The design world is always on lookout for the year that Milan design week jumps the shark. This year, with Pringles opening its ‘House of Aperitivo’ and McDonald’s creating a colourful ball pit, those discussions were in full force once more. In the past, it’s been car brands whose appearance at Fuorisalone (the extended week of events around the Salone del Mobile furniture fair) has raised eyebrows. It did not take long for them to prove the validity of their inclusion, though. Installations and launches that show the integration of true craftsmanship in automobile design soon hushed critics. And, this year, they impressed with even more insightful presentations…
Audi
How do you distill the essence of progress? If anyone can, it’s Zaha Hadid Architects. The studio created the ‘Origin’ art installation (pictured top) within the courtyard of the Portrait Hotel. This is the brand’s 13th year attending Milan design week, so it has established itself as part of the discourse – with this architectural intervention and its matte metallic skin intended to represent Audi’s new design philosophy of clarity, technicality, intelligence and emotion.
‘Our recurring presence in Milan is not about showing cars – it is about contributing to a broader cultural debate,’ says Massimo Frascella, Audi’s chief creative officer. That said, it did showcase the new Audi RS 5 alongside its first entry into Formula 1, the Audi R26. Electrical plug-in performance and competitive performance, all in a space that ‘helped people filter the noise, find clarity, and reconnect with what truly matters.’ audi.co.uk
Range Rover
‘Traces’, an installation created by Storey Studio, demonstrated the true breadth of customisation and craft that is possible within a Range Rover car. Located in Galleria Meravigli, the space took visitors on a journey through the senses. The intention was to show how an idea, or even a memory, can be translated by Range Rover’s Bespoke team into a unique colour of finish. The installation, says Anna Gallagher, Managing Director, Bespoke Operations, ‘beautifully brings to life elements of the Range Rover Bespoke service – reserved for our most exclusive and discerning clients seeking true distinction. It shines a spotlight on the work of our artisan craftspeople, from our paint experts to our embroidery team.’
At the end of the journey, there was a chance to see ‘Pearl of Tay’, a one‑of‑a‑kind Range Rover Bespoke commission inspired by the freshwater pearl of the River Tay in Scotland. In the space, the ideas that helped form the car’s unique style – black gravel underfoot, pearlescent undulating fins running the length of the ceiling in reference to water, and full‑length mirrored vitrines housing 14 objects curated by Bard, the Edinburgh‑based shop and gallery of Scottish craft and design – are visually represented side-by-side with the finished design. rangerover.com
Lexus
This brand believes that it is no longer the exterior of a car, but the space inside it that is the true moniker of luxury. That is why it has changed the meaning of the S in the name of its ‘LS Concept’, launched last year, from sedan to space. Its ‘Space’ installation for Milan design week, presented at Superstudio Più in Milan’s Tortona district, took that idea and translated it into a 360-degree experience. At the heart of it was ‘Discover Your Space’ – four works by designers and Lexus craftspeople for Discover Together, an initiative set up by Lexus to showcase emerging design talent.
This year’s participants included Kyotaro Hayashi and Yumi Kurotani, Guardini Ciuffreda Studio, Random Studio and a collaborative team bringing together Lexus in-house designers with master artisans from Japan. The latter created ‘The Crafted Cosmos’ (pictured above) displays a rich array of skills and creativity: Kumiko craftsmanship from Shikan Tategu Kogei, passed down and continually refined over three generations in the foothills of the Suzuka Mountains in Mie; stone from Inagaki Sekizai-ten, which has pursued the beauty and potential of stone for more than a century; and the tradition and innovation of Tendo Mokko’s bentwood, revealing new possibilities for wood through moulded plywood. lexus.co.uk
