Talk show

This year’s Milan Furniture Fair by turn surprised, inspired and disappointed designers. Design Week grabbed a notebook and asked half a dozen of its higher profile visitors what they really thought of the show.

Piers Roberts Designersblock

‘Milan went exceedingly well for us, and it was great for us to show how [designers] can work in different, smarter ways [than the larger manufacturers]. Outside Designersblock, I enjoyed Marti Guixe’s anti-design work, as I always do.

‘But as a whole, the fair was disappointing. It’s now more about heavily-structured companies making minor alterations to existing products rather than showing anything really new. I can’t think of a single company in the past 15 years that isn’t top heavy. Milan was always [Designersblock’s] inspiration, but it is dull because it’s now just a repetition of presumptions on what design is all about.’

Spectrum

Contract interiors products of all shapes and sizes will be on show at next week’s Spectrum exhibition. Furniture, fittings, textiles, lighting and accessories from established UK and European manufacturers such as Beyon, Vitra, Thonet and Sedus will rub shoulders with those from smaller designer-makers.

Spectrum runs from 18-21 May at the Commonwealth Galleries, London W8. For information visit www.spectrumexhibition.co.uk

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