In honor
of
Design Miami/, we’re highlighting modern and contemporary design trends
from four regions that will be highly represented at the fair. We offer a focus
on the established design traditions of Italy, Scandinavia, the U.S., and
France, influential designers in each region, and representative highlights
from the fair.
Italian
Design
In the
1960s and ’70s Italian designers set the international standard for luxury
goods. Between fashion, interiors, industry, and architecture, Italy
consistently produced quality designs with fine craftsmanship and elegant
innovation. Fashion houses and specialized production factories sprouted up
across the country and the phrase “Made in Italy” became a form of currency. At
Design Miami/, historic and contemporary designs exemplify the national
tendency towards pushing boundaries and sacrificing tradition—and even comfort
and utility at times—for beauty and ingenuity.
Highlights at the fair:
Scandinavian
Design
Although
the many countries of Scandinavia are diverse, their shared cultural,
geographical, and historical characteristics have contributed to common design
aesthetic, characterized by Minimalism, clean lines, and functionality. The
popularization of Scandinavian design originated in the 1950s due to the
exhibition “Scandinavian way of living”, which traveled to the U.S. and Canada,
focusing on Nordic designers and the trends that emerged as a result of
blending traditional Scandinavian imagery with Modernism that had swept across
the U.S. and Europe. The region’s reputation for high-quality design spans
fashion, furniture, glass, ceramics, metalwork, and lighting.
Highlights at the fair:
American
Design
Deeply
intertwined with the young nation’s history, American design is heavily
influenced by its origins in and continued connections with Europe. Historically,
trends have often focused on functionality, responding to industrial
innovations and supply and demand. Often hearkening back to folk traditions—Shaker
chairs, hook rugs, patchwork quilts—or aristocratic desires—
Duncan Phyfe’s fine furniture,
Louis
Comfort Tiffany’s stained glass—modern and contemporary design in the U.S.
is not easily defined under a single category.
Highlights at the fair:
French
Design
Between
Art Nouveau,
Art Deco, and
Post-War French Design, France’s design aesthetics are rooted in history and traditions
of innovation. Art Nouveau is characterized by colorful, elaborate
ornamentation including sinuous lines and exotic flora and foliage, evocative
of traditional Japanese art and
Rococo. Art Deco emerged between the World Wars, and
is most directly rooted in the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts
Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. The broadly defined style is
characterized by intricate processes like inlay, lacquer, dinanderie, and
enamel, and its imagery draws from from East Asia, parts of Africa, and Egypt,
as well as art movements including
Cubism,
Fauvism, and
Constructivism. Socially conscious Postwar designs emerged
following World War II due to the need for affordable housing and furniture.
Plastic and other synthetic materials replaced wood in a boom of productivity
inspired by industrial advancements like jet travel.
Highlights at the fair: