The 21st edition of the “Compasso D’Oro” Awards has just concluded. The theme was security and functionality and included domestic objects that may already be in our homes.

Two of the winners were Marc Sadler for “Big”, a modular library with essential lines made from extruded aluminium for Caimi Brevetti.
And Eero Aarnio for his multifunctional child’s rocking chair designed for Magis.

The show continues at Venaria Reale Palace in Turin until 31 August.

Technorati Tags: design, Marc Sadler, Eero aarnio, Magis, Caimi Brevetti

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Mathieu Lehanneur is the eclectic curator of a display project realized for the Y’s line by Mandarina Duck.
The images - of backlit shelves and modular display cases in the form of beehives - were published in the 135th issue of the French magazine Intramuros. 
Lehanneur is inspired by nature, for which he has great respect.

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Giulio Iacchetti - creator of the “Mandarina” ergonomic pen – has experimented with wooden knives for the Italian company Coltelleria Berti and presented them at the most recent edition of the Furniture Show in Milan.
He had spent a month hand carving 22 knives, each made from a different type of wood with a unique aroma and soul.

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Transforming. Recycling Sustainable future.
These are the key words of Eco Design.
A new trend with roots in the past. From time immemorial, people have tried to use and reuse what they had. The Industrial Revolution and consumerism have eliminated this way of life, which is now, however, being brought back to bring us closer to nature.

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Tal R has celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Egg Chair by recovering it with patchwork fabrics from his collection.

The Israeli-born artist has created handmade looks for the armchair that was designed by Arne Jacobsen for the Danish company Fritz Hansen.

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Industrial design is a contemporary art form. And now the first ever beauty contest for objects, PULCHRA, is taking place.

Its highly qualified jury, made up of international all-stars in design and architecture (Italo Lupi, Alessandro Mendini, Sandro Silvi and Matteo Vercelloni), has already selected the 100 candidate products.

Throughout 2008, you will be able to vote for the best 10 objects to be sent into the future.

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I often go to Paris to look for new ideas.
I never miss out on a tour of luxury stores including Louis Vuitton,  Marc Jacobs and Martin Margiela.
Along with big fashion names, Colette is a great reference point for discovering new talent. It offers design, graphic arts, music and cinema news, as well as mentioning many temporary exhibitions. Such as Josephine Meckseper’s installations on the relationships between media, fashion and advertising.

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I’m always looking for creative, young people.
And I’m quite fascinated by the talent that surrounds me.
I keep an eye on emerging artist competitions in the hopes of discovering the next designer generation. On the web, you can always find various opportunities for creative, young people.

Young designer offers a map of emerging ‘Made in Italy’ fashion and industrial designers. They can submit their projects, which will then be classified by region.
In this showcase, I’ve seen some curious items: hand made bags, versatile furniture, a salad-shaker and a bed-cabin.

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Torino is not just about gianduiotti chocolates.

The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design has chosen Torino as the first World Design Capital for the year 2008 along with the theme of ‘Flexibility‘.

The city of the Savoy family and ‘Made in Italy’ ingenuity are being called upon to demonstrate their value on an international level by promoting development plans for the both the urban and surrounding areas.

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We’ve already given you some previews with our fashion show video and now here are the details on our proposals for this spring.

Lightness, fluid shapes and natural-looking materials: these are the concepts for the Mandarina Duck Spring-Summer 2008 collection.
The focus is on clean lines and shapes, soft and enjoyable materials and glossiness.

Colors on the move: white-blue, black, red, green, yellow and khaki.

Big bags: the trend in shop windows and on catwalks is for voluminous bags with lots of organizing space.
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