Milan's Salone Del Mobile attracts Indian attention

Just as cinephiles and fashionistas are glued to the coverage of the Cannes Film Festival, design aficionados around the world have eyes only for the Salone del Mobile, the iconic Design Fair held in Milan. This event sets the global benchmark of what is best in the sphere of furnishings and accessories. Its most recent edition, which also marked its 60th milestone, was held in June after a gap of two years and multiple postponements, at the Rho Fiera Milano fairgrounds. A design-starved clientele from around the world flocked to it in droves, ensuring a hugely successful run for the event.  The turnout at this year’s Salone, as it is colloquially known, went far beyond expectations. Over 2,62,000 people from 173 countries attended the fair and 2,175 brands, at least 27 per cent of which were international, participated with enthusiasm. Though Chinese and Russian participation was noticeably absent, Indian attendees numbered over 4,000, making India the 7th highest country in terms of turnout.  

This comes as no surprise as Italy has always been the highest point of reference for superlative design. According to His Excellency, the Ambassador of Italy to India, Vincenzo de Luca, this is owing to, “The natural sense for aesthetics that permeates Italy’s artistic culture. Further, innovation and adherence to the highest quality of materials ensure Italian design stays up to date with changing times and demands of trends. Last but not least, the work of generations of Italian designers when pieced together, creates an exceptional mix of aesthetics, artistic expression, quality and functionality fully represented by our consumer-friendly products.”

Clear-cut and contemporary certainly define Italian design aesthetics but how do Indian ideas fit in with them? According to the Ambassador, there are many similarities between the design practices of our countries. “Italy and India have always mutually inspired each other. There are several stories of Italian designers inspired by Indian experiences, such as the one of Italian architect Ettore Sottsass whose work was inspired by the architecture and colours of South India. Many Indian designers to look to the Italian design world as a reference,” he says.

This is certainly true in the case of Orvi, a handmade surfaces and home décor brand from Jaipur, Rajasthan, which was exhibited at Salone this year. They collaborated with Italian designer Matteo Cibic for a collection called Filo, which consisted of contemporary handcrafted home pieces and surfaces inspired by raw threads. Drawing largely on principles of geometry, the patterns of this collection used shades of cream, green, red, and black, along with gleamy brass in the age-old art of bas relief, known for tying traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics. The other prominent Indian brand on display at Salone this year was Jaipur Rugs, which exhibited its collection of intricate carpets and rugs on this platform for the first time. Yogesh Chaudhury, the Director of Jaipur Rugs, expresses the brand’s exhilaration at participating as he says, “Our unique concept was a major draw for buyers from across the world as they appreciated the fact that we are promoting art from the rural parts of India which have its own uniqueness. We received huge appreciation for our collections especially Brahmaand, Wunderkammer, Sthir and our very own Manchaha collection which brought us laurels from every part of the world. It was such a lovely feeling and we are humbled to be recognized by such an esteemed gathering of design experts.”

FCML, one of India’s leading interiors and lifestyle product companies, also participated. Abhinav Khandelwal, the Managing Director of the firm, believes the huge attraction for Salone this time around was owing to the fact that European design companies did exceedingly well during the pandemic. Since they were on a high, their investments were expected to be generous as well. Naturally, most Indian attendees belonged to the design fraternity of our country. Saba Kapoor of Delhi-based interiors brand Nivasa also attended for the first time. She shares with candour, “It was great to be surrounded by such incredible creativity, and to learn about the latest trends in materials and finishes. As it was my first time here, I realised that Indian brands back home are already doing really great work. It was so lovely to see that we are at par with global designs, and in certain aspects, such as the level of innovation we bring to our products, even ahead of others. I’m sure with a little more encouragement, Indian brands will not be far behind in future editions of Salone.”

An aspect that Kapoor particularly appreciated was Salone’s overarching theme of sustainability. The Salone Satellite, the wing dedicated to showcasing the work of young and upcoming designers, was dedicated solely to this concept. One project that really stood out was ‘Design with Nature’, which explored the idea of a circular economy positing cities as possible ‘reserves’ of raw materials for the future. Other projects too used recycled or environmentally friendly materials to create products that were usable, and sustainable, while also being beautiful. This resonated with Kapoor who aims to achieve a higher level of sustainability through her work at Nivasa as well. The event may be over, and the sheen of excitement may have dulled, but one thing is clear. Led by a crop of young visionaries who are deftly marrying centuries of craft knowledge with contemporary needs, India’s increased participation in future editions of the Salone del Mobile and other events of its ilk, is certainly at hand. Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.  Read all the Latest News _, _ Trending News _, _ Cricket News _, _ Bollywood News _, _ India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook _, _ Twitter and Instagram _._