Following a forced break the Interior Design exhibition «neue räume» (new rooms) recently took place again for the 11th time. Approximately 100 exhibitors met in the old ABB-Hall in Zurich Oerlikon, to present living trends, product innovations and design objects.

The established Design exhibition is considered as an important presentation area and significant meeting place for the «Who is Who» of the furniture scene as well as for design fans beyond the borders of Switzerland. As an additional highlight to the innovative manufacturers from home and abroad with their new products, «neue räume» traditionally shows current and future living trends in various special events. The design world returns to the stage in Zurich with an exciting program of events, interesting product innovations and culinary discoveries. 

Colorful and radical

One of this year’s special events was the exhibition «Frauen im Design» (Women in design). It presented well known furniture and objects from designers, who have been making a name for themselves with their designs since the beginning of the twentieth century right through to the present day. Additionally the association «mobiglias – Handwerkskunst aus Graubünden» (Craftsmanship from the Grisons) looked for furniture and objects in a design competition which have a connection to the Grisons and were also handcrafted and preferably are made of local materials. The members of «mobiglias» manufactured the winning works as prototypes and presented them for the first time at the special event. As hoped – and expected – internationally renowned furniture manufacturers were again represented this year. In line with the motto «Wohnen ist da, wo wir uns wohl fühlen» (Living is where we feel at home), the (possibly not yet worldwide) well known Swiss furniture workshops  «Vifian» from Schwarzenburg thrilled us with the stylish entrance hall furniture «trio», which captivates with its delicate look as well as its versatility. Modular, courageous and multidimensional! The brands «Gufram» and «Memphis Milano», which are now also part of «Italian Radical Design», certainly made a trendy appearance. The newly named group was founded with the goal of reinforcing Italian design brands that stand out thanks to an unmistakable and non-conformist approach. In Switzerland both labels are exhibiting together for the first time at «neue räume 22» and amongst the predominantly discreetly colored furniture pieces at the exhibition the colorful furniture world of the Italians was unmissable. Fritz Hansen was fortunately also present, this time with a selection of cuddly lounge chairs and of course Tom Dixon could not be overlooked, celebrating his 20 years in business this year as well as Magis, Minotti, wb form, Skagerak, ClassiCon or embru, to name but a few.

Très chic in the laundry room

In addition to furniture and objects there was also something exciting to see from the Swiss textile and laundry world. For example the company Christian Fischbacher which has been producing sensual and aesthetically outstanding home textiles for over 200 years. In conjunction with the architect and designer Hadi Teherani the joint «Contemporary Persia Collection» has now been extended by two hand-tufted carpet models. The pattern and colors were inspired by designs from Iran and combine the finest merino wool with shimmering silk and bamboo. The company Schulthess proved to us that doing the laundry can also be chic with an elegant washing tower that does not have to hide in the dark linen room. And the special program item «Orea meets Caminada» verified that cooking is also linked to design. The three-star Michelin chef, Andreas Caminada, created the cooking island «Orea AC» in cooperation with David Spielhofer. Ores plans kitchens as a project very close to their hearts, the kitchen should inspire and motivate you to cook yourself. Presented by Anna Maier, Andreas Caminada introduced the classic design with its fascinating materialization. 

Interior design in japandi style means creating a stylish, free and open space.

You take a considerable portion of Japanese minimalism, add an equally generous amount of Nordic Design – and the living trend for 2021 is complete. „Japandi” is a mix of the popular Scandinavian “Hygge” style and the Japanese Wabi-Sabi philosophy, which is also considered the concept of the perception of beauty. Evident core elements of Japandi are natural colors, simple shapes and primarily wood. While the northern Europeans contribute lighter colored spruce or oak wood to the interior, the Asian area provides darker Design pieces in acacia or walnut. A stylish example of this is a solid oak wood table, flanked by dark wooden chairs.

less is more

A wall mirror, which makes the room appear optically larger, or intentionally placed light islands as well as plants that attract our gaze and calm our over stimulated senses, that’s decorating in Japandi style. Two well-known elements from the Japanese furnishing style are a must: Room dividers, the so-called paravents, and low pieces of furniture for example a futon bed or a proportionately lowered sofa. Ceramic vases with Japanese characters are also an essential statement. Cushions and blankets as a functional accessory are inspired by “Hygge”. Important to note: Never exaggerate and ask yourself with each piece whether it is really (still) necessary.

