A new wave of designers and talents from around the world is bringing back a spirit of innovation, creativity and craftsmanship at this year’s Stockholm Design Week
Photography courtesy of Wekino
Words by Jessica-Christin Hametner
Bold and brave, Stockholm Design Week (5 to 11 Feb) and Stockholm Furniture Fair (6 to 10 Feb) showcased a dash of the daring last week. From statement designs to immersive exhibitions and new campaigns that got people talking, this year’s edition explored and embraced the unexpected.
From material innovation at Reform Design Lab to vintage finds at Dusty Deco to the furniture of tomorrow at NK Interiors, Stockholm Design Week 2024 displayed bold colours, soft textures and climate-friendly materials, all with a sense of fun.
The week-long celebrations ushered in a jam-packed programme of designer collaborations, exciting furniture launches and new creative concepts that seek to push the boundaries of design. In an industry that’s ever-evolving, we highlight a group of creatives from around the globe that are rising up in the world of Scandinavian design.
1. With by Wekino and Note Design Studio
Photography courtesy of Wekino featuring Studio-Chacha’s work
New to Stockholm Furniture Fair, South Korean design and lifestyle label Wekino made its debut with a brilliant collection entitled With. Curated by Note Design Studio, the pieces celebrate homegrown K-talent and feature eight striking products from six of the most dynamic names in contemporary Korean design.
Exploring the meteoric rise of Korean culture and the global fascination with hallyu, a term that refers to the popularity of South Korea’s cultural economy, South Korean fashion, film and K-pop has taken the world by storm in recent years. This joyful energy is also packed into With, as Note Design Studio highlighted the country’s hyper-modern vibrancy alongside traditional craftsmanship.
Ranging from cosy lounge chairs and reflective tables to bookcases, thoughtfully crafted rugs and mirrors in a stunning kaleidoscope of colours, as well as a set of coat hangers, the collection featured the works of both established and emerging Korean designers. For instance, Seoul-based industrial Studio PESI, showed the Stout collection comprising a dining chair and armchair constructed from powder-coated tubular steel, while Kwangho Lee unveiled a playful shelving system.
Photography courtesy of Wekino featuring Reel Hanger and Book Worm by KUO DUO
Studio Word showcased the richly tactile Oddly rug inspired by a Joseon-era painting of amorphous rock shapes, while Studio-Chacha launched Chroma, an art object and mirror inspired by a patchwork wrapping cloth — a vibrant example of traditional Korean craftwork created by weaving together colourful scraps of leftover fabric to create kaleidoscopic interior decorations.
Meanwhile, studio KUO DUO made a coat rack called Reel Hanger, as well as Book Worm, the latter a fluid art object that can be used to store and display reading material; the utilitarian Salong Table by Stockholm-based Studio Kunsik completed the collection with its octagonal wooden legs. With a strong focus on materiality, form and comfort, With embraced both the beautiful contradictions of contemporary Korean design and the pioneering spirit of Wekino.
‘We wanted to showcase emerging designers from Korea to the world,’ said Richard Kwon, a designer at Wekino. ‘The collection’s name, With, came from this idea of being with all these different, talented designers. There is a certain kind of power when you gather talented people, products and show it all together; it creates this synergy.’
2. Together and Made in Sweden by NK Interior
Photography courtesy of NK Interior featuring Julie Amira’s Grammy desk lamp
Exploring how department stores shape modern consumer culture, NK Interior returned for another year with its annual Together design initiative and scholarship, showcasing exquisite leather items created in collaboration with the historic Tärnsjö Tannery. Established in 1873, the tannery is one of the world’s leading providers of vegetable and sustainable tanned leather and continues to be at the forefront of sustainable design and local production.
‘At Tärnsjö we have developed production methods that are not only respectful of traditional techniques and the environment, but also set the benchmark for the industry, which allows us to create durable pieces of art,’ said Ulrika Andersson, CEO of Tärnsjö Tannery. ‘This project has been a thrilling collaboration with some of Sweden’s greatest designers, and while we continue to embrace our heritage, we also move ahead to meet the challenges of the future.’
This year’s design cohort included Lisa Hilland, contemporary designer Pia Wallén and Anki Gneib, as well the as visual artist Jonas Bohlin and award-winning Sami Kallio; fashion designer Maxjenny also participated as did Stockholm-based creative Anki Gneib, Julie Amira, and 2024 Together scholarship holder Olivia Åhman, whose leather chair displayed exciting possibilities for creative re-use. Together, the designers brought uniqueness and personality to a range of eye-catching leather objects.
Photography courtesy of NK Interior featuring Pia Wallén’s First Aid Bag made from Swedish vegetable-dyed leather
‘I hope that our initiative Together, highlighted both unique objects and young designers,’ added Kadi Harjak, Owner and CEO of NK Interiors. ‘I’d like to see this movement become a standard because everything is moving so fast today. I hope we’ll have other values that become more important than trends: the values of craftsmanship, local production and good design that lasts longer than one season.’
The exhibition was also a central part of Made in Sweden, a collaborative project and exhibition celebrating the power and influence of Swedish design with several craft and production pieces. From Folkform showing how organic materials can be used to create striking objects to new kid on the block Enkei debuting its circular designs, Made in Sweden revealed an abundance of creativity, care and community.
