Page 82 - Enlightenment Magazine - July 2013

ItalIan InspIratIon

EM: Where do you see European designers going in
regard to fashion in lighting?
SO: The Milan fair itself with 2,500 exhibitors has
already four distinctive avenues where fashion can
be found by style: Design, Moderno, Classico, and
Euroluce. Armed with great sensibility, modern
background in their DNA, European aesthetics, visual
gusto, and audacious creations, European designers
seem to promenade themselves in the highways of
execution, where industrial processes are used along
with complexity, where a hint of hand-made is infused
into the products via rope, textured copper, galvanized
and hand-hammered metal, plus hand-woven fabric.
As I had expected, the ecological trend had
doubled since the last fair. Design and crafsmanship
celebrated the marriage of glass, wood, metal, ceramics,
and LEDs with a wide range of solutions. The Early
Electric trend was prevalent at the fair as well as
outrageous ultra-modern designs featuring LED. Ad-
ditional trends that I noticed revolved around lifestyle
sentiments rather than fashion itself: Cross-cultural,
Terrazza/Patio, The Natural, Rugged, Outdoor, Nostal-
gia, Casual, and Pret a Porter.

EM: Which European design elements do you
think will cross over to America?
SO: Today our markets are global and the infu-
ence of Italian designs is paramount not only
in furnishings, but in cars, clothing, and jewelry.
The USA is still a traditional market, due to the
interiors people have in their homes, but I see
a frm movement toward cleaner, stylish, and
beter-designed home furnishings that will not
upset the children or ofend the grandparents.
Due to the great access to design information
via the Internet regarding style, trends, and
fashion, the design and culture train will soon
establish a beter dialogue as a natural
response to the changes in our way of living
as well as new generations and the global
marketplace. Personally, I think we in America
have some great designs that will, in turn,
inspire Europe. Yes, a new Lamborghini will take
your breath away, but a new Apple product will
delight you as well.

80 enLIGHTenment Magazine | July 2013 www.enlightenmentmag.com