It being January, IMM Cologne once again provided the backdrop for the presentation of the A&W Designer of the Year Award. Following on from Tokujin Yoshioka in 2011 and Patrica Urquiola in 2012 the 2013 accolade went to everyone’s favourite Bretons Ronan And Erwan Bouroullec

In addition to the undoubted kudos of winning, as part of the award the Brothers Bouroullec are also being honoured in an exhibition at the Kölnischer Kunstverein.

Featuring an overview of their more recent works the exhibition can’t be called a retrospective, for that it is too small, too incomplete; however, it does provide a nice opportunity to compare their work for companies as varied as Vitra, Magis, Kvadrat or Lignet Roset and so examine their approach to and recurring motifs in their work.

For our part we spent most of our time cursing the exhibition design concept that saw the straight lines interrupted with curtains; thus making it impossible to get any sort of decent long, all-encompassing, shot.
Only in conversation with Erwan Bouroullec did we discover the troublesome textiles were in fact their latest product for Kvadrat – an off the peg and ready to hang curtain system.

They were still in the way. But at least we knew why!

We decided to spare the brothers the trauma of another interview with us, they’ve suffered enough over the years, but here a few impressions from the exhibition

If you happen to be in Cologne the exhibition can be viewed until Sunday January 20th at the Kölnischer Kunstverein, Hahnenstr.6, 50667 Köln

London based design studio Barber Osgerby stands as a testament to the fact that high quality work will always win through, with or without the media status “star designer”

While its fair to say that many of their contemporaries have been placed on international glossy magazine pedestals, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have remained largely in the shadows, quietly producing consistently high quality work for both international producers and private customers.

That is however slowly changing and Barber Osgerby are now getting the public recognition they unquestionably deserve.

The pair first achieved a wider public with their award winning De La Warr Chair through Established & Sons in 2005; however in the course of their career Barber Osgerby have built up strong relationships and delivered highly individual collections for companies as varied as Capellini, Magis or ClassiCon.

In 2010 Barber Osgerby completed their first project for Vitra – the Map Table and Tip Ton Chair.

The launch of Map Table and Tip Ton Chair in Milan came shortly after the announcement that Barber Osgerby had won perhaps their most prestigious contract thus far: the commission to design the Olympic Torch for London 2012.

In July 2012 Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby’s torch will light the Olympic Fire – but here and now in July 2011 you can light your own fire with Jay Osgerby’s Caipirissima

And if you share your favourite cocktail recipe us you could win a limited edition Dark Lime Panton Chair from Vitra.

Full details on how to enter our summer competition can be found here.

Good Luck!

Jay Osgerby’s Caipirissima

2 measures of White Rum

1 measure of Sugar Syrup

1 Lime

0.25 measure of lime juice.

Cut the lime into eigths.

Muddle the lime and sugar to release the juices and oils in the skin of the lime.

Pour rum and extra lime juice into glass, add crushed ice and stir.

The London 2012 Olympic Torch by Barber Osgerby

Tip Ton by Barber Osgerby for Vitra

Luddites!

Not a phrase normally associated with (smow)

To the best of our knowledge no (smow)employee has ever smashed an iPad or capped a WiFi service in protest at the creeping and increasingly obsessive proliferation of technology into our lives.

Despite that, the early summer weeks in the (smow)HQ were dominated by the preparation and production of the very first (smow)catalogue.

That’s print catalogue.

So on paper.

With ink.

Luddites?

Au contraire nos amis!

Not only is the production of such an analogue catalogue technologically more challenging than coding with that “any-fool-can-do” HTML; but, just as the mechanisation of the textile mills offered the oppressed masses their first, golden, taste of leisure time – so does a print catalogue help us to regain that.

Turn off the computer, enjoy a break, peruse a catalogue. And then turn the computer back on and order.

In addition to featuring a selection of products from the (smow) range the (smow) Designer Furniture Catalogue 2011 also includes biographical information on some of the most important designers and a range of specially commissioned photos of products from USM Haller, Vitra, Moormann, Richard Lampert et al

And is a mighty fine piece of work. Well done to all involved!

If you’d be interested in seeing the finished work, or know someone who would appreciate a copy, please contact service@smow.de (NOTE: It is only available in German)

And at facebook.com/smowcom we have posted a photo gallery documenting the production process.

