Australians are a travelling bunch. Being on the bottom-side of the world can have its advantages – our isolation from the rest of the design world can create a feeling of freedom as we sit outside the regular ebbs and flows of the European market. On the flip side to that, sometimes the rest of the world thinks we’re too far away to make an impact or cater to modern demands.

But even in a highly saturated and overflowing event such as the Salone, Australian design can hold its own.

One initiative that seems set on raising the profile of Australian design internationally is Local Milan. Now in its third iteration, the project coordinated by Emma Elizabeth included some 25 designers all exhibited as part of the FuoriSalone.

Daniel Emma furniture pieces on show at Local Milan. Photo by Emanuele Zamponi, styled by Emma Elizabeth.

Each year Local Milan has continued to grow in scale, bringing in a mix of up-and-comers and well-established names. Working off the collective power of a group, the Local Milan exhibition this year in most instances showcased multiple designers in each space, and all spaces were meticulously styled to work as a cohesive whole.

A standout in the show was Jon Goulder’s new range called Innate for Spence&Lyda, as well as Daniel Emma’s bold geometries and Adam Goodrum’s collaboration with Arthur Seiguer.

Taking a different scale and tone, fellow Aussie (now via the UK) Brodie Niell’s exhibition Focus is set-up adjacent to Vitra’s Typecasting exhibition. Focus is an exhibition that showcases craftsmanship through Brodie’s furniture brand Made in Ratio. The exhibition recreates a working studio – putting the techniques and processes of making on show, while the products themselves explore natural materials.

Made in Ratio by Brodie Niell.

But it’s not just about full-scale exhibitions. Smaller brands have found a way to get involved in the Salone del Mobile Milan, and thus getting product in front of thousands of international creatives.

One brand that has done this in a clever way, which also shows the value in collaborating, is Porcelain Bear. The Melbourne brand is exhibiting as part of a group show titled Meet My Project. The show includes 30 brands from countries as far-reaching as Iceland, Romania and Lebanon.

Forward Bend by Porcelain Bear is on as part of a group show titled Meet my Project.

Want to see more happenings from this year’s Salone? Follow @indesignlive and #milanindesign on Instagram for regular Milan Furniture Fair updates. 

Tags: Brodie Niell, Local Milan, Made in Ratio, MilanIndesign2018, Porcelain Bear, Salone del Mobile 2018