A Shot in the Armchair
April 17, 2005 | Levent OZLER
On a bustling cobblestone street, shoppers laden with bags halted at the glint of an AK-47 -- an 18-karat gold-dipped replica made into a lamp. The window of the Flos lighting showroom displays Philippe Starck's entire Gun Collection, from Beretta-shaped table lamps to floor lamps modeled after the M16.
A few blocks away, in the plush lobby of his five-star hotel, Starck explained why he can't resist pushing the boundaries of design at Milan's international furniture fair, which opened Wednesday.
"Why doesn't furniture show that everything is a political choice?" says Starck, who outfitted his gun lamps with black shades lined with crosses. "I am a designer and design is my only weapon, so I use it to speak about what I think is important."
While the eyes of the world focus on Rome and the upcoming cardinal conclave, about 200,000 design enthusiasts have flocked to this northern Italian city for the annual six-day home furnishings blowout. To a soundtrack of constantly warbling cell phones, the heavily caffeinated throngs have braved the chill air to see the inventive, sometimes shocking collections that give a shot of adrenaline to the world's furniture industry.
This year, Salone Internazionale del Mobile and the biennial Euroluce lighting show married minimalism with extravagance. Imagine a yellow chandelier dr
more: washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57905-2005Apr1 (371)
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