Festivals

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Megan’s Milan press pack

Megan Morton’s press kit stash from Milan – love the bronzey coloured Tom Dixon bag..!

If I were a real journalist, I’m sure press kit fodder wouldn’t excite me much. But because I usually have to resort to sneaking my camera around and taking photos at trade fairs/shops/showrooms somewhat illegally, the idea of a press kit filled with great photos and endless eye-candy at my disposal seems so luxurious!

The super-fabulous Megan Morton (Megan is currently my most favourite person in the whole world – did you notice?) was generous enough to loan me her Milan press-kit paraphernalia for a few days last week whilst she was in town… so I could share all her goodies with you! She hadn’t even had a chance to look through it herself before handing it over for me to scan/copy to my heart’s content. How nice is that?

So here we have some of the contents of Megan’s gorgeous Tom Dixon metallic totebag. The Jaime Hayon for Baccarat catalogue is too perfect for words. The product, the photos, the colour palette, the layout. Ridiculous super-wonderful.

Baccarat catalogue cover with translucent red overlay. Love it!

Jaime wistfully dreaming up his next creation… hee!

I just can’t get enough of Jaime’s naive hand-drawn designs..! Why do I love them so much?!

Pagespreads – sorry not the best quality. Daylight savings is no good for blogging!

One of the other gorgeous things Megan picked up was this little wallpaper CD wallet from 39.22 – a new design collective founded and supported by Greek design company CARTECO. ‘STREET COLOURS’ is 39.22′s first range of wallpaper, inspired by the streets of Athens. 39.22. has sourced the street artists of Athens and invited them to create a series of unique wallpapers. Clever clever.

Fabulous original patterns and gorgeous ‘sludgy’ colours (as Megan would say)! Love the promo video too.

Maison Martin Margiela‘s white-on-white approach extended to their promo material… a precious little document encased in a flat linen envelope, slightly frayed at the top, and stamped with MMM’s 2009 theme – ‘Mat, Satine, Brilliant’. Classic and clean, with enough texture/detail to grab attention and encourage the journos to hold onto this keepsake, rather than discard it once they’ve penned their reviews!

Dedon‘s promotional material has some nice shots of their weaving in action… these designs are for the gorgeous Riviera Lounger Megan mentioned here.

Ok that’s all. No more Milan I promise :)

Posted by Lucy at 9:00 pm
Categories - Festivals, International Design, international people, product design Comments (5)

Monday, May 04, 2009

DesignEx 2009

The DesignEx central bar was designed by Michael McCann of Dreamtime Australia Design. Constructed from cardboard tubing and cableties, it was very impressive in scale etc…. but, call me pedantic… I was a bit sad that they didn’t trim the cableties. :(

Furniture in the Central Bar by Spacecraft

Oooh… I hope you’re not all design-festivalled out already! …because today I have some coverage of DesignEx, which was held in Melbourne on the weekend. It never ends. I can’t figure out why DesignEx happens only a few days after Milan Design Week ends. Strange. It seems to me that all the most exciting designers would be in Europe at this time? Anyway.

DesignEx is a weird one. It’s trade only, which kind of annoys me. Although on this occasion I did have a media pass which made things (ie taking photos) much easier. Essentially it’s a huge showcase of all the top brands in building products and interior design materials, presented to I think around 17,000 architects and interior designers who descend on the event over 3 days.

It’s not always very exciting, because all the brands who show at DesignEx are very established big names, and are not necessarily very innovative. And after all the Milan coverage I must say it’s hard to get excited by our local, somewhat more modest offerings! But let’s be fair, this isn’t the international stage, and I have to say that this year, amongst all the usual suspects, a handful of stands really did stand out. Highlights below!

Perhaps my favourite stand – Cascade Coil is a flexible wire mesh fabric, manufactured in the US. It’s available in a number of colours and finishes, but I loved the all-gold theme of their stand – particularly effective with the illuminated floor! Very swish. Stand design by Hassell. It was only a smallish stand but really wowed the crowds. Fabulous. Cascade Coil is available in Melbourne through DAAC commercial window furnishings.

