erwan & ronan bouroullec – DesignApplause

the magis way: pop-up at herman miller nyc.

Nov 22, 2019

magis, the italian design company, presents a temporary ‘pop-in’ exhibition at herman miller’s new york flagship (251 park avenue south). the magis way at herman miller is an experiential demonstration of the brand spirit – the most robust ever presented in north america – and is designed by swedish firm note design studio, encompassing nearly the entire second floor of the herman miller showroom.

“it is important to us that architects, designers and design lovers can see, touch and feel our products, says alberto perazza, ceo of magis. “for us, design is in our dna and we love sharing it with the public and international design community.”

the brand’s spirit and success are based on the desire to provide a wide array of users with access to highly functional, quality products manufactured with advanced technologies. to achieve this, collaborating with major international designers is essential –they have a vision of the resulting products that is ethical and poetic as well as aesthetic.

for the magis way exhibit at herman miller, note design studio has developed a pursuit of visuals and volumes through fascinating architectural arrangements within the renaissance-revival building (designed by neville & bagge in 1909) that herman miller calls home. the stockholm-based studio began working with magis in 2018, dreaming up their exhibition spaces for salone del mobile, stockholm furniture fair and more.

a welcoming setting, this space is an invitation to discover the new and iconic designs presented within it, including plato designed by jasper morrison, the officina collection by ronan and erwan bouroullec, bureaurama by conceptual artist jerszy seymour, chair_one by konstantin grcic, the famous spun chair by architect thomas heatherwick and many more. linking the products and vignettes are new rugs from the volentieri collection designed by inga sempé, featuring different types of yarns and weaves to balance color, texture, even light reflection through a mix of neutral and luminous materials. this is a new category for magis and the first time they will be on display in north america.

magis, founded in 1976, is proud of its “made in italy” quality and tradition and speaks an international language by combining craftsmanship with technical advances in manufacturing. the magis way exhibit at herman miller expresses the breadth of their portfolio in a meaningful demonstration.

“we want visitors to feel that they’ve just discovered magis, whether they already knew the brand before they visited the exhibit or this is their first exposure to it,” says tim straker, chief marketing officer, herman miller. “this is a chance to envision magis in one’s own space, whether it’s home or at work.”

among the values shared by magis and herman miller is a commitment to creating responsible design and a strong belief in design authorship. through this relationship and the pop-in exhibition, the two companies have woven a story of creativity and applicable authored designs for north america in a real and credible way.

architects, interior designers and design lovers can visit the magis way at herman miller by contacting (212) 753-3022 to schedule an appointment, or enter through the herman miller store, taking the stairs in the back to the second floor monday through friday 11:00am – 5:00pm.

iittala’s ruutu honored by cooper-hewitt.

Nov 10, 2015

[ iittala ] ruutu vases are honored by the cooper-hewitt, national design museum permanent collection. updating the museum’s holding of scandinavian and contemporary glass, ruutu joins previously selected iittala glassware by tapio wirkkala in this curated and highly respected collection.

iittala’s first collaboration with ronan and erwan bouroullec, ruutu is a series of 10 vases available in five sizes and seven colors. when collected and combined, they make a seamless installation where both the strength and delicate qualities of glass come alive. meaning diamond in finnish, ruutu is created from mouth-blown glass in iittala’s finland factory. each vase takes seven craftsman 24 hours to produce. the large color version presents the biggest manufacturing challenge: reaching an even, delicate color requires the exact temperature, timing and a great deal of expertise in glass-mass chemistry. precise execution of a well-conceived design makes ruutu a natural fit for a museum devoted to advancing the public understanding of design and human creativity both past and present.

located in new york city, the [ cooper-hewitt ] is one of nineteen museums that falls under the wing of the smithsonian institution and is the only museum in the united states devoted to historical and contemporary design. the permanent collection consists of more than 200,000 objects representing contemporary and historical design in four curatorial departments – drawings, prints, and graphic design; product design and decorative arts; textiles; and wallcoverings.

[ iittala ] started as a glass factory in iittala, finland in 1881, today celebrates generations of essential objects that are made to enrich people’s everyday lives. iittala believes objects should be distinctive, combinable and multi-functional, with lasting design that inspires individual use and expression. as a company based in fin-land, where quality, aesthetics and functionality are important values, iittala believes in interior design that lasts a lifetime. the progressive philosophy of finnish design heroes, kaj franck and alvar aalto, acts as in inspiration to keep iittala forever relevant.

editor’s note> ruutu possesses extraordinary technical detailing, the corners for example, the clearness and purity of color, the gradation of color due to the variance in thickness, i.e., the lightening at the very thin and unique 30 degrees corners. photography does not do this collection justice. click on photo > enlarge

Interview with fiber artist Nani marquina. Milan 2013.

