The Best Design of 2009 … and Beyond!

As the year draws to a close and we start to wind down for Christmas we started thinking about what a great year it’s been for us and all the interesting designers we’ve met and exciting projects we’ve seen over the past 12 months.  So we thought it would be appropriate for our final posting of the year to round-up the ”Best of 2009″:

And what better way to start than with the lovely AIVEEN DALY.  We had the pleasure of meeting Aiveen at Decorex in London and we still can’t stop talking about her glamorous and truly beautiful chairs.  Inspired by the intimacy and detail of women’s clothing, Aiveen’s Stiletto Collection with their super skinny glossy black legs really got our hearts beating.

“Spank” in black velvet with black satin ribbon corsetry detail

The “Can-Can”!

We love the “Love Knot”

Another person we were delighted to discover had a generous personality as well as generous amounts of talent and creativity was photographer, MANNY RODRIGUEZ.  Victoria had the opportunity to interview him earlier this year when we were particularly taken with his magical photographs of the Christmas windows in New York.  The way he has captured the window’s reflections within the shots is quite simply, stunning.

I love the contrast he has created between the sophisticated, whimsical displays and the surrounding buildings and empty winter branches.

Here are my personal favourites: 

We definitely look forward to seeing more of his inspired creativity next year.  (To read Victoria’s interview with Manny click here: http://trendsblog.co.uk/?p=2975)

MI YOUL is next on our list; a Korean design company we had a mysterious encounter with at Index.  Victoria and I were walking the halls when we came across their stand, we later went back to photograph their interesting digital flowers yet they’d inexplicably disappeared … not even to be found in the exhibitor’s guide!

Luckily I had picked up a business card on our first visit and after contacting them, Jason Lee kindly emailed me some images of their unique product.

The lightweight pods can be displayed in sand or pebbles, like flowers, and the images displayed on each of the pods are interactive.  The display we saw is shown here and actually had butterflies flying across the pods!  Wonderful!

And our RISING STARS … In November I was privileged to accompany Victoria to see her second year students on the Surface Pattern Design course at Huddersfield University give their final Trend presentations.  Two of the students in particular caught our eye, PHOEBE MUNRO and STEPH NICHOLSON.  They each presented beautiful designs that were both clever and creative; definitely two names to look out for in the future.

We wish you the best of luck ladies!

We couldn’t end the year without mentioning MARCEL WANDERS … the design genius that is, has been everywhere this year.

The Condé Nast Traveller Innovation and Design Awards 2009 shortlisted Marcel for his interior design of the Villa Moda store in Bahrain (of which we are extremely jealous here in Dubai!).  I am particularly loving the gorgeous pearl entrance and the mannequins with mirrors instead of faces (perfect for those days when you just can’t face the fitting rooms!). 

He was presented with Collab’s Design Excellence Award in November at the Philadelphia Museum of Art where he opened his “Daydreams” exhibition.  Previous recipients of the award include Frank Gehry, Sir Terence Conran, and Maya Lin.  The exhibition includes a selection of works considered by Wanders to be his most essential, including his ”Knotted Chair”, “Moosehead”, “Crochet Chair”, and “New Antiques Chair”.

The “Crochet Chair” by Marcel Wanders

The “New Antiques Chair” by Marcel Wanders

And who could forget the outrageously fabulous Mondrian Hotel in Miami’s South Beach.  Victoria has been talking about the design in her AW10/11 seminars and I just can’t get enough of it … the drama Wanders has created with the exaggerations of scale and elements of fantasy is most definitely my kind of wonderland.    

And, of course, the round-up wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Swarovski fairytale that is the CAVALLI CLUB in Dubai!

As fabulous as fabulous gets, the interior design of this club is unapologetically, over-the-top glamour … it’s pure Roberto Cavalli and we LOVE it!

For more information on any of the designers or projects mentioned click on the following links:

www.aiveendaly.com

www.mannyrodriguez.net

www.miyoul.com

www.marcelwanders.com

www.fairmont.com/dubai/GuestServices/Restaurants/Cavalli+Club.htm

And that’s it from me this year!  Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

From Dubai with love, Shelley x

NEW YEAR … NEW ATTITUDE:

2010 requires us to find a new way forward…it’s a time of change.  This change will require courage and conviction. 

A more cautious, responsible and conscientious consumer society awaits to be satisfied, intrigued and involved in everything that you do and make. 

Your designs and products must offer style and substance in equal measure. 

(The Scarlet Opus team get ready for a cool yule)

A new attitude emerges…

The pursuit of ‘more’ by many in recent years and the validating of our existence in terms of ‘I shop therefore I am’ can no longer be used to quantify success, status or happiness.  Consumers are realising that they are not defined by what they own, they are defined by what they do….and don’t do. 

“There’s this idea that somehow you’ve got to keep changing things, and as often as possible. Maybe if people just decided not to buy anything for a while, they’d get a chance to think about what they wanted; what they really liked.”

(Vivienne Westwood)

(Lakeland’s Christmas Reindeer design)

2010 brings many challenges for us as designers, manufacturers and retailers.

Consumers begin to tap back into their own innate sense of what is right and wrong, what they want and what they don’t want. 

The concept of ‘just enough’ begins to appeal to many and a more frugal attitude emerges that relates to environmental and ethical concerns as well as economic constraints.  These emerging attitudes are centred on the virtues of restraint and moderation.  Ostentation is seen as Vulgar.  Modesty is Chic!  There is an air of austerity.

During 2010 we seek an improved quality of life.  Simpler and Slower.  We will engage in a new appreciation of ‘old fashioned values’, traditions and decorum, renouncing conspicuous consumption and announcing the slow death of excess.  Routes to contentment include new forms of sharing, giving and feeling connected. 

• Desirable product characteristics include: customization, personalization, uniqueness, difference, interaction and craftsmanship.
• Our uncertainty about the changing world around us leads to interesting retrospective appreciations of the past…simpler times.
• Our concerns about the environment focus attention on sustainable materials, carbon footprint issues, changing weather system’s…which together result in our acceptance of our individual impact on the world and our place in it. 

2010 is a year dedicated to ‘taking back control’ – we are ready to face the future with a more realistic, humble yet daring and determined attitude. 

• As Designers we must be responsible, responsive, provide solutions, protection, reassurance, push boundaries, dare to be different and perhaps most importantly we must facilitate the way in which consumers want to live now and in the future, addressing their new desires and needs. 

It’s going to be an exciting year.  Embrace the challenge!

Image Credits for montage above:

Aviva Stanoff: ‘Layers’ Cushion – www.avivastanoff.com                        

Claire Coles: Horse Wallpaper – www.clairecolesdesign.co.uk

Electricwig: Crochet Lampshades (Produced by TRICO)

PINCH:  TWIG Bench, PENDEL Sofa, VIGO Shelving Unit – www.pinchdesign.com

Eleanor Young: Cailtin Chair – www.funmakesgood.co.uk

Rothschild & Bickers:  Opulent Optic Light – www.rothschildbickers.com

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement

Nothing can be done without hope and confidence

(Helen Keller)

(Photo taken from the Scarlet Opus studio this morning)

Happy Holidays from the Scarlet Opus team….our first post of 2010 will be on Friday 8th January.

See you in the New Year!