DESIGN MIAMI/ CONTINUES ITS TRADITION OF BOLD PROGRAMMING WITH 2010 DESIGN TALKS MODERATED BY STEFANO TONCHI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF W MAGAZINE Panelists for Design Talks include Ron Arad, Konstantin Grcic, Pharrell Williams, and David Adjaye This December, Design Miami/, the global forum for design, will continue its tradition of cutting edge programming with the 2010 Design Talks. Since its inception, the Design Talks programme has offered an intimate and forward-looking exploration into topics at the intersection of art, architecture, design, and fashion. Held at Design Miami/ shows biannually in Basel, Switzerland and Miami, the highly anticipated Talks programme is comprised of industry leaders, artists, and experts exploring a series of timely and provocative topics. This year, Design Miami/ is pleased to partner with W Magazine and W Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Stefano Tonchi for three Talks: “Craft and Craftsmanship,” “Romantic Minimalism,” and “Heritage and Identity.” Starting Wednesday, December 1, Tonchi will moderate this year’s Talks with participants including Silvia Venturini Fendi, Ron Arad, Pharrell Williams, Konstantin Grcic, John Pawson, Francisco Costa, Stefano Pilati, Louise Neri, and David Adjaye. The Design Talks will take place over three days from 6 to 7 PM at Design Miami/ in the ASSOULINE Culture Lounge, sponsored by ASSOULINE Publishing and furnished by Poltrona Frau, Cappellini, and Alias. “At each show, the Talks programme brings together a small yet highly influential group of people who are changing the worlds of design, art, architecture, and fashion,” says Ambra Medda, Co-Founder and Creative Consultant for Design Miami/. “What each of these people share is the vision and ability to not only push the boundaries of their chosen fields but to do so in a way that enriches our understanding of the role of creativity in contemporary culture.” Design Miami/ selected W Magazine Editor-in-Chief Stefano Tonchi to moderate the 2010 Design Talks for his long history of actively engaging with the creative industries. As creator and editor of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Tonchi led the magazine to multiple National Magazine Awards and a 2008 Magazine of the Year Award from the Society of Publication Designers. Tonchi has also curated a number of exhibitions including “Uniform: Order and Disorder” at P.S. 1/MoMA and “Excess: Mainstream and Underground in the 80’s” at The Pitti Palace in Florence. He has edited several books on fashion, design, and style. Panelists and topics for the December 2010 series of the Design Talks programme include: Craft and Craftsmanship Wednesday, December 1, 6 PM A conversation between Silvia Venturini Fendi, Ron Arad, and Pharrell WIlliams will explore ideas of craft and craftsmanship in today’s culture. Moving beyond typical ideas of ‘craft’ as they relate to design production, the panel will investigate the role of craftsmanship and human creativity at the inception of a song, performance, exhibit, fashion collection, architectural project, design object, or other creative endeavor. Panelists will explore the drive to create something out of nothing and the talent and inspiration needed to assert an individual viewpoint within the framework of a given project. The role of material usage within the creative process will also be debated: do materials inevitably guide the creative journey or do materials merely serve to accommodate the original vision of an object’s creator? Silvia Venturini Fendi is the Head of Accessories for Fendi, the venerable Italian fashion house that was founded in 1925. Silvia Venturini Fendi was behind Fendi’s launch of the Baguette handbag, which quickly became a worldwide icon following its introduction in 1997. The Baguette bag led to Fendi’s win of the Fashion Group International award for accessories in Spring 2000. Following the success of the Baguette, Silvia Venturini Fendi’s creative contributions to Fendi have kept the brand at the top of the luxury goods market. Ron Arad is one of the most influential designers of his generation. His designs include a wide array of objects including innovative lighting, chairs, and bottle racks for manufacturers including Swarovski, Kartell, and Alessi, along with architectural commissions around the world. In 2009, the first major retrospective of his work was held at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Trained at the Jerusalem Academy of Art and London’s Architectural Association, Arad served as the Head of the Design Products Department at The Royal College of Art in London from 1997 to 2009. Pharrell Williams is a prolific recording artist, producer, musician, and fashion designer, and one half of the production duo, The Neptunes. In addition to producing pop, hip-hop, and R&B music, Williams is the lead vocalist and drummer for the band N.E.R.D. Williams is also the co-founder of the clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Footwear and has co-designed jewelry and eyewear for Louis