‘I am very happy to have been a part of NK Interior’s ambitious project with Made in Sweden again’, shared Hanna Nova Beatrice, Director of Stockholm Furniture Fair and Stockholm Design Week. ‘This February, we focused on the colour black; it’s a bit of a mission to show that here in Sweden there is not only light wood, but it can also be colourful or very dark.’
3. Iittala and Damsel Elysium
Photography courtesy of Iittala featuring Damsel Elysium
Perhaps one of the most talked about collaborations during Stockholm Design Week 2024, iconic Finnish design brand Iittala and Damsel Elysium, a London-based experimental sound and visual artist, unveiled a captivating series of mouth-blown and handcrafted glass instruments and objects. The pieces were shown for the first time at an Iittala event in Stockholm, where Elysium performed and used the glass objects as instruments within a former nuclear reactor in the city.
Embodying Iittala’s playful spirit, the collaboration explored the material and medium of glass and its endless possibilities for creative expression. Celebrated for its expertise in glassmaking since 1881, the Finnish brand has recently welcomed Janni Vepsäläinen into the pivotal role of creative director as she leads Iittala towards the next chapter. Taking on a new beginning of the brand’s playful legacy, Iittala is committed to inviting artists to experiment, play and express their artistic creativity through glass.
‘Iittala is redefining the way it works with artists, fostering close partnerships that celebrate the art of glassmaking and providing a platform for young artists to express their talent,’ explains Vepsäläinen. ‘The most unique designs are always born when traditional craft methods are used to create something completely original and new.’
4. Reading Room by Formafantasma at Stockholm Furniture Fair
Photography by Andy Liffner featuring Reading Room by Formafantasma
Founded by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, Formafantasma is a research-based studio that uses design as an agent for social and environmental transformation. As Stockholm Furniture Fair’s Guest of Honour, the duo’s installation, Reading Room, enveloped visitors in muted pink drapery, creating a calm space for reflection and exchange.
Offering a curated selection of books on topics ranging from sustainability to ecology to ecosystems, the installation also featured two videos by Formafantasma, with the aim to engage visitors not on a product level, but on a systemic level by connecting the product to the ecosystem from which it originates. The installation, which greeted visitors upon entering the fair, was a powerful tool for staging its narrative, explained Hanna Nova Beatrice as, ‘it set the tone for the entire fair.’
‘What’s been happening at Stockholm Furniture Fair is exciting,’ shared Trimarchi. ‘There was so much narrative, and this venue was a part of that. When we were commissioned to design the space, we didn’t want to create anything spectacular; we wanted the installation to be rooted to our own practice. The idea was that it’s a place where people could discuss issues surrounding the industry, such as ecology, but they could also read or take notes from the books, which have all been influential in shaping what our studio is today.’
Photography by Gregorio Gonella featuring Formafantasma
To coincide with the installation, Formafantasma teamed up with Artek to unveil the Forest Collection. While the four-legged Stool E60 is available now, the full collection of tables, chairs and benches will follow in September 2024. First introduced with Stool 60 in September 2023, the beautiful and sustainable wood selection is now being applied on additional Artek products.
Initially, drawn together by a mutual interest in the Finnish forest, Formafantasma and Artek started a collaboration in 2020, leading to a reassessment of Artek’s current strict selection criteria for wood. As a result, a new, more encompassing wood selection – referred to as “wild birch” – has been introduced into Artek’s collection, highlighting the impact of climate change and industrialisation on forests. The new wood selection shows a variety of natural marks, allowing more of the tree to be used for Artek’s long-lasting products, embracing the honest beauty and variety of the forest, including knots, insect trails and natural colour fluctuation.
‘Reading Room also focused on circularity. When the fair is over, the books will be donated to different local design schools and the seating and tables will be re-sold as signed pieces at Nordiska Galleriet,’ said Trimarchi. ‘So, this exhibition will live on in a different form, and for us, this was also an important element. And if you’re wondering why we chose these curtains? I like pink – it’s a powerful colour; it’s joyful.’
5. Alexander Lervik and Reform Design Lab
Photography courtesy of Reform Design Lab featuring Alexander Lervik’s FRAKTUR lamp
Dieter Rams once said, ‘Good design is innovative.’ FRAKTUR, realised by Swedish designer Alexander Lervik for Reform Design Lab, was born as a result of boundary-pushing design and embodies the sort of innovative spirit that Rams would approve of. Rarely one to shun daring concepts, Lervik isn’t afraid to challenge the conventional norms of the design sphere and is widely known for creating designs that captivate.
During Stockholm Furniture Fair, Lervik unveiled his 3D-printed FRAKTUR lamp, which features cubist decorative shapes that create contrasting surfaces. With its strong geometric theme, the beautiful pendant is strong and striking on its own or can be integrated in hotel lounges, private homes or church halls.
‘The material is what then adds complexity to the shape,’ explains Lervik. ‘How is it possible to mould such a creation in sand? This is where the possibilities of 3D printing come into play. What looks simple at first glance takes on a whole new dimension when you get up close and see how the body of the lamp is made. The matt sand absorbs light, increasing the contrast of the light emitted from it.’
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