More Cascade Coil

Marc Pascal lights

Marc Pascal is such a great Melbourne character – that’s him on the right, as colourful as his work, getting a bit frazzled by with the lack of phone reception. Hee! Love his hand-crafted lamps and pendants… beautiful.

SONA (the Student Oragnised Network for Architecture) created this scaffold wendy-house structure… the stall was unmanned… so I don’t know much about it. Except that it was designed by Andrew Moller, based on ideas of adaptation and manipulation of flexible, temporary and re-usable building materials. (ie, scaffolding). Cute.

Meizai

Meizai won me over with sheer styling power – they showcased their very extensive and eclectic range of home accessories and furniture in a huge stand divided into three main themes. I took a lot of shots of the earthy, rustic-inspired area, and the more opulent boudoir-style section (bottom shot below). It all looked absolutely gorgeous… and so well put together… but… I was a bit disappointed by the very Jaime Hayon-esque inspired furniture and lamps… oh well… I guess when you’re Jamie Hayon imitation is inevitable.

Meizai’s rustic homewares (top) and somewhat Jaime Hayon-esque furniture and accessories.

Latitude showcased student design – my favourites were Annabelle Peters’ Skewer Lamps, and I quite liked that delicate steel/timber chair (below) by Rock Martin. (both designer’s websites are definitely worth a visit!)

JSB Lighting

JSB Lighting made me chuckle… mainly because their lumberjack-inspired matching outfits were so ridiculously cute! They must have been cursing their bosses. Anyway, fantastic stand showcasing their range of Modular lights. Really engaging recycled tea-crate style shelving and yes, artificial grass. It was very popular. Sometimes it feels as though DesignEx is an astroturf convention.

JSB lighting again… aww, toolbelts!

Oooh and while we’re talking artificial grass – check out The Outdoor Room by Jamie Durie. He used the opportunity to launch his new Outdoor kitchen with Electrolux. Jeepers Creepers. It’s a bit much. Plumbed-in sink, cooktop and BBQ and worksurface etc etc, and even an incorporated vertical herb garden etc! Jamie himself was there in full-force plugging his wares… hee! I just can’t stop thinking about him doing backflips on Backyard Blitz. Ah, good on ‘im. (PS also notice that in addition to his own Patio range and Eletrolux stuff, he is also flogging the ‘Outdoor Cinema’, and a custom Porters Paints range, with his photo on every tin!)

Jamie in full force!

Although Jamie was very entertaining, I kind of prefered the more serene award-winning ‘Relativity’ garden by James Dawson Landscape Design and Woodbridge Landscape Developments. I cannot believe they brought in a full scale water pool… with gold-fish!

The most inspiring and refreshing of textiles / wallpapers on show were at the Funkis Sweden stand, showcasing the incredible Tres Tintas range from Spain. (above and below)

Fisher and Paykel must be doing ok in the current economic climate – their incredible ‘Ironside’ stand left no expense spared, comparing a full-scale functional ‘Kitchen of Today’ with ‘Tomorrow’s Kitchen’, each fully fitted within a customised 40 ft shipping container. Tomorrow’s kitchen introduced the IZONA range of products, specifically the ‘Cool Drawer’ (fridge + drawer = Cool Drawer). Wow.

Fisher and Paykel / IZONA Kitchen of Tomorrow and IZONA cooldrawer

Last but not least. The incredible AIA bar by Chris Bosse of LAVA featuring the ‘Kaleidosculp’ roof constructed from a ‘silicone glass composite textile with outstanding translucency and light diffusion properties’. What can I say? That Chris Bosse really knows what he’s doing.

Phew. Can I go home now?

Posted by Lucy at 9:00 pm
Categories - Architecture, Event Design, Festivals, Interior Design, melbourne people, melbourne places Comments (11)

Sunday, May 03, 2009

More from Milan! – Felicity Splatt’s Design Week Diary

Hey hey! Today the Milan Design Week coverage continues with this fantastic wrap-up by Melbourne ex-pat Felicity Splatt. Felicity is currently living in Austria, but makes the trip to Milan every year for design week… and this year offered to send me her highlights!

