The Italian job with flowers at Salone del Mobile in Milan 2008

What do you get if you mix Italian chic in an Italian city with iconic cars and flowers? Flower power cars doing the Italian job of course!

That’s what happened this year at the Milan Furniture and Interior Design Fair – the place for design aficionados.  It is a huge exhibition welcoming some 1,300 exhibitors in 15 halls.  And just like 100% Design in London, the fair extends beyond the exhibition halls and events and exhibitions can be found all around the city.  This year the Flower Council of Holland took up residence in an influential design district of Milan, the Zona Tortona, known for showing off the talents of some of the hottest young designers during this week of design excellence.

What were the Flower Council doing there?  Furniture design and style developments are hugely influential in all parts of the world, their impact can be seen in fabrics and materials in many associated sectors.  The Dutch thinking is that through a startling and creative presence at these prestigious and genuinely world influencing events, the Flower Council of Holland can directly reach the otherwise somewhat inaccessible top designers, and impress upon them the important role that flowers and nature should and can play in design.

It is a long term perspective, but one that will undoubtedly boost the sector and in particular the artistic and creative florist.

Eye-catching Bloom Buddies

For this reason, Dutch design duo, Niels van Eijk and Mirjam van der Lubbe, working with the Flower Council introduced their newly conceived Bloom Buddy.  Their ‘Flower Buddy’ is simply a large – or a very large - vase (there are 2 sizes) that looks like a 'little guy'!

More androgynous than most, he can easily become a she or an it with some suitable creative flower dressing!  The Bloom Buddy can win hearts with a complete covering of flowers or just a suggestion of flower ‘clothes’ or adornments.

What a stunning window display a Bloom Buddy would make - a real show-stopper.

Iconic cars lead the way with flowers

Leading the way, literally, around the Zona Tortona was a fleet of the newly re-launched Fiat 500, arguably one of Italy’s most iconic cars that had been dressed by one of five influential designers.
Belgian artist Arne Quinze, the British duo of Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard, the Paris-based Arik Levy, whose work is already in MOMA in New York, were chosen alongside Studio Jon and the prolific Karim Rashid, who alone already has some 2,500 objects put into production.

The designers were invited to ‘explore their floral fantasies’ with a wide collection of flowers from Chrysanths to Tulips!  And it certainly paid off - individuality can be seen in the work – Studio Job, for instance, put a very different twist on Chrysanthemums, marrying them with giant black cockroaches – not what you would normally consider to be natural bed partners!

Karim Rashid more predictably perhaps, featured flowers in his favourite pink.  Visitors to Milan were greeted with the 500s zipping around the Zona Tortona.

Rolant Cornelis, spokesman for the Flower Council of Holland commented:
“Our aim, at the Flower Council, is to match the beauty of the flowers with creativity and imagination.  Add to this the iconic design of the Fiat 500, and the inspiration of five of the world’s most renowned designers, and the result is a wonderfully original visual display of flower power that is sure to stop the traffic!”

About the designers

Karim Rashid
Karim Rashid, leading designer of product, interior, fashion, furniture, lighting design and art.  Practices in New York; has designed for impressive range of clients from Alessi to Dirt Devil, Umbra to Prada, Miyake to Method,

Fredrikson Stallard
Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard have worked together since 1995, now internationally recognised as leading exponents of British Avant-Garde design. Clients include David Gill Galleries, Contrasts Galleries, Swarovski, Oscar de la Renta, MoMA, Paul Smith and The Conran Shop.

Studio Job
Belgian based Studio Job is Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel, a young Belgian/Dutch couple whose idiosyncratic work sits between art and design. 

Studio Arne Quinze
Belgian artist Arne Quinze joined the design scene in 1999 with his ‘primary pouf’- an object renowned for its simplicity, material and delirious colours it was born a hit.

Arik Levy
Arik Levy has had work produced by a number of different companies including Gaia & Gino, Baleri Italia, Ligne Roset Materialise, and Snowcrash.   His ‘mistic candleholders’ won a design plus award in 2006, and his designs can be found in the collection of the Musuem of Modern art, New York as well as the Jerusalem museum.

Website

Bloom My Buddy