»2008 May
The Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2008 was a great success! Every year this Fiera de tutti fiere [»] is the focal point of all furniture designers from all over the world. Renowned figures in the industry showcase their new accomplishments side by side with the debuting works of fresh faces and promising starters. This is the show I look forward to, personally, every year; not only because I am able to share what I have come up with to the world, but also because the very atmosphere of the Fiera sparks with creativity. Who could not be inspired?
This is our 8th year as a company to participate, and since then many things have changed, mostly, I would like to think, for the better. Not only has the location of the Fiera changed (it is further away from the city, in a wider and bigger area), but 2008 will also be the 5th year we will be exhibiting independently. There is really something about the Fiera that makes it seem like the first time, every year!
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Of course there must be hard work involved. After the hectic deadline-beating that happens before the items are to be shipped to Italy, there is the actualising of the booth itself, in the show. The secret behind a beautiful booth happens two days prior to a show: the messy task of arranging and rearranging, painting and plastering! Getting up early in the morning to a rainy Milano and going home bone-tired after lifting the chairs and tables and dressing up the booth...at the end of it all, red wine and a panna cotta in the company of friends is more than a good ending to a fruitful day!
Now that one has her furniture, one must put them in what could be a "slice" of life! After all, it is "life" and how we live it that is fuel to designing for furniture. It was amazing how cluttered and dusty everything was a day, two days before the show, and then all of a sudden, on the morning of the 16th, everything is spic-and-span and glowing, and ready for the people. The show begins!
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Copper is the colour of warmth and brightness; an even, cozy glow that sets the senses to relax, and the the mind at ease. Copper was also the pervading colour of our stand this year, beginning with a metallic sheen that coated the exteriors, segueing to a softer hue in the exteriors, which went well with the deep, rich colours of our items. It helped suffuse our space with warmth, and brightened the day ahead, especially after commuting through a mostly rained-in, chilly Milano.
In a way, I suppose, it's a lot like "coming home."
Another great thing about the show is meeting again old friends, and having the chance to make new ones. Be they fellow exhibitors, "neighbors" with whom we share stories and a cup of coffee with; be they familiar faces who come to visit or to help out, it is never a dull moment.
Now that the show is over, the paperwork begins! Orders to ship, developments to push through with, new ideas to put to paper and test. It will be a crazy ride once again! But like the lamp with the light beckoning at the end of the hall, there is the next Fiera to look forward to. Again, like this year's Fiera, it will be ever like the first; full of surprises, and unexpected rewards.
I hope to see you all then!
Labels: fiera-milano