A place of rest

The term Japandi is, by the way, a blend of the two terms “Japan” and “Scandic”. And, we have to be honest, not a completely new style. Roughly 150 years ago Danish architects were inspired by the simple elegance of the living style on their travels to Japan. But the clear and extremely modest look has only now come to take its place in our homes. Whether the reason is that we are all more at home now and despite restricted freedom of movement miss the desire for generous dimensions, remains to be seen. The fact is that Japandi provides a stylish, cozy haven. And that does everyone good – always!

A yearning for the future

Li Ekelkoort, as her name is generally shortened, is a very busy woman, who is constantly on the lookout for marketable information on how we will live in the future, what we we will wear, with which materials or colours we would like to be surrounded.

An intuitive thinker, she illuminates the development of socio-cultural trends, before sharing them with her clients from diverse sectors of industry, for example furnishings, fashion, the retail sector, textiles, automobile, food and cosmetics. From her company, Trend Union, located in Paris, Li Edelkoort issues trend forecasts two years in advance. The different trend books are published twice a year and used by strategists, designers and marketing specialists from diverse international brands and companies for their work. She stands out in her field for her ability to connect what was, what is and what will be.

Fashion and its new effect

The result is breath-taking and groundbreaking. It transfers the purchase of garments from a consumer act to an act of curation and targets precise selection, which becomes objects that are permeated with energy and camaraderie; garments that are like friends. They are timeless and ageless and become clever investments for the long term. This presentation is therefore the next in a series of seasonal concepts, in which the clothes are disconnected from trends and marketing and are looking for an alternative, deeper meaning. Looking after the planets and the people, giving hope for the future. All garments have their own identity and can motivate the realization of a small collection that offers a customized selection. A new approach to creativity and also somehow the yearning for a new future.

In contrast, these innovative new materials or the wish to display strength lead to bold, sculptural forms that play with an enhancement of the body. This appreciation, which originates in nature, will occasionally also be reflected in a more conscious lifestyle. Edelkoort also predicts an increase in the use of trains instead of aeroplanes as well as e-cars or e-scooters. The change in consumer habits is however particularly decisive for the native Dutch woman: Less rash impulse buys, less compulsive – but rather practical and sustainable.

From 2015-2020 she was the dean for hybrid design studies at Parsons in New York, where she founded a textile Master and the New Yorker Textile Month Festival in September. Edelkoort was named by TIME Magazine and Business of Fashion as one of the most influential people in the fashion sector and still ranks as one of the most influential people in contemporary design.  Her thought-provoking writings and podcasts are becoming increasingly popular at a time in which she ranks as an activist and innovator of change. In 2020, she was selected as woman of the year (Oeuvre Award) by the Dutch magazine Harper’s Bazaar, while she founded the World Hope Forum as a platform to inspire the creative community to reconstruct a better society.

Photos Copyrights: Thirza Schaap, Shutterstock

Just on time for ringing in the warmer season, Porsche is launching two new e-bike models onto the markte

Timeless design, outstanding technology and the fascination of the brand itself unite in both models Porsche Sport and Porsche Cross.

So it only remains to say: full speed ahead! Thanks to the Magura Cockpit Integration (MCi) with the brake and gear cabling integrated in the handlebars, the Porsche eBike Sport has a minimized cockpit. In conjunction with the Shimano colour display, which displays speed, distance and range in real time among other features, you can concentrate on what is most important: the street.

Porsche E-Bike Sport

Porsche E-Bike Cross

Photos Copyrights: Porsche

The pandemic is making waves. And the watch industry is feeling the effects. However, this does not stop a number of brands presenting exciting mechanical innovations even in the virus spring of 2021. There is a small selection on the following page.

Shock resistance from Schaffhausen

It can certainly take a lot of hard knocks, the new IWC “Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL” with innovative 44 millimetre “ceratanium” casing. This is made possible by the “SPRIN-g PROTECT System”, developed over an eight year period. A cantilever spring suspends the movement inside the case. Its form and the use of Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) have the effect that acceleration forces of more than 30,000 g cannot damage the in house caliber 32115 with a base plate made from an aluminium alloy used in the aerospace sector.

