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64 SALONE DEL MOBILE 2019 HERMÈS CELEBRATES RAW MATERIAL LOUIS VUITTON OBJETS NOMADES AT PALAZZO SERBELLONI BY STEVE HEMPEL MILAN DESIGN DESTINATION Each year in April, a fantastical event takes place in Milan. Salone del Mobile, launched in 1961 as a showcase for Italian furniture, has grown over the years into the largest exhibition of furniture, design installations, and objects in the world. Each year, for one week, the city becomes a unique exhibition unto itself. Piazzas become installations. Centuries-old villas house incredible collections of contemporary furniture. And those who love and live for design converge on the city by the tens of thousands. The convention center that houses much of Salone is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Attempting to view just the works exhibited here would take weeks to properly see. However, what makes Salone really shine is how the exhibitions interact with the city itself. It seems as if every corner, every piazza, every public space houses some sort of design-related exhibition. For six days, the city is the center of the design universe. Here, some of the outstanding collections unveiled at 2019 Salone. T he Hermès home collection for 2019- 2020, titled Raw Material, consists of a series of objects where inspiration comes from nature itself. Not an unfamiliar theme, this collection shines in its simplicity. Rather than taming nature, Raw Material allows each vessel, each object to tell its story by letting the humble materials — clay, paper, leather, oak, and bamboo — speak for themselves. The collection is about balance and, by extension, life. Making the ordinary special and celebr ating the details that elevate an object to greatness are often overlooked in production. Standout work includes the Halo and Hécate lamps, designed by London duo Barber & Osgerby, which pairs Limoges porcelain shades with heavy black granite bases. Also of note is Gianpaolo Pagni's Hippomobile, a textile design that hearkens to ancient time, showcasing the horse — a fi gure that is prominent throughout history for both its importance and its grace and beauty. Finally, we see Tomás Alonso's Coulisse table lamp, in which Japanese paper has been framed by a lightweight bamboo structure, giving it the feel of a delicate Cubist-inspired work of art. F or the 2019 S a l o n e d e l Mobile, Louis Vuitton has a d d e d 1 0 n e w p i e c e s to its Objets Nomades collection. The luxury brand created Objets Nomades in 2012 as a way to reimagine creative functional furniture and objects. Each year, Vuitton commissions new works by well-known designers for the collection, which now numbers 45 limited-edition pieces ranging from tables and chairs to cushions, hammocks, and vases. Unveiled at the historic Palazzo Serbelloni in Milan, the collection was inspired by world travels and an appreciation of craft, with vivid colors, rounded organic shapes, and intricate patterns. Two new design studios were add itions to this year's Objets Nomades lineup: Milan-based studio Atelier Biagetti and the award-winning design duo of Zanellato/Bortotto were both commissioned to create new works. In Mandala, designed by Zanellato/Bortotto, we fi nd an intricately woven leather screen with deep blues and soft pinks meant to conjure thoughts of the Venetian lagoon, while Anemona, created by Atelier Biagetti, is a glass-topped dining table with an undulating base covered in soft leather with a deep-blue interior. Also new in the 2019 collection are Hermès Raw Material collection Presentation at Palazzo Serbelloni