Un)limited Gallery, it was the starting point for the look of this cast-rubber chair. delvisunlimited.it
‘Orbit’ by TF Designs
These three celestial-inspired furniture pieces were originally shown in resin at this year’s 3 Days of Design, but artist and founder Tina Frey is bringing them to Miami in bronze. tf.design
Architettura trumeau’ by Gio Ponti and Piero Fornasetti
Design Miami is full of the new and next, but this is a chance to view a classic. Created in 1951, it marks the height of the collaboration between two greats, and will be shown by Achille Salvagni Atelier. achillesalvagni.com
Galerie Signé
For its first participation at Design Miami, this French gallery, founded in 2021, will present a lounge chair by Marie & Alexandre, a multi-disciplinary duo interested in the potential of materials. galeriesigne.com
