MILANS BEST CHAIRS.. BUT WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THE REST?

The B I G furniture fair in Milan is now happening; it's where the xlarge guys meet to discuss xlarge business, and where ALL the xsmall, small, medium, and large ones are trying to get visible and get the xls attention. It is not easy, but it usually it generates some really intresting also some really good design. This year I'm very disappointed though... There is not much design that is nicely thought and nicely done, and there are too many of those who try to make something smart, trendy or ironictrendy stuff. They all disappoint me, and way too many of them look overcomputerized... Not that it's anything wrong with computers, they are really a part of our contemporary time, and our design scene should be having this as a part of it. But the big mistake is that absolutely everything is drawn on computers, even what is supposed to look like they are "hand made". The ironic and humorous pieces look like toys, and with the risk of not mentioning the many Zaha Hadid-mimics.

As I was watching through all the designblogs on the internet, I discovered that what is most conducted this year is the easy, basic dining chairs. Yes, I know there is so many nice chairs to choose from in the world, and you ask yourself; do we really need more of them? I meen that the dining chair is really reflecting our time right now. It is the most rational genre of furniture, and it activates us humans; it is not a chair you relax much on. It is a social chair, and it is a working chair. And the chairs I have chosen reflects a time where the plastic chair must go and where more sustainable thoughts must come forward. So here it goes, my favourite chairs of the week:

1. Future Traditions bu Zhang Lei, Christoph John and Jovana Bogdanovic. This chair is made of layers of paper! The designers has adopted the traditional technique from the soon extingt making of chinese paper umbrellas. The paper is glued in layers until it is strong enough to sit on and the rough edges is a nice contrast to the rest of the form! Nice!

 2. Osso by the Bouroullec brothers for Mattiazzi. Okey, this is the first of two from the B-brothers. I am of course a great fan of them, but I can't help it, it is because they are for me undoubtly two of the most steady designers the last years. The Osso chair is beautifully shaped both as a complete design and in the details. The fact it concists of only 8 pieces is amazing!

3. Baguette Chair by the Bouroullec brothers for Magis. I L O V E this chair! It is so uniqly thought with a genius construction, and such a minimum use of materials. It's a classic!

4. Rememberme by Tobias Juretzek for Casamania. This chair project is made entirely out of used garments like jeans, t-shirts, shirts etc. It was released last year, but this year the italian furniture producer Casamania har actually taken it into production and presented it on the Salon Satellite! Art AND mass production at once! They are beautiful!
 

5. Lightwood Chair by Jasper Morrison for Maruni Wood Industry. Jasper Morrison has control of his minimalistic skills, and noone can create so beautiful design out of such a simple construction and blending both tradition, modern and multicultural aesthetics. With both webbed, cushioned and a woven mesh fabric as alternatives. YUM!

6. Clip Chair by Sebiastian Herkner for De Vorm. The last one in the bunch is cute little fella produced by the Netherlands based furniture company De Vorm. The design is as sustainable as can be, and the chair is produced by wasting only a minimum of material in the production process! I also like the very nice construction detail in plastic that gives the chair something human and cute.