Whether you are a designer, a brand, a journalist, or simply a design lover, MILAN DESIGN WEEK is definitely the place to be in April.
This was my second Salone del Mobile and I enjoyed it even more than last year because I knew my way around the city a bit more, I had more places to go to, and more people to connect with.
And this time, I also had the podcast in mind.
I am glad to introduce you to the 4 wonderful people I had the opportunity to briefly interview:
– Alberto Cavalli, Executive Director of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship — based in Geneva
– Sarah Quan, Creative Director and co-founder of Villa Nomad — based in Zürich
– Riccardo Villa Fabbiati, Designer and Founder of Monstrum Studio — based in Milan and Paris
– Chloé Nègre, Designer and Founder of Studio Chloé Nègre — based in Paris
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The energy is really incredible in Milan during design week.
And as Alberto said, it really is the opportunity for everyone to challenge themselves, to create amazing experiences and basically to go bigger, higher and further every year.
A great example of this is Dimore Studio — I think we can say that they steal the show each time, in a good way!
I was completely blown away by the installation at Dimore Centrale. I got an aesthetic slap in the face. It was an immersive, magnificent and decadent, back in time, all in the details, decor & scenography. And everyone agreed that it was their favourite of all.
I also loved Gubi at Bagni Misteriosi — amazing location, great set up, the Gubi team were easy to talk to, they were really eager to know if people enjoyed it, and the whole thing was pretty well run.
And, of course, part of my top 3 was the Doppia Firma exhibition at Palazzo Litta where I interviewed Alberto Cavalli. I was familiar with the concept of «double signature — a dialogue between design and artisanal excellence» as India Mahdavi participated in 2018. I particularly like how they place the artisan, the «maestro d’arte», at the same level as the designer. And how the pieces interact with the palazzo, too. It’s like a conversation between the antique and the contemporary.
Which is actually what Milan is all about.
And as each of my 4 guests summed it up pretty well in one word — Salone stands for Epiphanies, Collaborative, Solare and Primavera.
And how would I describe Salone 2023 in one word? Exaltant. Exhilarating!
See you next year!
If you’d like to find out more about what I call Creative Management, I dedicated a full episode to it a few months ago.
Today, I would like to take a closer look at one aspect of Creative Management: team-building.
What exactly does it involve?
What are the benefits?
I also share a great example, as well as a counter-example, from my own experience as an employee.
And bonus: I talk about my favourite sports coach, Ted Lasso. (no spoiler as I haven’t started Series 4 yet).
If you're interested in offering your team a workshop / team-building / training session, do drop me an email! lbm@lilibonnet.com
I can organise and facilitate almost anywhere in the world 🙂
I’ve known Fabien for over 20 years, back when he was a graphic designer.
We worked together on a project and have stayed in touch — partly because it’s something I enjoy doing, of course, but mainly because I’ve always admired his entrepreneurial spirit.
Even when he enrolled at art school, he didn’t know what he was going to do later on; he just had a fairly broad vision of his future:
– getting up whenever he wanted;
– not working for a boss;
– and living in a loft.
Today, that’s exactly what he’s doing.
He’s the owner of UNSEEN, a vintage shop in Brussels, but he’s also a designer, a carpenter…
it’s clearly impossible to define him in a single word, as he has developed and put to use a wide range of skills.
And it’s quite fascinating to see how much this multi-potential individual needs to free himself from the constraints that a single skill entails, to allow himself not to be confined to just one profession. Not to limit himself. And that is precisely the driving force behind everything he undertakes.
this episode, we also talked about:
– pop culture,
– imposter syndrome,
– mental health,
– and identity, thanks to his recent reconnection with his country of origin, Vietnam.
