Milan Design Week 2009: ECAL

The University of Art and Design Lausanne, or ECAL, has been consistently turning out some intriguing talent under the directorship of Martin Schgaguler. While the curriculum teaches students to each hone their own identity, there remains a distinct style that sets the school's program apart from that of, say Design Academy Eindhoven or the RCA in London. An attention to detail and a poetic simplicity …

Milan Design Week 2009: 10 Anni con Ettore

Although it has been nearly 16 months since Ettore Sottsass passed at the age of 90, the late maestro's presence continues to be felt during the Salone del Mobile. Galleria Clio Calvi Rudi Volpi mounted a moving exhibition of work produced by Sottsass under collaboration with the gallery during the last ten years of his life. Displayed throughout the upper floors of the Palazzo Crivelli, …

Milan Design Week 2009: Gaetano Pesce x Meritalia

A rogue practitioner, Gaetano Pesce has made a career out of challenging the status quo. This year, with no less than three new collections for the furniture producer Meritalia, he proves his mastery once again. All week I had been waiting for the moment of astonishment that strikes when one is confronted with the inexplicable power of a moving design. Pesce’s new creations—Colorado (top image), …