Milan, Paris, back at last. After a long, pandemic-induced hiatus that put the world into lockdown from March 2020, the international trend fairs - the Salone del Mobile in Milan and Maison & Objet in Paris - made a comeback this September and presented themselves in a new guise. How will we live in the future? Two themes seemed to dominate across national borders: Sustainability and craftsmanship.

After a year full of privation, the longing for beauty was correspondingly strong. A long pause, in which visions were questioned and new paths were sought. In the process, design has focused on new themes: the search for a formal essence, a new appreciation for craftsmanship and the use of natural resources.

Reduction

We interact with objects every day. And since last year, we definitely spend more time at home. Consequently, the need to design and furnish our surroundings in a pleasant way, to create a harmonious atmosphere for a feeling of security, also increased. Few and sustainable products were the guiding principles for the presentation of the fair's new products, with the sensual experience of haptics playing a special role.

Arts & Craft

Long forgotten, handicrafts have now moved back into the focus of attention. Sometimes it doesn't take novelty as the best solution, but a return to the tried and tested. A whole series of designers have demonstrated how familiar materials can be reworked in a new and appealing way. In Milan, for example, Paola Paronetto presented her Paperclay collection at the new ADI Design Museum "Compasso d'oro" as part of Milan's Fuorisalone. "Metafore" was the artist's title for her exhibition, an allusion to the beauty of metaphor, which defies the logic of rational language. Inspired by the shapes and colors of nature, Paronetto's objects are all unique pieces.

bon ton has brought Paola Paronetto to Vienna and offers her works here exclusively.