In this video interview Francesco Favaretto offers us his point of view, as a designer and as a visitor, on the supersalone – where various products designed by Favaretto / Partners were exhibited – on Milano Design Week 2021, on the changes in work styles that are bringing manufacturing companies to focus on new types of products and on the suggestions that the product designer or art director can give to their customers.
Confess that he was skeptical of this supersalone Francesco Favaretto, but he had to change his mind from the first day; in addition to the positivity that one breathed and the pleasure of meeting and shaking hands with those who had not met for over a year, he also appreciated the setting up and the way of exhibiting:
“If the basic setting is a way to highlight the product, putting everyone on the same level, exposing in the same way, then it could be a good starting point. However, I do not believe that this logic can be adopted, knowing the Italian mentality”.
It would limit creativity in exhibition design, but perhaps the time of mega galactic stands is over, perhaps excessive: in these beautiful boxes it was not possible to tell the difference between the new products and the scenography.
A lot of enthusiasm, not only of the insiders, also throughout the city, returned to its dynamism thanks to the Milano Design Week.
In addition to the attractive showrooms downtown, Favaretto’s most popular installations are those of the Triennale, always at the highest level, and the new suburban places rediscovered by the Alcova events path.
The health emergency of the last 18 months has changed the needs of the market, but at the moment not even companies know exactly how because there was no opportunity for comparison.
However, we know that the world has “shrunk” and it becomes essential to implement joint ventures with foreign companies; we are becoming aware that by working together we can achieve better results. And above all, the ways of working both at home and in the office has changed: we need to think of something for home working that is also suitable for the workplace.
This leads Italian companies to leave the logic of individualism and to focus on new types of products.
Two of the most emblematic examples at supersalone which, trusting the designer, accepted his suggestion:
Luxy, which has always been a manufacturer of office chairs, who presented a desk for the home office, designed by Francesco Favaretto who is also an art director.
Estel who entrusted Favaretto with the design of an office workstations. Both products are the beginning of a collection that will be expanded with other more specific office products.
For True Design, the Lounge extension of the Fender collection was also present at the supersalone.
The Opuntia technical lamp, also with a transversal vocation for home and office, for Panzeri, the first product for a new customer that Favaretto defines as “a beautiful experience”.
And finally, for Slide, the versatile mustachioed butler Ambrogio who is experiencing great success in the media and in sales. A useful object, witty and attentive to sustainability: for its realization in fact Slide has used for the first time a new mixture of plastic in which EcoAllene is present, obtained 100% from recycled material from Tetrapack cartons.
Captions
Luxy, Crono
A desk collection, an universal writing table for office, collaboration, call centre, hotel and home. A laser cut metal plate has been folded to create a desk, screen and channel for storing electrics, and with additional compartments to store books, pens and accessories.
Estel, Squid
A desk suitable for any place in the house. The structure is composed of 2 aluminum legs and two horizontal crosspieces, highly resistant matte lacquered, bronze, brass or pewter finish. Top in veneer or matt lacquered finish. It is possible to apply a shield covered in leather or eco-leather.
Panzeri, Opuntia
A table lamp that could fit well on work tables, as well as in any home.Light that evolves adapting to the mood and to specific needs.
Slide, Ambrogio
Ambrogio is the perfect combination between comics design and serious product, and it is also focused on sustainability because is made of EcoAllene a 100% recycled material from Tetrapack boxes.
True Design, Fender
A family of sofas and armchairs, for lounges and tables, developed around an iconic and recognizable element: the armrest.
