What is a vacation if not a surreal experience for the eyes to reminisce on, when returned to the mundane life? Now, compel your imagination and visualise – what if that same scenic beauty was to become a part of your routine space.  

This is exactly what the French fashion house Louis Vuitton did as it provided stimuli to one’s senses through its exhibition Objets Nomades at the Palazzo Serbelloni in Milan during Fuorisalone 2019.

Objets Nomades brought together some of the world’s most renowned design studious and artists like Atelier Biagetti and Zanellato/Bortotto, India Mahdavi, Tokujin Yoshioka, Patricia Urquiola, Barber & Osgerby among others, who combined their creativity with the fashion house’s savoir-faire to create a travel-inspired collection that was first launched in 2012.

This year’s enchanting designs saw creative, functional and innovative furniture and objects like a flower-bud inspired seat, a glass-topped oval dining table, a sofa and armchairs matching in red, vases, lamps, and other portable masterpieces. Apart from the new collection, past editions re-proposed in new colours and materials were also showcased at the neoclassical Palazzo Serbelloni.

One of the highlights at this year’s edition was the Anemona Table by Italian artist-designer duo from Atelier Biagetti - a wave like base topped with beveled glass to resemble anemone, the sea creature

Another masterpiece that illuminated the dimly lit room at the Milan Design Week with its vibrant hue was the Bulbo armchair from the studio of Campana Brothers. The exuberant yellow seat in soft fabric gave the experience of being cuddled by a tropical flower. The chair was accompanied by another luxury piece by the Campana Brothers, called Bomboca. With its soft calfskin holding eight plush cushions it was a visual treat for the eyes.

The main room of the floor was further brightened by a sea of lanterns suspended from the ceiling, highlighting the collection of lamps, vases and other items underneath.

Among the new pieces on display was the Mandala, a spectacular piece of craftsmanship by the Italian duo Zanellato/Bortotto - three hinged metal circles mounted on a base of Carrara marble, and braided leather stretched tightly over the frame in a geometric pattern.

Marcel Wanders’ ‘diamond vase’ crafted in Murano blown glass was a reflection of the brand’s rich heritage, while the ‘serpentine' dining table by Atelier and the ‘ribbon dance’ seat by Andre Fu also found space among other works of art.

The startling journey came to an end with a room full of ‘Dolls’ by Rae Edges. The space turned chairs into mannequins dressed in clothes customised by the brand.

The French brand not only worked at breaking the contemporary shackles contemporary of design but also challenged the popular saying, ‘there’s light at the end of a tunnel’ with Shigeru Ban’s ‘temporary paper structure’. The unique tunnel-like construction, which was designed in 2004 as an office to sit atop Centre Pompidou in Paris, was placed in the centre of the courtyard, an embodiment of a glowing object.

Objets Nomades was an exquisite path that organically transcended the visitors through a set of varied environments and themes. The travellers, on an expedition to explore the Milan Design Week, were taken to another level with an itinerary curated by the designers solely to be explored by the nomads.

(Text by Palak Maheshwari, intern at stirworld.com)