It's that time of year when Milan is transformed with art and design installations showcased at one of the most talked-about trade fairs in the world. On the outskirts of the city, the Salone del Mobile fair and the international lighting exhibition, EuroLuce, are where it's all happening. Everything is conveniently displayed under one roof, thanks to Rafael Viñoly, the architect behind this massive exhibition venue. There are thousands of furniture and lighting brands making their debut appearance, a handful of which will make their mark in design encyclopedias in the years to come.
I got the chance to talk to Stephen Burks, one of the four designers behind Swarovski's new contemporary lighting range. Burks is a friend of Nadia Swarovski and has been planning to collaborate with the brand for a while. His lighting line titled ‘Inside/Out' is not your typical Swarovski number; in fact his designs are quite risky because he opted to use large singular crystals.
"I began the design process with the largest circular crystal I could find. For me it was very much about seeing the crystal in a functional way, for a reflective effect," says Burks, pointing at his lighting fixtures hanging in the impressive Swarovski pavilion.
Surprisingly, the Swarovski designers all selected neutral colour schemes for their lighting centrepieces, which was a coincidence as each project was kept under wraps before being unveiled at the fair. For the brand it was important to launch a line using LED lights and a collection that was more than just decorative. "It had to be functional as this is the first collection designed for all areas of the home," says Daniel Cohen, executive board member of Swarovski Crystal. Commenting on the collaboration, Burks says, "My approach is an industrial solution. In the end it was about achieving a fine balance, a minimalist design for me and producing a good product for them."
Other highlights of the show included Lenny Kravitz's Casino Royale glamorous lighting piece, exclusively made for Swarovski's Crystal Palace range and Fabbian's F11 paddle light by Benjamin Hubert. Philippe Starck's light for Flos was among those products that caught the attention of the crowds, as was the Cassina range. In terms of show-stopping centrepieces there was a repetition in design for most of the brands while only a few introduced one or two statement lighting products.
Self-taught designer Tom Rossau from Denmark,a regular exhibitor at the show, was more than happy with the feedback he received. His interesting ranges of ceiling lights and table-top lighting made from natural wood veneer have been successful among eco-friendly consumers all over the world. Rossau's designs can be spotted in numerous commercial spaces including restaurants and hotels across the Middle East - a market in which a lot of designers would like to have a strong retail presence. "With functionality, sustainability and energy consumption as obvious issues of all design, it becomes an even more intriguing task to meet the demands of the end-user. But all in all, I'm a firm believer in coincidence and enhancement of the element of play in all design," says Rossau. "It's always interesting to see what the established and upcoming designers bring to EuroLuce. For me it is one of the best design events in which to showcase my work."
Name: Stephen Burks
Fabbian www.fabbian.com, Flos www.flos.com, Swarovski www.swarovski.com Tobias Grau www.tobias-grau.com Tom Rossau www.tomrossau.dk