(smow) Designer Furniture Catalogue 2011

To close the group phases of the 2010 (smow) designer furniture world cup one of the most anticipated contests: Charles and Ray Eames against Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

With everything to play for the Bouroullec brothers opened with an adventurous Slow Chair for Vitra before producing a  wonderful Alcove Sofa.

Neither attempt was quite good enough to break through a solid Eames defence; although were good enough to keep Charles and Ray Eames on the back foot and so prevent them making any meaningful first half advances.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec started the second half in much the same fashion as the first; a Steelwood chair and shelving combination for Magis posing a tough challenge for Charles and Ray Eames.

The pair responded to the challenge however producing a quickfire DSR, DAR, RAR triple to deflect the Bouroullec’s advances.

With the match heading for an apparent draw Charles and Ray Eames produced a sensuous La Chaise to take a hard fought victory and qualify for the semi-finals.

The Group D table and all Group D results can be found here.

Despite the rumours flying around ahead of this match, England stuck with Jasper Morrison rather than pitting Tom Dixon against Ron Arad.

Whereas many would have relished the opportunity to have witnessed the two masters of “real” industrial design going head to head the Morrison/Arad encounter was every bit as entertaining.

Unmoved by Ron Arad’s Bookworm, Jasper Morrison concentrated on his chair work and took the lead with his Basel chair for Vitra; a simple move that produced the deserved result.

Ron Arad responded with a Vitra Tom Vac, but it was too little to late and a quick Trattoria chair for Magis and a Monopod chair for Vitra sealed another runaway success for Jasper Morrison.

The Group C table and all Group C results can be found here.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec are without doubt two of the brightest stars in the international designer furniture heaven. And two of the most omnipotent.

Something which however may slowly change.

Ronan Bouroullec in the VitaHaus, Weil am Rhein

Following their initial breakthrough with Cuisine désintégrée ( Disintegrated kitchen ), an concept piece by Ronan Bouroullec that was taken on by Italian producer Capellini in 1998, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec went on to develop projects with companies as varied as Authentics, Ligne Roset or Habitat – in addition to realising over 20 further products for Capellini. In 2002 the office system Joyn was released onto the market: Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s first project with Vitra and the start of one of their most commercially succesful cooperations. Together with Vitra Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have created products such as the Algue room divider, the Alcove Sofa range and the Vegetal Chair.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s cooperation with Magis began with Case (Valise) in 2003, since when the brothers have gone on to produce Striped Chair and the Steelwood range. Their latest products for Magis  -the tables Baguette and Central – were launched at Saloni Milano 2010.

Algue by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec at Vitra HQ

In addition to furniture per se Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have also produced innumerate porcelain and textile products as well as realising interior design and architecture projects.  Whereas many early products bear the name of just one of the brothers, for the past ten years all products have been credited to both Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

In a quick interview at Saloni Milano 2010 (smow) spoke to Ronan Bouroullec about the cooperation with Magis, the role of the Internet in the designer furniture industry and the best and worst aspects of the Milan design week.

“We have to do less, and better” – Ronan Bouroullec, Saloni Milano 2010

In the course of the conversation Ronan Bouroullec reflects self-critically on the brother’s canon to date, indicates that in the future they intend to concentrate on fewer, but more time-intensive, higher quality, projects, an also questions the sense of investing so much energy, money and intelligence in such large furniture shows.

And how Magis are an organic farm!

Honest!

Fuller details on Ronan and Erwan Bouroullecs work can be found at bouroullec.com

Ronan Bouroullec ”We have to do less, and better”

The (smow) designer furniture world cup always throws up some interesting matches, and Konstantin Grcic against Frank Gehry was always going to be a highly entertaining spectacle: experience against youth, minimalist straightforwardness versus radical non-conformity.

From the very first minute the inability of Konstantin Grcic to get to grips with the non-linear forms created by his opponent was obvious and Frank Gehry quickly established a 1:0 lead, largely thanks to some brilliant utilisation of the legendary “Easy Edges” combinations. However Konstantin Grcic persevered and shortly before the break managed to get back to 1:1 through the cleverly juxtapositioned Mayday lamp for flos.

In the second half Konstantin Grcic became better at reading Frank Gehry’s increasingly predictable approach and his increasingly confident build-up paid off with his Chair One for Magis and Myto for Plank.

The Group B table and all Group B results can be found here.