Holly at Tendence 2012 - special treats (pt1/2)

image by me :)

Last Friday, I visited the Tendence show, here in Frankfurt. Last time I was there, I was checking out the Ambiente show. I have to say, I liked Tendence so much more, and mainly for two reasons. The first being that Tendence was quite smaller than Ambiente, so it was less overwhelming. And second was because of the exhibitors reactions to me as a blogger. The response was so much warmer and enthusiastic than the last show I went to. Exhibitors were more than happy to chat with me, offer their press kits and let me take pictures. Some (who had collaborated with bloggers before) even expressed how much they appreciated bloggers for their honest and heartfelt ways of expressing themselves. Apparently, this proved to be an effective strategy for exposure of their products and designs. This friendly attitude made the whole experience that much better. 

This will be the first of two posts covering the event. Today I will share my best impressions from two special sections of the show - Talents and FORM#. Next week, I will share my favourite sightings from everything else I saw at Tendence. 

°   °   °  

When I arrived, before looking at anything anything else, I headed straight to the Talents section of the show.

image by me :)

The Talents section is a promotional programme for upcoming designers. I love this section because designers are always quite enthusiastic and happy to talk about their new designs and collections. 

My common question to designers of the Talents section was "If this piece were a person (famous or not), who would it be?"

So to start off, here I am, reflected in my absolute favourite pieces of not only the Talents section, but of the whole show!

image by me :)

These two items, a mirror stand and a clothes hanger, make up a brand spanking new collection called Service by Magnus Petersen Studio. It's so new, it's not even on their website yet. He was showing some other really great pieces too, but this little collection captured me most. I can imagine it living happily in my entry way - minimal and confident. 

image by me :)

image courtesy of Magnus Pettersen

Here's what the designer, Magnus Pettersen, had to say about the Service Collection being a person:  "Have you ever been to a restaurant and been served by an amazing waiter? The type that is always there catering to your needs, but in the most subtle, unimposing manner? If these pieces were a person, that's who they'd be."

Next up is Poubelli by Otono Design :

image courtesy of Otono Design

image courtesy of Otono Design 

image courtesy of Otono Design

Poubellie is a pretty playful waste bin, don't you think? The bottom hemisphere is made of a lightweight rubber and the top portion can be made of wood veneer or colourful plastic. When you throw something into Poubellie, it begins to wobble from side to side, but eventually always returns to its sleek upright position. 

So what if Poubellie was a person? The designer, Sebastian Herbst, said: "Well, Poubellie is definitely a woman. A playful woman who 'rocks'. Maybe if she were famous, she could be Madonna."

The next piece that stopped me in my tracks was White Light by Olga Bielawska :

image courtesy of Olga Bielawska

With copper being one of my favourite materials these days, I just loved the copper detailing. The lamp shade is made of porcelain. It's just so beautiful. 

The designer, Olga Bielawska, said : "If White Light were a person, it would be a subtle, understated man."

And last but not least, here is Gina, Moni & Frank by Mizko Design :

image courtesy of Mizko Design

image courtesy of Mizko Design

Gina, Moni & Frank are actually three separate pieces that are designed to fit together functionally. I love the creativity and apparent thoughtfulness that supports this design. The red threading on the seat and the red lamp cord are an especially charming finishing touch. 

In this case, these pieces are already personified as Gina, Moni and Frank. Here's a little more about them individually:

" Frank, the lamp, overviews the scenery with his head raised at some times, and lowered at others. Pulling at the smooth red cable wrapped in red brings the lampshade into the desired position and enlightens the room with an atmospheric ambience. Frank likes to be at the center of attention, with his elegant appearance one can hardly blame him.

Moni stands gracefully in Frank’s cone of light on her four elegant legs. She presents herself in a charming manner in her ensemble and invites to dwell a while. The stylish matt shade made out of beech wood harmonises with the cosy felt pad that is covered with crosses out of red thread. The shelf surface offers room for a cup of coffee or a newspaper and is the interface of the arrangement.


Gina on the other hand struts a walk on her long legs and knows how to strike a pose. In her interior she protectively stores the extension cable but at the same time offers enough space for the current reading. With charm and grace she faithfully stands at the other’s side. "

°    °    °

Now onto another special section of Tendence -  FORM#, where you can see the inspiring designs that were entered in the FORM 2012 competition organized by the German Crafts Association.

My favourite pieces were these multifunctional chairs by Stefan Weiser :

image courtesy of Stefan Wesier

I just love the simplicity of them. From left to right, we have the Clipboard Chair, Ladder Chair, Drying Chair, Coatrack Chair and Lamp Chair.  Check them out in the projects section of the website to understand their multiple personalities better. Also recently added was the Tilting Chair, which you can see in the photo I took below (furthest on the left), but it's not yet on the website. 

image by me :)

Well, there you go. Those were my special treats from Tendence 2012. Anything that interests you here?

In my next post, I will show off all the other lovely things that caught my eye. 

'till next time,

Xx. Holly.