I was delighted to discover the Danish design brand Karakter during Milan Design Week 2018, and then again at Copenhagen’s annual event, 3 Days of Design, last week. Although completely new to me, they’ve actually been around for a number of years, with rights to a range of classic design icons by the likes of Achille Castiglioni and Paul McCobb, as well as new designs by up-and-coming names.
In fact this resurrection of old designs, still relevant and fresh to the eye, was something I saw across the Italian festival. A trend if you like. I guess it goes back to the question, when we already have a million and one chairs of every shape and size, do we really need more? How many times can the classics be reinvented and how sustainable is it to actually have this endless cycle constantly churning out new pieces? For me, we can’t live in the past, design needs to keep pushing forward, but it’s about finding a balance, making considered choices and paying respect to the original foundations of design. It seems to me that Karakter strikes the perfect balance between design heritage and contemporary ideas.
They say: ‘We seek out designs that are out of the ordinary – from designers who have already written the history of design to those who aspire to write the future.
All the designers presented by Karakter are handpicked for their ideas and creativity, and shared by all of them is an inspiring level of productivity and an uncompromising take on their work. Something that is also fundamental for Karakter and our design choices.’
Karakter have the work of 15 designers, both dead and alive, in their collection. Each piece looks completely unique and has its own character, from PlueerSmitt’s bottom shaped Side Table No. 2 (2014) to Aldo Bakker’s acorn-shaped Mahogany Stool (2017).
In Milan the focus was on Italian designer Achille Castiglioni (1918-2002), who had a passion for constantly re-designing and re-inventing his design objects from his Milan-based studio. Karakter have brought his Rampa stepped desk (1965) back into production (below), as well as a couple of designs created with Giancarlo Pozzi – the Trio side table (1988) and Comodo desk (1988) – and with his brother Pier Giacomo Castiglione – the delicate Libreria Pensile shelving unit (1957).
Karakter say: ‘Castiglioni always aimed at enhancing and glorifying the value of the design. Throughout his career he worked to raise design to an ever-higher level of synthesis – stripping design down to the very core and eliminating everything superfluous.’
With the other objects it’s interesting to try and guess what is a new design and what is reissued.
The Aida Lamp by Angelo Mangiarotti, below, caught my eye with its play on form and balance. Referencing Mangiarotti’s architecture – in particular, as Karakter say, slim, elegant pillars that support large and heavy ceilings in an almost impossible lift – the sculptural light uses a single, impossibly thin stem to connect and support a white bowl to a black lacquered base.
Libreria Pensile, above, was originally designed by the Castiglioni brothers in 1957, before being produced by Bernini in 1966. The duo wanted to pare down the structure of a bookshelf to the bare minimum, using two cords fixed at a single point in the wall to support a series of shelves.
Each piece in the collection has an identifiable and intriguing silhouette. In terms of contemporary designs, Karakter presents the work of Aldo Bakker, with the simple and satisfyingly chunky Console table below, among other designs.
There’s also a number of pieces by Italian industrial designer Joe Colombo. He believed in democratic and functional design, always focusing on the user. His Chair 300, below, is a strong, comfortable design with a bold wooden frame.
The Desk Series by Paul McCobb dates from 1952. Remarkably similar to a lot of designs around today and contemporary for its time, it uses slim, black steel legs and oak storage to create a clean, minimal expression. It’s largely stripped of any details or ornaments, bar two drawers with finger-size holes to open them. You can add a desk with a drop-lid that can be locked away or kept open, while there’s an additional two-drawer unit that can fit into the design or underneath it.
Lighting is another key focus for Karakter, with simple, characterful designs such as the Domo series by Joe Colombo. Available as a neat table lamp, adjustable floor lamp or wall lamp, the Domo design uses the same cloche-shaped light fitting to play with curved forms.
So what do you think, is Karakter new for you too? There’s so many beautiful pieces, each with their own fascinating back story and explanation. They all fit as a family because each has been carefully considered and perfected to have a strong design identity. But which piece is your favourite?
All images courtesy Karakter