Sapphire is hard and scratch-resistant but certainly not unbreakable. Therefore you would be ill-advised to let the brand new Hublot “Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire” fall onto a stone floor. For the first time in the history of watches both the 42 millimetre case as well as the link bracelet are made of the completely transparent material. Titanium is used to produce the folding clasp. In each of the 30 pieces the in-house calibre HUB6035 with micro rotor self-winding movement, 72 hour power reserve and tourbillon take care of the time.

Once again in their 27-year history the family of the “Lange 1”, launched in 1994, is expecting a ticking addition. The new “Lange 1 perpetual calendar” is available in an unlimited edition in pink gold. A. Lange & Söhne is also producing 150 pieces in white gold. The automatic calibre L021.3 consists of 621 components. On a purely theoretical level the revolving outsize date, retrograde day of week display, peripheral month ring and digital leap-year indication require manual correction in February 2100, the moon phase only after 122.6 years.

Photos Copyrights: © IWC, ORIS; Hublot, A. Lange & Söhne, Meistersinger, Tudor

“In challenging times, a good ESG culture helps, to ride the storm better.”

The environmental, social and leadership aspects are not only decisive for success or failure in the economy, but they are also increasingly becoming a key differentiating factor in the financial industry.

What does ESG stands for exactly?
ESG is a terminology widely used to define how a corporation is addressing Environmental (E), Social (S), and Governance (G) aspects. The objective behind it, is to set standards to ensure well informed investors can choose to invest in companies that have good ESG characteristics or in other words can invest with purpose. It is interesting to know that it is not a new concept. It first appeared in several research works initiated by the United Nations 15 years ago. The objective of these studies was to highlight that drivers other than financial were – at least – of equal importance when investing in a company. These drivers, such as how a company addresses environmental issues, how it protects its human capital, how it maintains a corporate culture were all mentioned.

Is there a difference between US and Europe in regard to the commitment to ESG?
Today, the Environment aspect is the central element in Europe, whereas it is the Social aspect in the US. This is quite representative of the different society and political challenges faced on the two sides of the Atlantic. The reality in Europe is that climate change is a huge topic, especially after the Paris conference. It is embraced by politicians and many economic leaders following broad influence by voters and new generations. It took probably a decade to reach a wide adoption of ESG by the financial community as there was a misconception that companies who care about ESG, tend to underperform. The history of the last 10 years shows us this is not true. We saw that the fundamental drivers behind a good integrated ESG also contributed to generate market out-performance.

You have a special way to screen companies on ESG criteria – could you explain briefly?
Fundamentally and in its origin, a good ESG investment will assume that the three elements are well addressed when making a decision. Unfortunately, today, the investments tend to address only one or maybe two of the three elements. Our view is that the three aspects should be addressed in an integrated fashion. In this context, the key among the three ESG elements is the G. When a company is well governed, the board will undoubtedly address a good G, a good E and a good S collectively. Recent academic researchers have demonstrated this by proving that well governed companies have better E and S policies.

How can the “G” be measured?
The methodology we have chosen is one based on natural language processing. It is widely accepted in the linguistic and psychology sciences, that the character of an individual can be defined by the language he is using.

For example, someone saying ‘I’ in every sentence will tend to be ego-centric, while someone using ‘We’ will tend to be more a team-player. To extract the quality of governance, we use the same principle by using a proprietary dictionary of 7’000 words, capturing the G but also the E and S dimensions. These words are positive or negative. We study the appearance of these words in the annual reports of companies and based on how frequently they appear, we can statistically extract the quality of the ESG policy of a company. As the board is responsible for the annual reports, this means that we capture the “tone from the top”. In other words, we can pose a diagnostic on its quality of Governance and how it influences the integration of an ESG policy.

