8 Indian Brand & Designers Showcased at Milan Design Week 2024
From Salone del Mobile to Fuorisalone, here’s how India was represented during the Milan Design Week through design. By Kriti Saraswat-Satpathy
After a week of soaking in the intoxicating beauty of design, we bring you a roundup of Indian works that made their way to the recently concluded Milan Design Week.
Going International
Jaipur Rugs
In a bid to blend Indian artisanship with fine Italian design, Jaipur Rugs – a brand renowned for its hand-knotted carpets — unveiled three new collections at Salone del Mobile this year.
In collaboration with Vimar 1991 — an esteemed yarn atelier owned by Chanel — Jaipur Rugs launched the ‘Couture Collection’. The monochrome rugs are woven using techniques reserved for their fashion garments. Bouclé tweeds and herringbone twills have been refashioned into tight knots and flat weave dhurries. The ‘ZIG ZAG Collection’, in collaboration with multidisciplinary design practice DAAA Haus, has been inspired by the Bauhaus Movement, featuring lines, angles and textures that define our environment.
The resulting carpets are an interplay of irregular black volumes and white negative space, connected by a slender thread of a vibrant hue. For the ‘Facade Collection’, renowned architect Michele De Lucchi’s studio, AMDL Circle, reimagined traditional carpet construction with contemporary kilims, blurring the lines between flooring, wall coverings and room dividers.
Young Designer Makes an Entry
SaloneSatellite, an exhibition at the fair during the Milan Design Week that gives young designers under 35 a platform to showcase their work after carefully shortlisting entries, celebrated 25 years since its inception.
The only Indian brand to showcase at the SaloneSatellite time was Intent Made — a furniture studio by founder and creative director Swetha Vegesana. Established in 2020 by the architect, the Hyderabad-based design-build studio focuses on material exploration with an aim to create furniture that seamlessly marries tradition with innovation. It presented a collection called ‘Crafted Alchemy’ fusing contemproary Indian
design with traditional craftsmanship. Highlighting wood marquetry, brass hammering, wood carving and metalwork, the products feature intricate patterns, exquisite textures and refined finishes.
Dhara, a curved partition, emulates the graceful folds of draped fabric while an inlaid pattern pays homage to a saree — an integral facet of Indian cultural identity.
Other pieces, such as the Ori chair, Teratai floor lamp, Padma console and more, also blend functionality with artistic forms.
Art Fittings
Artize
India’s leading luxury bathroom fittings brand, Artize is known for creating products that are inspired by art, have a refined elegance and elevate one’s bath spaces.
At Salone del Mobile this year, during the Milan Design Week, the brand showcased ‘Navia’, a collection designed by Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez. With a special three-hole tap and a partially rounded faucet with a fluted metal handle, it creates an aesthetic appeal with a nod to sustainability.
Another product, ‘Tailwater’ which is inspired by nature and an abstract image of a bird, perched on the edge of a pool, was also on display. The ‘VIC’ collection designed by Claudia Denelon and Federico Meroni which is a fusion of contemporary and classic design, was also featured.
Surface Mastery
Nexion
An Indo-Italian company specialising in top-tier ceramic surfaces, Nexion seamlessly blends Italian design finesse with Indian craftsmanship. Showcasing for the first time during the Milan Design Week, the brand presented a narrative inspired by the masterpieces of Edward Hopper, the luminary of modern art renowned for his adept portrayal of the interplay between light and space.
Called the ‘Riga Collection’, the surfaces were spread across three meticulously curated chambers reflecting the brand’s offerings including flooring and wall coverings. Its designs stand as a testament to Nexion’s distinct approach of crafting surfaces imbued with character, colour and geometry, reminiscent of art’s timeless marvels.
Qloud Burst
Jaquar
A bathroom and lighting company, Jaquar is known for its high quality and stylish products that are made in India. At Salone del Mobile, during the Milan Design Week, it showcased its ‘Qloud’ range that offers hybrid touch shower solutions. On display were shower booths to showcase its functionality and touch panels, at the fair. Another collection, ‘Laguna’ designed by Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez was the highlight of the brand’s display.
Designed for a global audience, it makes a stylish yet timeless statement with its classic designs. From faucets to shower mixers and bathtub spouts to different colours and finishes, it offers a range of options to customise one’s bathrooms.
Furniture and Lights
Vikram Goyal
Designer Vikram Goyal who is renowned for his deep exploration of Indian metalwork traditions and translating artisanal techniques found in historic objects into modern, timeless designs, showcased collectible design pieces at Milan Design Week 2024. Milan-based gallery Nilufar presented ‘Time Traveler’, a wide-ranging exhibition curated by its founder Nina Yashar, that explored the complex story of design and its evolution over the years.
Goyal’s work consisting of limited-edition pieces including furniture, such as consoles and benches, as well as lighting fixtures like chandeliers and wall sconces were presented here. All carefully handcrafted by him and his team of skilled artisans, these showcase techniques of repoussé, pietra dura and hollowed joinery.
The Chaise Lounge
Karan Desai
Celebrated Indian architect and designer Karan Desai collaborated with Italian brand Serafini for an exclusive product, the ‘Chaise Lounge’, that was launched at Fuorisalone 2024. Crafted from luxurious marble, it features three distinct compartments designed with both functionality and aesthetics in mind. From a comfortable seating depression to a flat surface for essentials and a built-in vessel for plants or ambient lighting, every detail is added to enhance the user experience.
The Chaise Lounge features a meticulously sculpted contour, ensuring optimal ergonomic support. The seeds of this collaboration were sown when Desai’s work caught Alessandro’s (the creative force behind Serafini) attention on Instagram, sparking a dialogue that translated into a partnership. Over the past two years, the duo exchanged ideas, sketches and renders, which resulted in this stunning product.
Light on the Fuorisalone
Amal
Established in 2002, in Mumbai, Amal is a studio that produces fine, handcrafted embroideries for European fashion houses. For Fuorisalone 2024, Foscarini, an Italian company that creates decorative lighting, commissioned artist and designer Andrea Anastasio to work on an experimental lighting project titled ‘HABITUS’.
Anastasio, together with Arun Jothi and Natalie Frost, the creative talents of Amal, created 11 light works showcasing a stunning interplay of light, shadow and texture.
Using traditional, fine tailoring and embroidery techniques and elements like glass beads, plexiglass and laser-cut PET, the project was a surprising play on how we perceive the old and the new.
