Trentino Collaborations is an exciting new initiative connecting British designers with Trentino-based manufacturers. These collaborations allow designers to use industrial and handcraft processes to create design-led, cutting edge works. The new creations will be launched at London Design Fair this September.
The commissioned British designers are Max Lamb, Sebastian Cox, Lucy Kurrein and Giles Miller.
Max Lamb is using the expertise of Pedretti Graniti to produce granite furniture, intent on beautifying the medium. Sebastian Cox is working with Arte Del Legno to produce furniture from local hardwood rather than green wood, a first for the designer, alongside weaving techniques from Trentino. Lucy Kurrein is designing leather upholstery, inspired by leather household objects, with help from Molinari Design, and Giles Miller will take his first foray into natural stone tiles with Euro Porfidi.
The four collections will be shown in specially commissioned wooden structures at London Design Fair this September. These structures are inspired by large-scale, natural sculptures shown at Arte Sella, Trentino’s open-air art exhibition, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2016.
London Design Fair founder and director, Jimmy MacDonald said, “We were invited to propose a project by the trade commission of the Trentino region of Italy. The result is Trentino Collaborations, which connects four British designers with four Trentino-based manufacturers to create new products for retail. This is a significant project to launch in our 10th year because its core – connecting designers with manufacturers – is something we’ve always done. Relationships are fundamental to us.”