At the end of the day performance matters for an investor. How do ESG products perform compared to their benchmark?
I totally agree. We have seen over the last years that ESG indices have outperformed traditional indices. Some investors stress the fact that the absence of oil & gas companies is explaining this, which is partly true, but it only represents a small contribution. We believe the key is the fact that the majority of companies with true and honest ESG culture are more resilient and agile. Therefore, they tend to outperform their peers on a regular basis. In 2020, this phenomenon has been amplified showing that, in a period of major crisis, a good ESG culture helps to better weather the storm.

How is the demand for ESG-screened products developing and which investors are interested?
There is a massive shift of assets to ESG products, which is good news. It is forcing all companies to comply with E, S and G. This year we saw net-positive flows to ESG funds, while we saw net-negative flows to non-ESG funds.

Many reasons explain this movement. Firstly, many governments have set in place rules to force institutional investors to invest in ESG products and countries like France, Sweden and The Netherlands are leading the charge. Also, many banks are responding to the demand of the new generations – the millennials – who adhere to the need for a change including a change in the way to invest. The trend has been embraced and now there is a need to respond to this demand with more product solutions.

How long do you think it takes companies to adapt to ESG?
The transition will most likely experience an acceleration in the next months and years, but a lot remains to be done. Depending on the countries, it will take a few years to a few decades. The recent outperformance of ESG products vs non ESG products is definitely a trigger to this acceleration. To continue this trend, there are three elements that are essential: first, a good education process to ensure everyone from investors to decision-makers understand how to implement a good ESG culture; second, adoption of industry standards, ensuring that all ESG products respond to ESG rules; third, support the development of a new fully-dedicated ESG industry. In other words, there is a need for more ESG products, more ESG consultants, more ESG product managers to respond to the transition.

ESG ist jetzt im Trend. Was passiert, wenn sich die Unternehmen schnell umstellen und ESG plötzlich alltäglich wird?
It would be perfect! It means we would have done our job. Our objective is to force companies to do well. The reality is different as the vast majority of companies, investors and politicians have not sincerely embraced the concept.

Our belief is that the change will start with board members of all companies being engaged.

In your views, what are the three major challenges faced today to have the financial industry transition fully to ESG?
The ESG industry is still new and still considered as niche by many investors. We are at a turning point as some of the largest institutional investors and ultra-high net worth individuals have started to fully implement ESG. In this context, it will be essential to have a financial industry developing good ESG products, consultants ensuring these products respond to ESG standards, and an integration of the three ESG elements with a clear market outperformance objective.

Photos Copyrights: © Green Blue Invest Portrait Dr. Botteron, Shutterstock

Rationally speaking: Sophisticated intoxication every now and then is thoroughly worthwhile. To find out what it takes, when and how the subtle loss of focus currently works in the most stylish way, we questioned three of the best Master mixologists in the world.

The 20^th Century Cocktail

If I could choose, an iconic city bar would be the perfect location for enjoying this cocktail. Interesting people, elegantly dressed, create a unique atmosphere. It is early evening and everyone is has a certain degree of tension: What will happen tonight? The 20th Century has been around since the 30s. It was mixed for the maiden journey of the 20th Century Limited Train, the most elegant express train in America. An impressive miracle of technology in Art Deco design with a bar. It is my opinion that a drinker should unearth something old in its own right and perfect it with the right ingredients over time. I would say it needs a gin that screams to you. HEPPLE. Lots of it. Fresh lemon. An extremely rare wine, bitter from Corsica, because it is the only one that ensures a long reverberation on the palate. CAP CORSE! And the secret ingredient, a homage to the elegant Roaring Twenties, a Créme de Cacao blanc. An exotically spiced, crystal clear cacao Brand: DUTCH CACAO.

I recommend:

“Caribbean holiday in a glass”

Philipp Kössl, Master Mixologist in the Zurich Gastro temple IGNIV, was inspired by the lockdown to create his current favourite drink: „The CryZtalColada is a smoothie, and in my opinion, a very cool variation on the exotic evergreen. The”milk washing“ – a technique from the 17th century gives it a clear, light flavour and makes it so much fresher than the traditional version. When I taste rum I automatically think of a zest for life and the lightness of the summer. And of parties with lots of friends. As a number of these feelings seem so remote in 2020, I wanted to experience the longing in a cocktail. I always say: It is a Pina Colada in a white tux – elegant, with zero stickiness, the pure flavour of the Caribbean. A drink that begins fresh and funky, tastes of rum and pineapple, then gives you the coconut kick. The fun leads to an extremely long finish and major „melting“. Suits this year down to a tee, sun holidays were after all always difficult in ”real life“.

