As I sorted through my press kits from Salone this weekend, a particular item seemed to keep making an appearance in different shapes and colours; yes that’s right, move over Cds and DVDs, the latest addition to the press kit is the USB! From swarovsky encrusted, leather embossed to printed, designers this year seem to have resorted to the USB key as their favourite momento.... the result being that I probably have a decade’s supply of USBs!!

There’s just one question I repeatedly ask myself everytime I walk into the extravagant kitchen and bathroom displays all over the city... “Who is this really for??” Owning a 400 sq mt kitchen in Milan (or even in London and New York for that  matter), is as rare as taking a flying trip to the moon, and yet there are these bathing tubs all over that are probably as big as the size of a ‘monolocale’ here in Milan!

Having said that, I must confess that I am as much in awe of the wonderfully sleek, linear and minimal bathroom and kitchen solutions as any of you are. Special mention must be made of the ones at Boffi (classy and functional as aways), Toncelli & De Dietrich (love the combination of leather with metal) and the technological functionality at Binova. But my absolute favourite has to be the kitchen at Valcucine, which clears up into an endless white space with smooth sliding doors covering everything from the storage space upto the wash basin! Jaw-droppingly magnificent!

So I guess till the time we can afford one of these, we can continue to do the next best thing.... look and gasp in awe!

The last time I checked it was still ‘recession’, but this queue last evening outside the Chanel store at Via Saint Andrea and hordes of shopping bag-carrying-tourists in Via Montenapoleone and Via Della Spiga convinced me that I’d probably checked a long time ago! Well, atleast the volcano has done some good to somebody... with most tourists stranded in the city due to flight cancellations, I guess retail therapy was the most distressing option!

Phewwww.... considering the massive expansion of the fuorisalone this year, I think ‘covering it’ is an accomplishment that needs to be listed in one’s Cv! What started with Zona Tortona being the main district years ago, has now spread to other ‘official’ districts such as the Brera design district, Pt. Romana, Ventura Lambrate and of course many unofficial districts like Via Durini, Corso Monforte etc, etc. Add to that the usual ‘must visit’ destinations of Triennale, Spazio Rossana Orlandi and Via Festa De Perdono and other promising displays scattered all over the city, and what you have is a recipe for complete exhaustion and saturation.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for talent and new displays, but really, to be able to even make a quick visit to half of the listed places is turning into an impossible task. And this is not just mine, but the general impression that I’ve got talking to people over the past week. Unfortunately, this is resulting in most people choosing to visit only the ‘popular’ areas and skipping the rest, which in turn leads to a number of genuine talented presentations not being viewed. With the prices touching the roof at these ‘popular’ areas, it comes as no surprise that very few of the new names are able to invest in a space in these zones, even if it means that they have to choose the option of staying in a less visited location. There’s got to be a solution to this issue, enabling a harmonious and cohesive organisation of presentations, but the real question to be asked is.... “is anyone listening?”

Here it is.... the much-anticipated morning of the 49^th edition of the Salone Del Mobile!

 As usual the chaos surrounding the event started days before and it’s been a herculean task to make ones way through the streets of Via Savona or Via Tortona, with thousands of people struggling to wrap up their installations in time for the press previews and openings. On the contrary, the few previews that I visited yesterday gave me the impression that this was going to be a rather subdued edition as compared to the previous ones, as designers and manufacturers seem to have pruned their budgets and thereby present fewer new products in comparison to the ‘more the better’ attitude that usually exists through the week.  Well, that’s not necessarily a negative, as long as the few products live up to the expectations that the design stalwarts have created for themselves over the years with their brilliant displays. Interestingly, the number of exhibitors at Rho seem to have fallen too, there being just 2,499, compared with 2,723 last year. But undoubtedly the ‘mood’ of Salone is no different, and that will be testified by anyone who was in Pt. Genova last night – enjoying the street installations, the free aperitivos, tons of happy, excited students or simply taking a walk in the crowd! Oh no, not all is positive.... the transport systems have started acting up ( I waited 40 minutes for the tram last evening!)... and this is only the beginning!!!

Having said that, there’s something about the spirit of the week that doesn’t get you upset over these things! Yes, its super annoying for the locals who have no interest in design – understandably it’s annoying when millions of people descend on your city and disrupt your daily life; the bars that seemed like your personal space now requires reservation, the barman who wouldn’t stop chatting with you now barely salutes you as he has to serve others, the journey to office which took 10 minutes earlier is now more than an hour!! But for me, I love the fact that Milan is a ‘happy’ place for a week, especially after the dull, grey winter months. Every city needs some craziness, and Salone is where Milan gets its.

As far as the products are concerned, the one that I’m looking forward to seeing most is the  Memory Chair for Moroso by Tokujin Yoshioka, a Japanese designer, which is developed with a new fabric from recycled aluminum that changes shape whenever anyone sits on or touches it. It’s a new take on emotional connect and challenge, which I’m sure we’re going to see plenty of in the coming week. Also looking to make a big influence are the abstract issues such as social, environmental or humanitarian problems (and hopefully they won’t be banal displays as they sometimes have been in the past); and ofcourse the currently ruling trend of new-age digital technology. 

There is indeed a lot to look forward to, and a lot to learn from the abundant activities during the week; well, not for all, as some like Alice Rawsthorn (columnist for design and contemporary culture for the New York Times Magazine) have already dimissed Salone saying that “There won’t be anything special about most of the stuff that’s shown there. (It will be mediocre at best; a pointless waste of resources, at worst). Though there will be a few exceptions, and several hundred thousand people will flock to see them.” Well Alice, maybe there’s a reason why ‘several hundred thousand people’ will visit Salone..... maybe they are normal people who enjoy the simple pleasures of life.... maybe.....!