Urbanism 16 April, 2009
Milan Furniture Fair
In the next issue of Urbis, on sale 25 May, we will be doing a full review of the latest products exhibited at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair, 22 to 27 April. Designer Matt Smith from Wellington-based design studio Punga and Smith will be in Milan exhibiting his latest products as well as reporting back on the hottest picks and the coolest parties.
To stay up with the play during the Milan Fair, Kristian Aus, Creative Director of Autumn Products, will have a daily blog and twitter feed running through his website about his experiences at the Milan Furniture Fair.
Autumn Products is at the forefront of the young and emerging Australian product design companies. Fresh and ambitious Aus is rapidly gaining recognition for his functional design aesthetic which is fun and provokes a smile.
Graduating from university in 2002, Aus began Autumn Products in 2007, and for the first time is exhibiting designs in Superstudio Piu at the 2009 Milan Furniture Fair, which is on this month.
The Metal Petal Lamp, which is just one of the products Aus will be exhibiting, has won numerous awards (the Best Lighting at the Melbourne Fringe Furniture Exhibition and Best New Release in the commercial category at The Edge Design and Innovation Showcase) and exudes Aus’ design philosophy, in which he aims to “bring a fresh take on traditional objects to the marketplace.”
>> Visit www.autumnproducts.com.au
Creative Collection
Crowded Elevator Clothing has partnered with six of New Zealand’s top creative talents to create a unique range of limited edition tees. The mix of boys and girls graphic tees are designed by Elliot ‘Askew’ O’Donnell, Kelly Thompson, Kentaro Yamada, Steve King, Conor Clarke and Anneke Stewart.
An exhibition showcasing the tees alongside various works by the artists involved will be held this weekend (Sat 18 April, Sun 19 April) at the Webbs Gallery, 18 Manukau Rd, Newmarket.
>>Visit www.crowdedelevator.co.nz
Panasonic’s Online Design Museum
The online Panasonic Design Museum is a new take on showcasing a company’s history via the web. The website is divided into four main sections; product timeline, company timeline, design ethos, and research and development.
Our favourite is the product timeline, where you can scroll through selected Panasonic products, which date back to 1918. The context and inspiration for each product featured is explained, making this website a great source of information and inspiration for product designers and product-lovers.
>>Visit www.panasonic.eu/designmuseum
New Zealand’s First Hair Spa
Bettjemans, a multi-award winning hair salon, have recently opened New Zealand’s first designated Hair Spa.
In their luxurious space, you will be wrapped in a waffle gown and partake in a simple Japanese tea ceremony. Seated in a Philippe Starck reclining chair, therapists will diagnose your scalp and hair needs, treat you to a soothing head and shoulder massage and an exquisite hair bath. After all of this deluxe hair treatment, you will then be escorted out into the salon for a professional blow dry.
A Hair Spa (various rituals available) is the ideal gift to give to a friend or yourself. Urbis has a deluxe ritual valued at $150 to give away. To enter, simply tell us how long the deluxe ritual takes (answer on the Bettjemans website) and email the answer to peta.nichols@agm.co.nz
>> Visit www.bettjemans.co.nz
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