“As soon as the cherry no longer tastes good, the magic is over!”

Tina Turner, Bill Clinton and Arnold Schwarzenegger were already his guests, of course you do not have to have star status to enjoy the art of Master Mixologist and author Hercules Tsibis in the Zurich ONYX-Bar at Hotel Park Hyatt. ”One of the drinks that really takes me on a journey, which lets me drift off into another era, is a classic: the Manhattan! Or should I say MY Manhattan! If not the most immortal of all, then I would have to say that it is one of the most wonderful drinks that has ever been invented. The perfect time of day or night to enjoy it? I would like to refer to Ernest Hemingway at this point, one of the greatest bar visitors and drinkers among the drunken writers. In the morning he was steadfast, this was the time for working and writing: „I was drunk one thousand five hundred and forty seven times in my life, but never in the morning.“

Accordingly – and also due to the magic of the night – the time after the sun has gone down, is certainly the best time to enjoy this drink. I am thinking of the classic bar feeling, preferably in New York. A wonderful Jazz pianist with a repertoire that entices you to dream. Dark, smoky, the babble of voices that rocks you into a trance and gives you the feeling of being in a time machine catapulting you into another era. The Manhattan is also nothing without its magic cherry. It begins as a raw and powerful classic, hard and without mercy. After the second sip there is a certain degree of heat. The red Vermouth comes to the fore, its sweetness and the herbs come to life and the whiskey invites you to dance. With each sip from the whiskey glass filled with ice cubes, the Manhattan gains in nuances and freshness. After the first few sips I bite into the Maraschino cherry and leave it to work its magic in my mouth for quite a while. I take a sip of the ice cold bitter sweet drink, it meets the cherry and caresses my palate. Something harmoniously sweet and fresh invigorates my dreams and makes me drift into other dimensions. There is definitely a fine line between unrestrained pleasure and unrestrained digression. I always recommend that one listens to the drink carefully and pays attention to the cherry. As soon as you no longer taste it, it is time to go – the magic has passed.

parkhyattzurich.com

Photos Copyrights:  Depositphotos.com, MYR, Lelion, Park Hyatt Zurich, IGNIV

The new year has barely begun and furniture manufacturers are finally allowing us to look at their new collections. This year one trend is leaving all others far behind. No need to say anymore: Retro is back.

KARE DESIGN

The Art Déco Sofa unites with a Mid Century chest and Pop Art objects encounter a classic lounge armchair. Brass lamps and accessories are positioned as individual eye-catchers. “Retro Elegance” in perfection.
www.kare.de

New year, new trends – and one trend is stealing the limelight at the international furniture fairs. 2019 will most definitely be dominated by “Retro Elegance”. Old designs are being re-interpreted and classics such as the Mid-Century Style or Pop Culture are being presented in a modern form. Furniture soloists become eye-catchers in the living area, while organisers spread out in the bedroom and kitchen. We encounter intelligent modular systems, which not only guarantee neatness and tidiness but can be individually combined and are multi-functional.

As far as colour is concerned, there is a divide between colourful and dark-elegant. And grey continues to be a mega trend. However, the colour of the year, according to the international Pantone Colour Institute, is “Living Coral”, and it certainly makes a statement. The same applies to the materials returning to our four walls, brass and gold. Hence the design experts‘ tip: When used selectively, loud colours and striking materials are a real highlight. However, if exaggerated, they can easily become overwhelming. Wood can never be counted out, but there is no clear specification of a particular type. Domestic wood such as oak and walnut fuse with exotic wood, for example, rosewood or teak to create a harmonious appearance. Glass elements and natural stones compliment the look. And in the textile sector velvet is and remains a favourite. Soft, warm and luxurious – the mere sight of a velvet sofa or armchair makes us want to cuddle into it.

Minimalism is stylish and timeless. The Dutch Interior Brand HKLiving shows that it can also be warm. The two childhood friends Emiel Hetsen and Sander Klaver bring us nordic design with an Asian touch.