A Quick report of the Milan Furniture fair, Isalonica Milano

The scene was set on the first day of the Milan furniture fair at Artigianato Rho Fiera as anticipation and excitement filled the air. The prospect of experiencing the best product designs the world has to offer on an international stage of this magnitude was something beyond belief.

The first day took us on an exploration through the lighting exhibition section of the fairgrounds. The 3D experiences and volumes achieved with these temporary mobile stands were unimaginable and executed with incredible detail. Not only did these stands demonstrate unconventional ways of using various light sources, it swept you into another world, a transformed reality where principals of gravity was questioned and optical illusions managed to both entice the imagination and achieve interaction.

The following two days were spent meandering through the extensive design sections. The experience can only be described as walking through the pages of a world class design magazine that was being brought to life with every step.

The most inspiring section was the Salone Satellite, which was depicted as the meeting place for excellence. The most promising young designers from all over the world, under the age of 35, exhibited their work here. The theme for this year was to integrate the tradition of craftsmanship with the technological possibilities offered by contemporary industrial planning and production.

Along with a wide selection of demonstrations and seminars on offer, there were many off site exhibitions that formed part of the fair. Most of these took place in and around the many historical buildings within the CBD of Milan.

In conclusion, the fair presented this young designer with a fascinating journey through the thoughts, processes and products that contemporary design has to offer. It was a creative adventure and an experience that will be remembered with great fondness.

I wish to thank PG Bison for this tremendous opportunity and extend my gratitude to all involved with the organization of the Prestigious 1.618 competition. It is an invaluable platform for any designer.