May 17, 2013

nani will be in booth #1104 ICFF 2013

[ DesignApplause] Nani, what’s the message this year?
[Nani Marquina] The message is new this year. The message is ‘Natural‘. The concept is to establish a connection with the origin of the materials and the craftsmanship, the old techniques. The fibers, the dyes, are integral to the natural message.

[DA] Any synthetics involved?
[NM] No no. We work with jute, silk AND metal nettle from Napal and Pakistan, and wool from Afganistan. This allows us the options of weaving rugs in different textures and finishes.

[DA] Describe the process? Do you go to these artisans and ask for certain colors and materials and then to a manufacturer with instructions?
[NM] The process is first I have an idea, a vision. The concept if very important. Today we are talking about ‘Natural‘ because people today are working, managing their personal life, today everyone is very busy. Today people want a peaceful, quite quiet refuge from the stressful day-to-day aspect of their life. They want to relax, have fun, and they understand that natural fulfills this need for calm and refuge.

[DA] You’re right. It’s a feeling that natural brings.
[NM] And natural in this moment is about feeling well. It’s both philosophical and real. When we started this philosophy, I traveled to India or Pakistan to search for different materials and craftsmen. I started to make samples experimenting with different weavings and patterns. Then finally we focus on the making of the colors, the natural color palatte palette. And each of these fibers have has their own natural colors. This is the essence of the collection.

[DA] When I see these colors it reminds me of pigments from stones.
[DM] But the dyes are not natural. The dyes are chemical because these natural fibers are very difficult to dye. Nature I guess wishes to protect the fibers and we have to persuade the fibers to absorb the colors, and the light to welcome and reflect the colors using chemicals and this aspect probably will not change. But we keep trying.

[DA] If you can’t find a solution, no one can.
[NM] Our progress so far is limited to very soft color. The red is a pink. Black is a blue. The original color escapes us. We have found some success with a cleaning agent but the problem is this agent is not an ecologic solution, and not because of its chemical structure but it’s an enzyme.

[DA] Right, even though we’re dealing with naturals the processing is a factor. Bamboo processing is very toxic when you’re wanting to achieve a soft solution. How old is this enzyme process and are you exclusive?
[NM] It’s a very recent process created by an Indian woman, a biologist. No, at this moment we are not exclusive. Darn.

[DA] I’m looking at the more complex rugs Nani. Are the designs easy to duplicate?
[NM] No, it’s impossible to duplicate! The buyers understand this and in fact it’s what they want, their own creation. It’s a by-product of handmade. It’s a one-at-a-time unique creation. One reason is the yarn. The yarn itself is irregular, both in texture and color. When weaving whatever happens, happens.

sample rack

[DA] You take your concepts to the weavers. That’s it?
[NM] There are some things where drawings, words, the waving of your hands, is not enough. I ask them for small samples which they send me. There a many variations in texture, pattern and color. To arrive at a collection like natural we need to years.

[DA] What are we looking at here?
[NM] This is collection is from Pakistan and the name is Losanges. It’s a collaboration with the Bouroullec brothers in 2011. We are reinterpreting the traditional Persian rug using an ancient kilim technique. Its’ a complex process involving 13 colors in geometrical rhombus shapes. Very challenging for the weavers.

losanges | erwan & ronan bouroullec | 2011

[DA] How do you communicate this complex pattern to the weavers?
[NM] We have learned how to talk with computers. The weavers are carefully instructed in the beginning because it’s difficult to grasp the nuances of concepts created by someone else. It’s “yes, you are very close but this angle, this edge needs to go like this.” One Once the prototype is made everyone is ready to go.

[DA] Is there any reason you go to one area, country over another?
[NM] The technique is important to me. For example, India uses a modern technique and Pakistan uses a very old, primitive style. This collection as was Losanges was weaved in Pakistan. We go to the mountains of Afghanistan to follow the sheep. Their wool is what we are looking for here. It’s rough and deep and when the threads are twisted together the end result is very gnarly and interesting. Where we go is not easy to get to with many potential obstacles. We go about once a year for a week to get what we need. Next year this yarn may not be available to us. You never know and it also depends on the collection. But I love this yarn and what it says to me. And it’s very rewarding to recreate the old technique.

[DA] Do you have a vision for the next collection?
[NM] I will be showing a collection in New York City at ICFF collaborating with Milton Glazer. It will be quite interesting and fun.

chillida collection | 2012

[DA] Is there anything you wish to say that we haven’t talked about?
[NM] I think this collection is good for this moment because people have been waiting for this concept, they wish to connect with a natural and honest item that they use and cherish. I also like to change. Last year I presented a series of Spanish artist, Eduardo Chillida, work which goes back to Figura Humana 1948, through Dibujo Tinta 1957. We created seven of his most famous drawings. The Chillida Collection has been very well received. I enjoyed creating Chillida last year and this year Milton Glazer.

[ nani marquina ] [ bouroullec brothers ] [ ICFF 2013 booth #1104 ]