SALONE DEL MOBILE, 4 DESIGNERS TO LOOK OUT

One of the most disheartening patterns to emerge throughout the epidemic was the furniture industry’s tendency to play it safe when it came to the designers they chose to collaborate with. Companies were staying with names that were proven, tested, and bankable to ensure they stayed afloat during the financial crisis due to an unwillingness to take risks. While this was understandable, it produced a worrisome situation in which aspiring designers found it more difficult than ever to get into the business.

LA-based Sam Klemick is no stranger to the design world, but she has spent the last ten years focusing on the fashion sector, creating for brands such as Paige, Rag & Bone, and Free People. When she took an evening class to learn how to turn wood on lathe in 2019, something changed. She’s swiftly established herself as one of the hottest new names in furniture design, mixing her skills in woodcraft and textiles in unexpected ways.

Duyi Han, a Shanghai-based artist and designer, found fruitful ground in the virtual design realm that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. Han’s work is a visual feast of both digital and real spaces and objects, exploring subjects such as cultural history, personal identity, and health. Han has a background in architecture. His talent is in his ability to transfer the same enthusiasm and inspiration that he uses in his virtual ideas to the real world.

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