It's probably fair to say the biggest surprise at Salone Satellite 2012 was seeing Rui Alves aka My Own Super Studio. Because we thought 2011 had been the last year he was allowed to exhibit. Turns out we can't count. And that the rules for Salone Satellite are a lot more complicated than even we were aware. Fortunately. For in addition to the chance to catch up with Rui, he also had new projects with him. While most industry attention of late has been focused on his Lapa chair, for us the
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Not a word of a lie, we're sitting here in Eindhoven planning an interview for later on today with some Portuguese designers - and we receive news that our current favourite Portuguese designer Rui Alves a.k.a. My Own Super Studio has been awarded a Red Dot Design Award: Best of the Best 2010 for his "Welcome to the Jungle" shelving/storage series. Which is just wonderful, and deserved, news. Congratulations to Rui, and enjoy Singapore! Our (smow)introducing Interview with Rui Alves can be
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Owner/Designer: Rui Alves Established: 2001 Location: Paços de Ferreira, Portugal Products: Hold on Sample MIU Fiss family Welcome to the Jungle Avô (smow)blog: Why did you decide for a career in industrial design? Rui Alves: It was more or less a natural decision; I grew up, and indeed am still, surrounded by family members who work with wood. And so I’ve always been surrounded by materials and tools and thinking about making things with my fathers and grandfathers tools. In addition
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The Top 5 Lamps from the smow design spring. In no particular order. Kete by David Turnbridge. One of the first lamps we saw in Milan, and probably that which left the greatest impression on us. And not merely on account of its size. For us the principle beauty of Kete is the atmosphere it can create in a room with it 7W LED element. And despite their overproprtionality Kete doesn't domiante the room. Honest. Kete. Anything but dull. moooi. Beach Ball Lamps by TOBYhouse. When we first
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The International Design Festival Berlin is over, but the pleasing afterglow remains. In particular through joys such as that presented by Portugese designer My Own Super Studio. At designer furniture shows one sees a lot of furniture, but not much that genuinely excites on account of its genuine innovation. Fiss Family by my own super studio is one of the rarities. Fiss Family is essentially a set of 4 colour coded - Big Blue, Small Yellow, Long Green and Fat Orange - lamps. Or better put
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While the "big name" designers show their wares at the IMA Village, the future stars are grouped together as DMY:Youngsters in the Treptower Park Arena Admittedly the classification is based on the organisers own perception and marketing concept - why, for example should the students from Bauhaus Uni Weimar be considered "Allstars" while those from Burg Giebichenstein in Halle are classed as "youngsters"? It makes no sense. Especially given that the Burg Giebichenstein show considerably
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