The 59th installment of the world’s largest furniture fair – SuperSalone 2021 – was a delayed experience of the 2020 edition because of the pandemic. Nevertheless, some of the biggest furniture brands were there to showcase their glistening new creations to the world. We feature a handful of top brands and their wonderful collections.
Rendering of Supersalone 2021 exhibition.
Minotti
For 2021, the Minotti furniture table was spirited in its approach to Mid-Century designs. Parts of the collection are endowed with Rationalism and Brutalism design references, proudly coordinated by its creative director Rodolfo Dordoni and Minotti Studio. Teaming up with international designers such as Marcio/Studio mk27 and GamFratesi, the collection offered a variety of exquisite materials such as stone, leathers, gloss matt effects, and even honey-coloured oak.
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- Minotti Belt seating systems: Image: Minotti.
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- Minotti Lido nest chair systems: Image: Minotti.
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- Minotti Roger seating systems: Image: Minotti.
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- Minotti Superquadra console: Image: Minotti.
Dordoni’s “Roger” seating system brims with couture details while providing individual elements to keep it versatile. His “Belt” family of armchairs and little armchairs are also highlights of this collection. The “Lido” family by GamFratesi offers a wide-side nesting chair, and a medley of smaller dining chairs, four-legged loungers, and striking, low-to-the-ground coffee tables. “Superquadra” is a family of consoles, small tables, dining tables, benches, and coffee tables where slim legs and crisp linear designs take form. The 2021 Minotti collection is worthy to explore your considerations in home decoration, particularly in a time when we work from home even more.
www.minotti.com
B&B Italia
The stars of B&B Italia’s 2021 collection corrals some of the world’s design greats in the industry. From Scandinavia, Monica Armani presented “Allure O’” and “Flair O’”, a new family of tables and small armchairs, respectively. Their fluid shapes draw references from 1970s glamourous, groovy decor.
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- B&B Italia Allure O table Flair O armchair, photography: Santi Caleca. Image: B&B Italia.
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- B&B Awa side tables. Image: B&B Italia.
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- B&B Harbour Laidback lounger, photography: Santi Caleca. Image: B&B Italia.
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- B&B Italia Noonu sofa. Image: B&B Italia.
“Harbor Laidback” by Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa is an ode to a classic French Bergère chair. But its sculpted, modern form leans on an elegant aesthetic while providing comfort. Fukasawa’s “Awa” side table is a groovy complement to the Harbor Laidback lounger. Offered in 18 satin and glossy colours, this polyurethane side table organic shape channels an energy boost to any space. “Sir Vito” by Studio Kairos is a side table offering an extractable tray while its variable height is another cool feature. Last but not least, the “Noonu” sofa by renowned architect Antonio Citterio is inspired by his Maldivian trip. Noonu is the Maldivian name for “atoll”, hence this deep-seat sofa with its “piano” and “sail” elements creates an organic shape where the sofa’s four basic elements of square and rectangle creates a comfy and plush seating peninsula.
www.bebitalia.com
Moroso
At the house of Moroso, the wild, creative streaks for their 2021 collection persist. The brand’s eclectic mix of colours, patterns, and design themes from many cultures are evident. Famed Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson’s “Secret Cubic Shelves” is informed by rhomboid-shaped negative space, delineated by modules. Moroso manufactures this bewildering geometry work by using non-toxic powder coating as well as guaranteeing reduced waste resources for lower environmental impact.
Another notable design is “Salon Nanà” collection designed by the exuberant French-Lebanese designer and architect Annabel Karim Kassar. The flexible modular sofa system takes its inspiration from Moroccan traditions, likewise for the square coffee tables offering emblems and colours inspired from Karim’s trip to Medina. The Swiss/Argentine designer Alfredo Haberli exhibited the Taba collection, a family of products created for multifunctionality in every aspect of existence: living, sitting, conversing, working. Next, the Frame-shift bookcase by architects Oscar and Gabriele Buratti is a unique design offering very few elements that flaunt vertical overlapping details to form compositions where horizontal planes emanate their character. Lastly, Patricia Urquiola’s “Pacific” sofa system takes its inspiration from the American West Coast where fluid, soft shapes are the highlights and hard edges are jettisoned. Offered in sophisticated bouclé, plush wool, or luxurious velvet, this couture sofa provides a very tactile experience.
www.moroso.com
Cassina
From one of the most revered names in Italian furniture design, Cassina’s 2021 collection was rife with iconic reissues, expanded collections, and new pieces from esteemed designers such as Michael Anastassiades, Jeffrey Bernett, and Philippe Starck. The collection was proudly orchestrated by its art director Patricia Urquiola.
Notably the reissued projects by (“Editon” table) Vico Magistretti and (“Soriana” sofa and “Carlotta” armchair and tables by Afra+Tobia Scarpa took precedence. Even a radio design dug up from Cassina’s design vaults features Franco Albini’s “Radio in Cristallo” – a transparent and sleek gadget fitted with Bluetooth connectivity. Charlotte Perriand’s “Paravent” sinuous room divider was another highlight. The works of Danish designer Bodil Kjær in the 1950s and ’60s are materialised by Cassina – an armchair, three nesting tables, and a service trolley. Urquiola also presented her “Sengu” tables and “Dudet” dining chair.
www.cassina.com