derek jenksins, mazda’s north american design director, splits for an unknown new venture – his linkedIn profile mentions a ‘stealth project’. an art center college of design grad and a malibu resident, his artistic bent obvious in the cars he influenced.
2001 volkswagen microbus concept
2016 mazda mx-5 miata
Mazda has unveiled its fourth generation of the Miata MX5 sports car, beloved by many as affordable, basic and fun. Showroom date set for mid-2015. [ 25-yr design history ]
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mazda kodo chair
maserati lounge chair | zanotta
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Car companies were at Milan’s furniture fair—Salon del Mobile— en masse this year. Mazda showed a chair inspired by its new Kodo design language while Maserati’s chair was covered in the same Poltrona Frau leather as its seats.
bmw quiet motion installation
BMW hired the hot design team, the Bouroullec brothers, Ronan and Erwan, to design a carousel shaped installation for its electric cars.
Mini’s display was a multimedia wall called Kapooow.
lexus inaho interactive robotic light
Lexus pulled in Pritzker prize winning architect Toyo Ito for its display.
ford bespoke chair
Ford’s “Futuring Team” of designers came up with a chair and table lamp that embody current trends, the company said. “The Ford Design team has for years attended events such as Salone del Mobile as creative observers, and now we are showing products designed by automotive designers,” said a Ford designer. “Many companies have access to technology, but it is design and innovation that elevates one product above another.”
ford 021c
renault twin z
Car companies have used Milan as a showcase before. Ford famously (world’s first automaker to showcase a car) introduced Marc Newson’s O21C car there in 2000. That strategy was echoed in Renault’s partnership this year with Ross Lovegrove on an actual vehicle.
audi r18 chair
Two years ago, Audi showed off a chair said to embody its design values.
But never before has there been such a rush of automakers to show talents beyond car building, to latch on to name designers and to turn up the lights and sound at Mobile.
[ milan 2013 ] [ r18 ] [ twin z ]
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