Even the chilling rain that seems to accompany the Salone Del Mobile every year couldn't dampen the spirits of those attending.

This year's show was stronger than ever but in ways that were more subtle than years past.  Yes, the exhibiting manufacturers tended towards the safe and conservative side, the parties seemed a little more civilized and it was easier to find taxis - but indeed the excitement and level of work that was exhibited was a nice, albeit brief, respite from the "real" world on our television screens.  The Satellite which houses the young up and comers and is a catalyst for new talent was so strong this year that it put some of the manufacturers in the Salone to shame.  Look for names like Kyoko Inoda + Nils Sveje, Carlo Contin, 40 Design, Putty Factory, Angelica Gustafsson, Fuchs + Funke, Lemongras, Patrick Knock and others who threaten to challenge our perceptions of good design and push the boundries of new thoughts and materials... we will be seeing more of these talents later without a doubt.  The major players who typically vie for the most media attention turned in sporadic if not uninspired attempts at trying to look like they had something newsworthy even though the volume of new designs was on the downswing this year... an actually refreshing respite from sensory overload and a market seemingly driven by the press and not necessarily consumer sales.  Some of the biggies such as Kartell and Zanotta tried flashy displays that would have been more at home in the soon to be defunct Fiorucci store at San Babila.  From the looks of it, it seems that teenaged girls could be the next new untapped and overlooked market for contemporary home furnishings.  Other's like Cappellini, Edra and Artifort put in strong performances that focused on good design, not flash, for the sake of those of us who still believe in such things.  And some things never change.  Bar Basso was in full swing every night with the best martini mixing bartender in the world and such luminaries as Michael Young, Ross Lovegrove and Marcel Wanders showing up to hang with the locals. It was as crowded and smoky as ever and the place to see and be seen.  The other perennial favorites like James Irvine's favorite restaurant, Taverna Morigi and Karim Rashid's favorite disco, Plastic, were always crowded with design aficionados and groupies alike, creating the experiences that only happen once a year.  Look for more coverage coming soon - even some new video clips on the totem.tv site.

*not all products shown are available through totem

Milan 2002 / Milan 2001 / Milan 2000