Along with her favourite design finds, Felicity shares some shots of the super-trendy Milanese locals, her pick for the best Pizza in town… and she even includes a visit to the Lago apartment (soooo jealous!). I feel so lucky to have so much fantastic first-hand news and photos to share with you all..! It’s gotta be the next best thing to being there!

Felicity Splatt’s Milan Design Week diary

To Milan for Design Week. In addition to the Salone Internazionale del Mobile (Furniture Fair) out at the showgrounds, the city hosts literally hundreds of events over this week.

One of the first stops was Established & Sons at the wonderful space La Pelota. La Pelota used to be a court for playing Jai alai, but these days is a multipurpose space used for a variety of events. Established and Sons constructed wooden warrens in which their wares were exhibited. I particularly liked the couch and the (somewhat frightening) clown lamps:

Across the road the nice Dutch designer Edwin Vlassenroot was exhibiting the latest iterations of his chandeliers. Constructed from postcard holders, these ones had hand-painted glass postcards forming the shade. Previous versions had wooden or copper cards. Edwin also had some small lamps on display. It’s nice to see his work again, only a pity that this year he isn’t exhibiting in his gorgeous apartment, because it’s great for a sticky-beak (there are some peeks on his website though!)

Chandeliers by Dutch designer Edwin Vlassenroot

At the Seoul Design Festival, some refreshing works… even if their security guard might not have been watching me closely enough (don’t worry, I didn’t touch anything!).

Pieces from the Seoul Design Festival

Then to the M’afrique exhibition with works by Stephen Burks:

In the amazing Palazzo Crivelli an interesting installation on the ground floor (below left), and a retrospective of Ettore Sottsass’s work by the Galleria Clio Calvi Rudi Volpi upstairs (below right).

From left to right: a great lamp, and the roast meat dome for Secondome and Bosa Ceramiche:

Back out onto the busy via Pontacchio, some Milanese youth:

I was exhausted from all the travelling that day, so stopped for some pizza and to try to figure out how I could possibly see so many events on foot in about a day and a half. Amazing pizza (of course) in the tiny Sibilla:

Later that night, wandered into the wonderful Spazio Rossana Orlandi where LOTS was happening. People in the courtyard/garden area enjoying apertivo (drinks + copious delicious snacks for €8 – smelled amazing and everyone was really enjoying their food) and fantastic exhibitions upstairs, downstairs, everywhere! Design Academy Eindhoven, Nacho Carbonell, Baccarat, Designhuis, Weltevree, among others.

Shots from the Spazio Rossana Orlandi garden – top photos by Felicity Splatt, bottom image Megan Morton.

Weltevrees work was really nice, particularly the Floris Schoonderbeek’s Axechair. The legs are made of axe handles, and the body of the chair of a nice solid metal. I liked the quirky work of these young designers, maybe even more so when a handsome and talented trio of them offered me some prosecco…!

Floris Schoonderbeek’s Axechair – top righ image by Felicity Splatt, the others are from the Weltevree website.

The Revolving Chandelier by Bertjan Pot was bigger than I had imagined, and impressive. The heat of the light globes warms the air and causes the transparent and reflective shades to rotate:

Next day, headed down to the crazy Zona Tortona. Always full of people and so much design down here. Hit the Superstudio Piu pretty early, overwhelmed as usual by the masses on display. Gorgeous metallic Tom Dixon lamps:

This very interesting screen made up of lots of little (slide-sized) displays. A small camera mounted in the very centre (invisible from this side) tracks movement and projects the image to the screens, in shades of grey. That’s a person off to the right. When I was there, the other visitors and I were quite bewildered by the whole thing. Very nifty in action!

Down in some basement area, the Cloud Chair by Richard Hutten, and ceramic lamps by Chung Ji Hyun.

