Side by Side is a non-profit German company that I discovered while at Tendence 2010. They design and create products that are simply beautiful, sometimes clever and always unique. The company, which launched back in 2002, works with 20 young designers on their contemporary design collection, consisting of 48 products that range from a clothes dryer and ironing board to kitchen utilities, a wine rack, napkin rings, and textiles.
Most notably, the company works with 11 workshops for the disabled, who contribute to the manufacturing process. All of the profits from Side by Side go directly to the disabled workers.
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When I was at Tendence 2010, one of my favorite exhibitors was Branca — a new brand by Portuguese designer Marco Sousa Santos. Mr. Design Milk and I both fell for the beauty and simple elegance of the chairs. Branca strives to reignite the bygone era of Portuguese craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics.
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While at Tendence, I discovered Qualy Design is part of the New Arriva group, a Bangkok, Thailand-based company who creates quirky and kitschy pieces that make you say “well, isn’t that cute and clever!” Cleverly cute design is on the rise and Qualy is taking full advantage of this trend.
The Dove (door) Stopper is adorable. Qualy really likes birds.
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This is a multi-part series documenting the Tendence 2010 show in Frankfurt, Germany. Read all Tendence 2010 posts here.
The “Talents” section of the Tendence show, which launched 9 years ago, features a very small number of hand-selected young designers. This special exhibition allows these emerging talents to exhibit free of charge, allowing them to launch their career in the international market. Nicolette Naumann, Vice President of Tendence, explained that choosing the Talents exhibitors is a very difficult decision and some years they choose just 20 and other years it is close to 30 — from hundreds of applicants. This year, 27 designers were chosen and this was — by far — my favorite section of the show.
Here are a few of the designs from the Talents exhibit that really stood out for me:
Michael Bensch created a “guestroom in a box” that features a rollout bed, light, and nightstand in one.
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This is a multi-part series documenting the Tendence 2010 show in Frankfurt, Germany. Read all Tendence 2010 posts here.
Fun stuff from Donkey Products. Love the skull light.
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The Flux Chair is a fun, portable foldable chair designed by Douwe Jacobs. While at Tendence 2010, I met Douwe and also co-founder and industrial designer Tom Schouten. Together, they created the Flux chair, the first of hopefully many pieces in their flexible living line.
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This is a multi-part series documenting the Tendence 2010 show in Frankfurt, Germany. Read all Tendence 2010 posts here.
The Joseph Joseph booth with a fun purple floor and reps dressed like chefs!
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This is a multi-part series documenting the Tendence 2010 show in Frankfurt, Germany. Read all Tendence 2010 posts here.
While at Tendence 2010 at Messe Frankfurt in Germany, I didn’t really have a “plan of attack” or strategy when it came to navigating the aisles and aisles of gifts, furniture and home goods. I spent most of my time in a section called Loft, which included modern home furnishings ranging from well-known names like Umbra and Chilewich to design school graduates showing their prototypes.
Sompex lighting’s booth had these bean bag lamps that were really fun to poke at, and a cute little fan that resembled an alien spaceship:
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This is a multi-part series documenting the Tendence 2010 show in Frankfurt, Germany. Read all Tendence 2010 posts here.
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Tendence 2010 at the Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany. Despite having a cold, I hopped on a plane to cover the largest consumer goods fair in the second half of the year.
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