Salone del Mobile is the premier global event for furniture in one of the most fashionable cities in the world, Milan. For one week, over 380,000 people from all over world unite for the sole purpose of paying homage to great brands and designers. Decision-makers, designers, architects, manufacturers and people who simply love great design look forward to it. This year Coalesse joined a collection of leading furniture makers and presented <5_MY, Massaud lounge and conference, and sixfivezero_CO.
The industry embraced <5_MY, and passersby found it difficult to resist picking up the chair that weighs less than 5 pounds (or 2.3 kilograms). The curious enjoyed discovering how carbon fiber finally made the transition from an elite performance material to a beautifully crafted, attainable, comfortable and useful chair. Designer Michael Young was in the Coalesse space, engaging the press and people who had questions about this collaboration and accomplishment.
Much attention was also given to the Massaud Collection. The Massaud Wingback Lounge prototype with integrated, concealed speakers connected to a flatscreen TV looping Coalesse images and music. People were attracted to this application to experience the zen effect of hearing soothing music in the midst of the bustle of the show. This is an exploration for Coalesse that addresses a variety of applications and will be expanded on for NeoCon 2015 in Chicago. Designer Jean-Marie Massaud conducted press engagements in the Coalesse space about the lounge prototype and the Massaud conference chairs, which were also featured at the show.
Salone and its endless halls were abuzz for the event, but downtown in the city of Milan there were more events at packed showrooms. In some instances, roads were closed because the crowds would swell beyond the sidewalks. The energy of Salone took over the city of Milan for a week, celebrating the business, art, and fashion of the global furniture industry. The local flavor of Milan was the perfect backdrop for all activities. People are already planning for Salone 2016, and the city will look forward to the crowds of people that will return.