Vuitton and designed furniture for Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin and Domeau & Pérès. Romantic Minimalism Thursday, December 2, 6 PM Minimalism is a recurring theme within the worlds of design, art, fashion, and architecture. Panelists Konstantin Grcic, John Pawson, and Francisco Costa will explore functionality and simplicity within the wider context of contemporary design and the role minimalism plays across all forms of art. The panelists will explore the timeless, enduring qualities of minimalism within the context of their respective fields—design, architecture, and fashion—while finding connections and themes that unify and connect these disciplines. The conversation will highlight ways that minimalism is changing and how one moves beyond ornamental excess and decoration in design. Konstantin Grcic has worked in fields ranging from furniture and product design to exhibition design and architecture-related commissions. Grcic’s products have received awards including the Compasso d’Oro (for the MAYDAY lamp in 2001) and are part of the permanent collections of institutions including The Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Throughout his career, Grcic has designed for companies including Cappellini, Established & Sons, Flos, Moroso, Muji, and Vitra, among others. Named this year’s Design Miami/ Designer of the Year, Grcic is often referred to as a minimalist, but he prefers to speak of simplicity. John Pawson is a highly influential architect known for his strict, minimalist style. His projects include the Calvin Klein flagship store in Manhattan, a Cistercian monastery in the Czech Republic, and residences and offices around the world. Pawson is the author of numerous books including the best selling Minimum (Phaidon, 1996). Francisco Costa is the Creative Director for Calvin Klein. Costa is a two-time recipient of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award. Prior to joining Calvin Klein in 2003, Costa worked with world-renowned designers including Oscar De La Renta and Tom Ford. Heritage and Identity Friday, December 3, 6 PM Using notions of personal history, nostalgia, and romanticism as starting points, panelists Stefano Pilati, David Adjaye, and Louise Neri will discuss the roles of memory, history, and experience in their work. What elements from the past are currently informing and influencing the worlds of fashion, architecture, and art? And what can we predict about the future of these fields through looking at the past and the ways in which aspects of our shared history are repeated across the creative disciplines? Panelists will explore the ways in which heritage and personal experience have influenced the way they approach their work. Stefano Pilati is a fashion designer and the Creative Director for Yves Saint-Laurent. Raised in Milan, Pilati has worked for Armani and Miu Miu. Known for his feminine, romantic designs, Pilati has helped maintain the strong history of the YSL brand while progressing its innovative use of materials. Louise Neri is the Director of Gagosian Gallery in New York City, as well as an author, curator, and consultant. She has also worked for London’s White Cube Gallery and was the former American editor for the art journal Parkett. Neri was a member of the consulting committee for the 2000 Sydney Biennial, co-curated the 1997 Whitney Biennial, and curated the International Exhibition at the 1998 Sao Paolo Biennial. David Adjaye is one of the most celebrated architects of his generation. Principal of the London-based Adjaye Associates, he is known for his clever use of materials and unique ability to sculpt and showcase light. Adjaye has collaborated with artists including Chris Ofili and Olafur Eliasson and designed projects including temporary pavilions, major art centers, private homes, and important public spaces around the world. Adjaye is a frequent lecturer and speaker on architecture and design and was the first Louis Khan Visiting Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the Kenzo Tange Professor in Architecture at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. The 2010 Design Talks with be filmed live in Miami and uploaded to W Magazine’s website. Please visit www.wmagazine.com to watch video of the Talks following the show. In addition to the Design Talks, ASSOULINE Publishing will hold a pair of book signings in the Culture Lounge to launch two of their latest titles. Wednesday, December 1, 7 PM Ron Arad and Modern Views Mies van der Rohe’s 1951 Farnswoth House and Philip Johnson’s 1949 Glass House have inspired countless artists, architects, and designers. Modern Views collects nearly ninety creations for an exclusive project with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Friday, December 3, 7 PM Rima Suqi and American Fashion Designers at Home Rima Suqi will sign copies of her newest book, American Fashion Designers at Home. The ultimate voyeuristic journey, American Fashion Designers at Home compiles revealing and extraordinary images from the homes of over 100 American fashion icons.