How did the Salone del Mobile 2023 go? The companies have their say
Tom Dixon at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023, ph. Francesco Merlini
The latest edition has just drawn to a successful close, according to the CEOs and representatives of some of the companies exhibiting at the latest edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano
Professionals clutching lists of appointments, groups of students heading for the next talk, fans with their noses buried in their catalogues: during the latest edition, the Salone del Mobile.Milano crowd flocked to the stands with renewed enthusiasm, say the CEOs and representatives of the exhibiting companies, taking stock of the trade fair after the event.
Let’s start with the Porro stand, designed by Piero Lissoni, its coconut matting floor and dove-grey walls helping to recreate a large open-plan villa, and micro-areas designed to host the latest products, in particular the brightly coloured Linea storage units, the result of meticulous research into the Alessandro Mendini Archive by his daughters Fulvia and Elisa Mendini, which culminated in the rediscovery of unedited pieces: “Our company’s presentation at the Salone was much appreciated by all the international clientele for its ability to imagine a new architecture of living, just as the playful installation in the new store at 29 Via Visconti di Modroni rekindled the pleasure of meeting each other again,” said Maria Porro, head of marketing and communication at Porro. “Our collaboration with the Mendinis over the new Linea cupboards was the icing on the cake for us, on top of all the work on the systems and collections, with doors increasingly becoming the protagonists, pursuing the idea of fluid, dynamic homes with spaces capable of mutating flexibly over time.” The resumption of arrivals from key areas was important for this edition: “Our Chinese clients are finally making their return, along with our main clients from all over the world – from India to the United States, not to mention Europe, with the opening up of new markets and strong interest in a company capable not just of coming up with extremely high level products but also of building spaces, providing an integrated design service.”
Porro at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023, ph. courtesy
Art director of Living Divani since 1989, Piero Lissoni also curated the brand’s exhibition project, which was designed to tell its own story with “silent elegance” by means of a series of intimate, sophisticated spaces, explained Carola Bestetti, CEO of the brand. “It was such a long-awaited Salone, a return to April, a chance to see clients, journalists and visitors from all over the world again. Living Divani took part in this 61st edition with a stand measuring over 800 m2, presenting a space representing a home. We showcased new pieces that integrate with products already in the catalogue, to provide a wide range of customisable solutions reflecting the style and taste of the different interlocutors with whom we dialogue,” said Ms Bestetti, stressing that the high expectations for this edition had been fully met. “The sector’s most important event at international level was back with a complete edition, boasting a significant value base as well as an innovative format, which made for a simpler and more accessible experience.”
As regards interface, the focus was also on more distant markets: “It was extremely stimulating to meet buyers from the Asia-Pacific area, and from India and China in particular; visitors from the latter two countries have been absent over the last few years, but we see them as being synonymous with a market with evolved tastes and research and open to new dialogues. There was a strong presence from North America too, a key market for Living Divani, as well as numerous European visitors, especially from Germany and France,” added Ms Bestetti.
Living Divani at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023, ph. Alessandro Russotti
Moving on to Euroluce 2023, the CEO of Artemide Carlotta de Bevilacqua stressed that his brand had always been a supporter of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, taking part in both the Salone del Mobile S.Project in June 2022 and Supersalone in 2021: “This edition, which marked the relaunch of Euroluce, showed that we had the right idea, with the plentiful national and international attendees signalling an extremely positive response. The Salone del Mobile.Milano and Milan play a pivotal role on the international design scene, as opportunities for interface and exchange, and mapping future perspectives. For Artemide, Euroluce was an important showcase, not just for presenting the new collections, but also for underscoring the values on which the company is founded, broadening the dialogue with international designers even further to bring about real and responsible change.”
Change clearly also in terms of the latest products presented on a dynamic and innovative stand: “Artemide deals with design, its realisation and its distribution - we exhibited what we see as the future at Euroluce,” said Mr Bevilacqua. “Thanks to the work of leading international architects, the innovative products on show were expressions of an ability to interpret light in a measured way, in terms of its relationship with people, space and nature and also in terms of sustainability filters, with beauty as the end result, thanks to the talent of these great authors.”
Artemide at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023, ph. Francesco Merlini
Roberta Silva, CEO of Flos, echoed his sentiments: “For the relaunch of Euroluce, recognised as the most powerful source of inspiration for the industry’s professionals, we developed an unexpected and original concept, entrusting the installation to the Milanese architectural duo Calvi Brambilla, who also took on the role of design curators for Flos in 2019. Our exhibition project eschewed the typical trade fair stand concept of an inclusive, wide-ranging and open display, rather embracing a capsule concept – a small structure consisting of two intersecting volumes.”
Like a universe made up of numerous interconnected microcosms, the exhibition path on the Flos stand gave its visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the narrative of every single product, progressing from one capsule to another. An immersive journey through iconic pieces, cutting edge design and innovative technology. “We showcased 11 innovative products in total, a cross section of all the divisions: Decorative, Architectural and Outdoor, brought together by marked eco-sustainable characteristics, concrete testament to Flos’s commitment to key pressing issues such as circular economy, energy saving and environmental awareness.” An enormously welcome occasion after the four-year hiatus. “After a four-year break, I was delighted with Flos’s presence at Euroluce, and I believe that the new direction of the event represented a sign of renewal, a new way of building a system, calling for shared responsibility and commitment in terms of developing design solutions catering to the new lifestyles. I am also extremely proud of what Flos stands for today: an extraordinary intersection of authentic design, technological innovation and an environmentally sustainable approach to lighting design. This is what we tried to communicate to the Euroluce attendees, using a crosscutting language that brings the decorative and technical worlds together.”
Flos at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023, ph. Francesco Merlini
Speaking of returns and new arrivals, after a 20-year presence at Fuorisalone, Tom Dixon made its very first Euroluce appearance at the Salone del Mobile.Milano. The brand showcased its Choice collection, so named because of the accent on the flexibility of lighting and design. To conceptualise it, the brand presented a charming set, a smart robot capable of configuring live a number of lamps from the collection, which attracted great public attention: “This year we decided to return to Salone and try, for the first time, Euroluce” underlined the founder, Tom Dixon. “With a more fluid layout and more conceptual narratives and many more discussion platforms, we felt a new energy and a positive landscape re-emerging, which was boosted by the return to Italy of many international friends, colleagues and competitors that had been absent for three years which brought much joy and positivity to the event.”