Up on the via Tortona, the Design Virus lamps by Pieke Bergemans, draped over tables, chairs and filing cabinets:

I really liked the cup chandelier (I’m sorry, I don’t know who this is by), in one of the Superstudios:

Visited the Lago apartment, intimidating guard at the front of the building, but he encouraged me to go in (other visitors weren’t so brave!). Apparently I was quite early as one poor resident was sitting on her bed putting on some moisturizer, while another started washing a mountain of dishes. The chair on the left pulls apart to become a mattress.

Walking around a city for days is really tough, even in comfy shoes, so I don’t know how these women did it:

I grabbed some snacks in the great Taste Lounge exhibition by Richard Ginora / Paola Navone. Lots of ceramics all around, including a giant wall of plates (left), and a super comfortable leather couch area with lots of reading material (right). Perfect for a nap!

(I had to add these additional shots from the Taste Lounge website! It is too fabulous! – Lucy)

…More from the Taste Lounge website

At Sander Mulder, the Woofers (left) and U-Tube (right):

On Sunday, out to the Salone, specifically to the Satellite where young designers present their work. Great ceramic lamps with golden insides from Apparatu / Mashallah Design.

Liked the Flower Pods by Maruja Fuentes:

Three gorgeous and unusual pieces the Echoes collection of Pour Les Alpes:

Nice, very well produced pieces from Brikolör, especially the pattern-stained storage/cabinet in ash veneer.

Sciocola, a chocolate bar seat (whose tablets depress when you sit down) from Adele Rotella:

And three interesting chairs from trimodestudio:

A door which does much more! The Ping Pong Door from Tobias Fränzel:

And to finish, something I wasn’t expecting, a concrete gravestone! Designed by Ákos Maurer Klimes and Péter Kucsera and produced by Ivanka.

A huge HUGE thankyou to Felicity for all her fantastic news and images from Milan… I am completely convinced I have to be there myself next year!

Posted by Lucy at 9:00 pm
Categories - Event Design, Festivals, International Design, Lighting, furniture design, international correspondent, international places Comments Off

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Megan Morton from Milan

Extreme excitement alert! I can’t contain myself… Today the fabulous Megan Morton shares her photos and highlights from Milan Design Week! After her whirlwind trip to Milan, Megan offered to do a little write up for The Design Files.

I feel a little overwhelmed. It is too amazing.

Megan Morton‘s photos from Milan last week!

Throngs of fair visitors… and Pantone bikes!

Ceramics ceramics and more ceramics… These shots are from the Paola Navone Taste Lounge in Via Tortona… a Marije Vogelzang-esque food/design space which looks seriously AMAZING. More incredible shots here. Check out that amazing wall of colourful painted plates… and the hanging teacups!? Stunning. All photos – MM.

More from the spectacular Taste Lounge… Megan explained that you tick what you want to eat / drink on this circular placemat and hand that in to recieve your order. Love it! Photos – MM (that’s Megan, bottom right!)

Design magazines hanging at the Taste Lounge. Photos – MM.

More ceramics. I don’t know whose these are. Sorry. But they’re gorgeous. Love the two-tiered display in the top there! Both shots by MM.

I can’t remember what Megan said about this place… It all got a bit too exciting and I have forgotten the details. Something about old ladies making delicious pies and tarts, and the tables are decorated with Peonies. That’s all I can remember.

More from the mystery garden party….

Megan Morton from Milan -

…What does design look like in a recession? It looks like heaven!

While I was getting ready for some quiet, sombre Design Week moments in Milan this week, thank Goodness, there was none to be found. Exhibitors are in the thousands, attendance has created stop-in-your-track bottle necks at every entry point to all three sites that make up the fair, and the only thing that seems to be missing is the unnecessary ridiculousness overindulgence of some of the bigger names from last year. Instead, beautiful modern offerings (Tom Dixon can you be any more all-over-it?), re-releases of some timeless but not forgotten classic (Thonet‘s 150 anniversary bentwood chair – Happy Birthday, you darling chair) and refreshing takes on the things we actually need (Dedon, you really have surprised me with your woven outdoor lounge. Your Marseille lounger in riveria blue and white woven makes me almost forgive you for that outdoor woven tower terror from last collection!).

