News and who’s who from the desk of ELLE DECOR editor in chief Asad Syrkett |
Ciao from Italy! It’s day 3 here at Milan Design Week, which marks the rough midway point in our journey to decorating enlightenment. The installations? Big. The furniture? Covetable. The pasta? Perfect. Below is just a taste of what we’ve seen and loved in the first three days of the fair—and how the one and only David Lynch factors into it all. Also in this edition of my design week diary, I’m spotlighting an interview by our deputy editor, Sean Santiago, with Valentina Ciuffi, the cofounder of emerging-talent fair Alcova. Alcova is always a favorite stop of mine during design week, and recently Ciuffi launched an edition in Miami during Art Basel. For our April print issue, which began our slow ramp up to all things Milan Design Week coverage, Ciuffi chatted with ELLE DECOR about the things that keep her inspired and grounded at home in Milan. |
|
|
Valentina Ciuffi isn’t a household name, and she doesn’t need to be. She’s akin to the Lady Gaga of product design in that she courts the avant-garde with symphonic aplomb. The Milan-based creative director is the cofounder of Alcova, a show exhibiting the work of independent designers—often in derelict or abandoned urban venues. Last year’s edition, which ran concurrently with the yearly Salone del Mobile furniture fair, drew 100,000 visitors to a former slaughterhouse on the outskirts of town and culminated in an open-air rave. (Previous editions were held in a defunct military hospital and a former panettone factory.) Armed with a new online shop, Ciuffi's taste—if no less inscrutable—is now accessible worldwide. We caught up with the curator to chat about what sparks her curiosity and brings her joy, and (of course) her favorite restaurants. |
\u200a 2. Manlio Manganaro Wine\xa0 |
I give natural wines as a host gift. My favorites are Sicilian, andthisis one of my top three. |
|
|
3. Gohar Wordl Candles\xa0 |
For entertaining, I think candles byLaila Goharare a must. |
|
|
A beautifulplace to stayby the seaside in Puglia. It’s very charming, with only a few rooms |
6. Justhuman Beauty Products |
7. Ceramic and Glass Lamp\xa0 |
|
|
|
