You’re invited to Culture Label’s Press preview of new products including our very own Gerald if you want to go please email Culture Label at rsvp@culturelabel.com

The light modulator and mensa coffee table are on the display at the Growing materials exhibition at the
Cité du Design of Saint-Etienne until 26 september 2010 3, rue Javelin Pagnon,Saint-Etienne – France
www.citedudesign.com

What with all the talk about sustainable development, ecology and respect for the environment, the risk is that these issues will become mere catch words designating things that are not all that important.
As is the case when any new deep trend appears, some creative people handle it superficially without really understanding it, even to the point of making a caricature of a serious reality. For instance, the idea of recycling has brought to light a lot of projects that remain anecdote-bound, even when they appeal to our sense of humour. But today, it is safe to say that every professional designer is concerned by these issues, no matter what sector of activity he or she works in or the mode of expression practised. The responsibility of the designer in anticipating conceptual shifts and choosing materials and production processes cannot be denied.

Among the measures advocated in eco-friendly design is that of using less material, which is probably the most
basic ecological gesture of all. But this is not necessarily the case with timber, since one of its qualities is to capture and store CO². No doubt this is one of the reasons why designers have shown growing interest in timber and its many derivatives in recent years. Aren’t creative people the expression of the times we all live in?

Even solid timber is taking off! Long considered to be stuck between two extremes – fine traditional craftsmanship on one hand, mass-market factory milling on the other – the general public is now discovering the sensuality of ‘real’ wood. And young creators too! Their enthusiasm is rewarded by the untold potential of a natural material that can be left raw or given patina, stay wild or be tamed.

The field of applications has enlarged to the extent that inventors are now vying with each other to impart new hyper-natural qualities to wood. Curved, warped, seamed, laser cut, carbon-coated, treated… These ‘outrages’ sublimate wood and often surprise us.
Laboratory researchers are elaborating bio-polymers
that may enable us to emancipate the synthetic market from its dependence on petroleum, while conserving all or most of the advantages that accompany the aesthetics and use of plastic products.

The future of composite timber has yet to be written, and it will only become a reality if designers contribute their creativity.
One of the most common derivatives of wood, paper, offers the few creators who use it many possibilities for transforming its qualities of solidity, plasticity and light weight.
Often surprising by the novelty of applications, the use of timber is logical at a time when people are becoming increasingly aware of the impact every material has on the environment. This is what explains the (re) discovery of plant fibres, from rattan to soya bean… New technologies should aim at optimizing their usage and their rich diversity, by blazing new trails for investigation in a resolutely contemporary and intelligent manner – which is already a reality.

Other designers taking part include AIC Martinez Medina / Alessi / Alki / Antoine Fritsch / Arka Ecopod / Arkema France / Artek & Silvera / Artelano / Bambu / Belu / Bendywood / Benjamin Pawlica (Ecole Pivaut) / Best Before/ Billiani SRL / Biotifood / Bioviva Editions / Bleu nature / C.Quoi / Camper / Charles Laget (ERBA Rennes) / Cocoboheme / Danish Crafts Collection / David Trubridge & Moaroom / DCS / Design Pyrénées Editions / DMDF / Domestic / E.N.O. / e15 / Eco supply center / Ecoasu / Ekobo / Enkidoo / Escarboucle / François Azambourg / Frank Heerema Furniture / Friedemann Buehler / Geppetto Design Studio / Grado Zero Espace srl / Greenage / Hetta / Ikea / Joanna Hartzheim (ENSCI-Paris) / Joensuun Meskari Oy / Jordane Arrivetz (Ecole Camondo) / Julian Mayor / La Palma SRL / Lazerian / Les Fourmis Bleues / Losgeloest / Mademoiselle Chlorophylle & Autem Alter Plastique / Métalobil / Mio Culture / Moormann GmbH, Aschau / Napac / Neo Studios / Novintiss / Orebo Traeindustri / Pandora Design / Perludi / Plasticana / Project Import Export / Rémi Greau (Institut d’Arts Visuels – Orléans) / Romain Diroux (ESAD – Strasbourg) / SAS Bois Diffusion / Serge Lesage / Showroom Finland / Sprout design / Tarkett / Thompson for SABA / Vadvad / VIA / Virages / Vlaemsch / Werner Funiture / Woodnotes / Yii

Images of designersblock Milano 10 10 at Zona IsolaHeres a list of who else is exhibiting

Alvera
Amelie Labarthe
Assembly Room
Balkan Trip
Charlie Davidson
Chiba Institute of Technology
Designerette
Elisabeth Buecher
EmotionLAMPS
ESAB Ecole supérieure d’arts de Brest
Glasgow & Caledonian University
Hendzel & Hunt
Jenny Leary
Ji-Hyun Chung
Johan Lindsten
Joon-Bin Im
Kathy Schicker
Kauro Tsukamoto
Lazerian
MAID Central Saint Martins’
Masako Sato
Melissa French
Not That Young
Puff & Flock
SangMin Lee
Smths Lab
Sophie Hedderwick
Studio Mango
Timothy Schrieber
Valentina Gonzalez Wohlers
Vanessa Harden
Yuko Taguchi

Bodging Milano A new adventure in furniture with, Amos Marchant, Carl Clerkin, Chris Eckersley, Dave Green, Gareth Neal,
Gitta Gschwendtner, Gudrun Leitz, Matthew Hilton, Rory Dodd, Suzanne
Barnes, William Warren.

Come along and say hello if you are in Milan for design week. A few new designs being launched and some special Geralds.

Designersblock Milan 10:10

Dates
14 – 19 April 2010

Location
Revel Scalo d’Isola
Via Thaon De Revel,3
20159 Milano (Zona Isola)

Hours of opening
Wednesday 14 – Sunday 18. 10.00 – 19.00 hrs
Mon 19 – 10.00 – 16.00 hrs

Cocktail Thursday 15 April 1900 – 2200

Easy Living Magazine are in the know this month not only with Claudia Winkleman but with Lazerian! They love our minerals candle holders and what a great feature, Photographer Nato Welton did a great job taking the image of the minerals collection featuring them all with white candles.

In this months Homes and Gardens magazine the minerals collection are featured in the shopping section for wooden products Titled “Go with the grain”. Alongside the minerals candle holders is the wrong woods chest of drawers by Established and sons, Saga coffee table from Roche Bobois and a rather nice Arboretum pillow by Thomas Paul.

The lovely Barbara Chandler reviewed Maison Et Objet 2010 and  Interiors 2010 and designers block for the Evening Standard and the Radiolarian Sofa made a little impact on her to feature it in the review. Other products that she picked was the chair that puff and flock did with ercol. A new sofa by Ligne Roset in Maison Et Objet and a huge lamp made of rock crystal Regis Mathieu.