Marseille Lounger by Dedon, in a variety of pattern designs – 2 x bottom photos here by MM. (Don’t you love how she’s captured a sailor on the nautical-style ‘Riveria Blue and White’ woven striped lounge?). Top photo from the Dedon press release.

More shots from Dedon. The Riveria Blue and White Marseille Lounger – Megan’s favourite!

Tom Dixon‘s pressed glass lights – top photos by Megan Morton, bottom shot from the Tom Dixon PR machine.

Folded paper light installation for Veuve Cliquot by Tom Dixon – photo MM

Salon de Mobili is all about showcasing the new products (Piet Boon Home, you stood out as the smug Best In Show for things we all might need now) as well as an excuse to party like it’s 1999 (best party all depends on who you talk to, but my favourite was new design store Skitsh and an off site party called Punks Wear Prada). Maison Martin Margiela takes the Gold Prize for his 4 room studio installation that is so breathtakingly beautiful that even the most cynic of aesthetes were walking around the space with their mouths agog. So indecently beautiful that that night I decided to sit out the parties so I could look at my apartments white wall, take it all in, digest it and some how commit his incredible work to memory. Maison Martin Margelia is hard to describe because of the narrative the space took you through and his commitment to whiteness so complex it was really one of those-had-to-see-it situations. Basically a replica of his studios, its hard to know at Margelia what he is actually selling (its his first foray into home-wares, so think lights, doorstops, covetable objects but not as we know it) but not as we know. In a market where there is a lot of decorative elements, Margiela’s collection entitled Mat, Satine, Brilliant, (matt, shiny and brilliant!) creates a whole new market.

Maison Martin Margelia shots from the press release

Maison Martin Margelia

There were some fabulous fantasy pieces (thank you Jaime Hayon for your Baccarat pieces and a brilliant show off site in Milan’s most beautiful homewares store (store is called Rossana Orlandi, via Matteo Bandello 14, Milan. Just trust me, its a must!) Modern day jewels are the only way to describe his work, each piece taking more than two year to creates, to see them in the flesh, regardless of what you think of their EURO9000 (approx $18,000) there beauty can not be denied.

Jaime Hayon for Baccarat. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! Bottom photo by MM.

What I found to be the quiet surprise of the show was the Piero Lissoni for Cassina range. Usually something I would allocate for bachelor pads or dressing for a mature home, its elegance was breathtaking. They showed with others, including colourful Capellini, modern firm Alias and Thonet, but seemed to be the only ones with noticeable styling (beautiful books turned pages out, old master artworks, crazy flowers and coloured vessels) that really gave the stand the kiss of life. The Cassina collection is aptly called, Future Poetry and the name seems to sum it up perfectly.

‘Toot’ sofa by Piero Lissoni for Cassina

Architect Zaha Hadid‘s reign as Queen Bee of the design world is no more evident than this week. She has just been photographed for the cover of Homme Vogue by Bruce Weber, and her visionionary thinking has managed to contagiously work through the design field inspiring all and sundry. Her new tap for Triflow, inspired by the movement of water itself, has caused much interest as is her limited edition shoes for Lacoste. And everyone is talking about her new library and Learning Centre in Vienna. An icon indeed.

Zaha Hadid’s TriFlow tap

Design concept for Zaha Hadid’s Library in Vienna

When it came to the actual Fiere (the official hall for exhibitors, as opposed to all the off site slightly left of field offerings) At the actual fair, the big guns showed their mettle against the global financial crisis with stunningly huge installations and beautiful stands. The big ones it seemed did not hold back. Knockouts where Minotti (bringing sexy back) , Moroso (incredible and so on the money! Believe it or not, fashion legend Diesel’s range is so, so great. Rock and Roll indeed. What an inspired collaboration between two greats of fashion and interiors) and Bonacina (for grown ups, but for grown ups that you will want to be). But its Kartell’s mission statement plastered all over their stand that seems to sum it all up, `What a wonderful world’. Oh yes it is.

Tokujin Yoshioka‘s Paper Cloud sofa for Moroso

The Diesel range for Moroso – left Ego Stud Mirror, right – Bar Stud Stool

The Diesel range for Moroso – Top – Cumulus Chair, bottom – Nebula Nine sofa

Megan said the new Ikea stuff was amazing… how about those fabulously kooky hat plant containers…(?) by Maria Vinka, and on the left ceramics by Olga Popyrina. These and more from the new 09 range are being launched in Australia next month think…? These shots again by MM.

Thankyou thankyou thankyou Megan!
Wowowow. Deep breaths.

Stay tuned for more Milan highlights next week! There’ll be a peek into Megan’s Milan press pack showbag (including pages from the stunning Jaime Hayon / Baccarat catalogue), plus another fabulous Milan round-up from Melbourne ex-pat Felicity Splatt. Jeepers. x

Posted by Lucy at 9:00 pm
Categories - Festivals, International Design, furniture design, international correspondent, international places Comments (6)

Friday, April 24, 2009

Interview – Georgie Frew

Karen Ryan‘s Unmade 07 range were created for Trah Luxe in the UK, using unwanted ceramic vases and re-presenting them as if they were custom made.

TranSglass by Tord Boontje and Emma Woffenden for Trash Luxe

Collection wallpaper by Catherine Hammerton for Trash Luxe

Heath Nash’s famous light fittings made form discarded plastic containers for Trash Luxe

I recently re-connected with the lovely Ms Georgie Frew, who I actually went to high school with many moons ago, although we had lost touch until last week! Georgie works in PR at Melbourne company HotHouse Media and Events, where she handles the publicity for lots of great Melbourne events such at Art Melbourne and the State of Design festival. She’s so fabulously good at her job – mainly, I think, because she is so genuinely warm and friendly that you just can’t help but wanna be her friend! Don’t be fooled though, although a bubbly, sociable personality and winning smile goes a long way in the PR industry, it’s not all about parties and champagne – Georgie works super long hours and often finds herself managing very stressful situations and super-pedantic clients!

It was so great to catch up with Georgie last week after so long, and I was particularly interested to hear about her recent stint working in London. She spent a year working for well-known boutique PR firm Camron, who handle some incredible high-profile design events in the UK including London Design Week and Trash Luxe, an exhibition curated by Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs at London’s iconic Liberty store. It made me swoon a little at the scale of these international events… I do love Melbourne, but sometimes you can’t help but feel so far from all the action!

Thanks so much for Georgie for sharing her stories and giving us an insight into her incredible experience working in the UK!

Tell me a little about your background – what did you originally study, and what path led you to what you’re doing now?

I studied Business/ Public Relations at Swinburne in Prahran after I finished highschool. It took almost 18 months to get a job in P.R but I worked in retail and worked with stylists along the way, including the stylist from Bed Bath n Table where I assisted on shoots – learnt loads and really enjoyed it. I also did p.r work experience whenever I could.

During your recent time working in the UK, you were involved in some incredible events and design-related projects such as Trash Luxe for Liberty, and the London Design Festival. I am so jealous!! Can you describe some of your favourite projects whilst in the UK…

I was really very lucky to be able to work with such iconic and amazing events and clients during my time in London. Camron is a brilliant design agency that looks after some of the most high profile design clients in Europe. Some highlights would have to be the Yellow Veuve Clicquot event at the Wapping Project in the East End.

Veuve wanted to foray into the arts and commissioned various artists to create installations at the Wapping Project (it’s an old Hydraulic Power Station). These included a huge tree filled with yellow umbrellas and a ringing telephone in the middle of birch forest- quite mad.

Yellow Veuve Clicquot event at the Wapping Project

Trash Luxe at Liberty was an exhibition that ran during the London Design Festival and was curated by Marcus Fairs (creator of dezeen) designers included Stuart Haygarth (love his amazing chandeliers created from found objects like spectacles and party poppers), Karen Ryan and Ineke Hans. The B&B Italia party to launch the outdoor collection held at the gorgeous Kensington store was pretty incredible as well.

