Volvo celebrated design authenticity at Dwell on Design NY. Their area included modern Scandinavian products, as well design classics like the Shell chair by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen.
At Dwell on Design NY, Dwell and Volvo explored the pursuit of design authenticity in a booth dedicated to Scandinavian design. According to Robin Page, the design director for interiors at Volvo, the brand achieves authenticity by keeping the Scandinavian heritage, lifestyle, and design tradition in mind at all stages of the design process. At Dwell on Design NY, examples were used to illustrate these concepts. Modern tabletop items by acclaimed Swedish glass artist Ingegerd Råman and iconic Danish silversmith Georg Jensen spoke to the region's rich design tradition. An array of contemporary sportwear, including streamliend ski gear by POC, represented Scandinavian lifestyle and activity. Video projections demonstrated how the technological innovation and design expertise in Volvo's automobiles interpret these principals in the twenty-first century. Page also joined Simone Vingerhoets of Artek in a conversation about design authenticity with Dwell editor-in-chief Amanda Dameron. Watch the video below to hear Page discuss how authenticity inspires Volvo's designs. The brand aspires to "connect with our beautiful heritage and bring to life key lines and details in a modern way," he says.
Dwell on Design NY also explored modern Scandinavian design in other areas of the show. Los Angeles-based design store Austere brought a collection of its Scandinavian wares and furniture to create a lounge space. Austere founder and creative director, Fredrik Carlström, is using the store as a platform to celebrate Scandinavian design and culture in the L.A. area and beyond. For instance, the showroom is hosting three private dinners prepared by acclaimed chefs from the region at the West Coast iteration of the annual NORTH Nordic Food Festival. (Read more about the culinary endeavor here.)
Also representing the Scandinavian tradition at Dwell on Design NY were Finnish design brand Marimekko and Swedish manufacturer IKEA. Marimekko presented a discussion area with a range of programming; Petri Juslin, who leads the Marimekko Artwork Studio in Helsinki, joined to discuss how hand-printing influenced the firm's design work in the 1950s and 1960s, and how this heritage is carried through by today’s designers.
IKEA also hosted an area for discussions on modern architecture, design, and more throughout the three-day show. Mikael Ydholm and Raquel Ely from the IKEA research division presented their findings from the "Life At Home" report, a study that investigates how people in eight countries start their mornings, for the first time in the U.S.
Rounding out the show's focus on Scandinavian design, four emerging Danish designers showcased their products and furniture. The quartet, Christina Liljenberg Halstrøm, Jakob Jørgensen, Line Depping, and Pernille Snedker Hansen, work on a wide range of projects from collaborations with manufacturers like Hay to one-off art installations of marbelized wood.
Wares by Ingegerd Råman and Georg Jensen speak to the authority of the Scandinavian design tradition.
A ski helmet and goggles by POC were used to demonstrate the Scandinavian lifestyle and preference for sport activities.
L.A.-based design shop Austere is highlighting Scandinavian culture by hosting three dinners for a West Coast edition of the NORTH Nordic Food Festival.