Committee’s Victory Kebab Lamp for Trash Luxe

Stuart Haygarth showed three chandleliers created from found objects for Trash Luxe. The Optical Chandelier is made from reading glasses (close up below)

Telephone wire bowls by ZenZulu for Trash Luxe

It is a dream of many creative people to work overseas… How would you compare working in the UK, compared to doing similar work here in Melbourne? Was it difficult initially to find work in London? Has it been difficult to come home!?

The biggest difference would be the media, in the UK we would be working with literally hundreds of media – the opportunity to place your client in a huge range of media was really exciting. Also the chance to work with such world renowned clients is just not possible in Australia sadly. I was lucky that I was introduced to the MD of Camron from a mutual friend and I had my job as soon I got to London.

In terms of settling back home it’s been really hard- London gets under your skin and I miss it often. Melbourne feels VERY small in every sense.

Can you list some of your favourite designers or creative people who inspire you?

• Hecker Phelan and Guthrie do brilliant interiors- it was exciting to visit The Ivy when I came home also.

Images from The Ivy in Sydney – interiors by Hecker Phelan and Guthrie

• Tom Dixon is super talented, I love Shoreditch House in East London.

Images from Tom Dixon’s Shoreditch House

• Fashion creatives – I love Alber Elvaz from Lanvin, super stylist Katie Grand and her new mag LOVE and Patricia Field‘s crazy combinations are always inspiring.

Where else do you find inspiration – ie books, magazines, your environment, travel, your family and friends?

Definitely magazines and books I think I spend a 1/3 of my income on international magazines – love Vogue UK, Elle Decoration and Teen Vogue (a guilty pleasure). Closer to home I love Rushh, Belle and Inside Out. Travelling is also a constant inspiration I am always thinking of schemes on how I can next escape – I love seeing how other people live.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

Typical day would be reading the papers, lots of emails, speak to the media about clients I am looking after (goal- HUGE features), writing a press release or two and clients meetings.

What are you most proud of professionally?

Working in London has been my proudest moment so far. I also managed the publicity for a film earlier this year and that was something completely new for me and I love challenges.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Definitely the perks. I got to go to Stevie Wonder last year and I recently was given a pair of the Vivienne Westwood for Melissa Shoes.

And the worst?

The long hours.

What would be your dream project?

Managing the publicity in-house at Marc Jacobs in New York.

What are you looking forward to?

I’m working on State of Design which is coming up in July can’t wait to see the event and campaign roll out.

Melbourne Questions –

Which Melbourne event designers or other creative people do you collaborate with when organising PR events/launches etc?

We recently worked with Christian Wagstaff for the Stella Artois Portsea Polo in January, he created a fab space it felt like Palm Springs in the 1960′s.

What and where was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

I went to Giuseppe Arnaldo and Son recently and had the crab arrabiata in the paper bag- love that place.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

Having breakfast at Las Chicas in Balaclava with friends.

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

Does Shag count on Chapel St?

Posted by Lucy at 1:00 am
Categories - Event Design, Festivals, international places, melbourne people Comments (1)

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Core77 Milan coverage – the Appartamento Project

Photos from the Lago/Core77 Appartamento in Milan

Last year I told myself 2009 would be the year I would finally get to Milan for Design Week. But unfortunately, it was not to be :( (Thank God You’re Here kind of got in the way….). Anyway, can’t be feeling too sorry for myself because NYC is just around the corner…!

ANYWAY as you all know, the next best thing to being in Milan, is reading the fantastic daily coverage on the web. The absolute best, most up-to-the-minute coverage has to be at Core77, closely followed by Designboom. These sites were doing live event coverage well before Twitter came along (and frankly, I just can’t get excited about a webpage with no pictures. Boring.)

Core77 are doing this awesome thing actually, in collaboration with Italian furniture manufacturer Lago. It’s called the Appartamento project. Staff of Lago and Core77 are living together in a private apartment in Milan for the duration of the design week. The Core77 offices are on site, and all their Milan coverage will be produced and posted live from this location.

In addition to their usual extensive coverage, this year Core77 will also invite people to be interviewed in the space, reporting live daily from the Appartamento project. And actually, if you are in Milan, you can even visit the apartment yourself.