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International Home DЁcor & Design in Shanghai

As the show dates of 26 - 28 June edge closer, anticipation is rising over the launch of the 100% Design Shanghai and International Home DЁcor & Design in Shanghai. For 100% Design Shanghai, as the world's most influential contemporary interiors event, it will bring to Shanghai the same showcase of cutting-edge design that has made it a success in the global design capitals of London and Tokyo. 100% Design will now introduce its innovative formula to the powerhouse China consumer market and emerging design scene.

With 100% Design Shanghai and International Home DЁ¦cor & Design being held in co-location at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, the exhibitions will act as the definitive destination for the design-savvy and join a growing portfolio of global design events organized by Reed Exhibitions. It promises to be an unprecedented gathering of international design leaders in China.

To provide valuable insights into the industry and drive the inspirational design emphasis of the exhibitions, Reed Exhibitions has enlisted the talents of Tobias Wong and Aric Chen, both based in New York. Wong and Chen will be responsible for the visual appearance and the overall look of the exhibitions, acting as joint Creative Directors in creating a unique flavour for the inaugural 100% Design Shanghai. They join the ranks of Tom Dixon, who serves as creative director of 100% Design London, and Michael Young, who serves as creative director of 100% Design Tokyo.

Both Wong and Chen are eminent and influential names in their fields. Wong has gained recognition for projects that have tested the boundaries of conceptualism and design, exploring the relationship between aesthetics and function. With a range of diverse projects carried out worldwide, he has been named the Wallpaper* Young Designer of the Year and was noted as one of Forbes Tastemakers 2007. He has worked onprojects for fashion leaders such as Comme des Garcons, Hermes and Paul Smith, and had works exhibited at the Museums of Modern Art in New York, San Francisco and Berlin.

Chen is an independent journalist, critic and curator specializing in design, architecture and art. As one of the most prolific and influential design journalists, he has written for just about every major English-language design publication including Surface, I.D., Interior Design and GQ, to name but a few. He has also made a name for himself co-curating the Haute Green sustainable design exhibitions in New York in 2006 and 2007, along with the American section of the 2004 International Design Biennale in Saint-Etienne, France.

By bringing the talents of Wong and Chen together, Reed Exhibitions is affirming a commitment to creating a complete design environment at the exhibitions. It is a formula that has proven hugely inspirational for visitors to the 100% Design shows in London and Tokyo and promises to be an exciting attraction for visitors in itself.

For their installation for 100% Design Shanghai, Wong and Chen have chosen an elegant and powerful leitmotif: bamboo scaffolding. A familiar sight at construction zones across China, bamboo scaffolding has become a symbol of the country's rapid development. At 100% Design Shanghai, it will extend throughout the fair, reaching its most dramatic expression in the Grand Hall, where it will form a grid stretching from wall to wall, and floor to ceiling. Otherwise left empty, this monumental space will create a contemplative, decompressed void within which visitors will meander through a Cartesian "forest" of bamboo poles. Most importantly, however, the bamboo scaffolding will define not a structure being built, but rather an expanse to be filled. It will serve as a metaphor for the emerging potential of contemporary Chinese design, a field that has yet to truly materialize but for which a framework has now been laid.

With this wealth of expertise working to maintain the highest level of quality and innovation at the exhibition, the list of prestigious exhibitions includes such internationally-renowned attendees as Artemide, Cassina, Innermost, Zhongtai, Lacantouch, Jung, Kohler, Technogym, Formica, Durat, Design Republic, D Line, Silent Gliss, Tabu, Elitis, Beau et Bien, So Inc. and many more. The partner exhibition, International Home DЁ¦cor & Design, will also be welcoming exhibitors from far and wide, with such prominent participants as Lamellux, Imex International, French Cutlery Federation and Cristallerie de Montbronn.

These exhibitors promise to bring a huge range of products to the attention of the Shanghai industry elite, featuring bathrooms, furniture, flooring and wall coverings, kitchens, lighting, textiles, and other accessories. For the first time, Chinese customers will have all that is new and revolutionary in contemporary interiors brought direct to their doorstep. Milan-based furniture producer Cassina, for example, will be showcasing their prized 'Prive' range, designed exclusively by design legend Philippe Starck. Technogym on the other hand will be presenting their 'Kinesis Personal' series, a range of home training equipment that takes the balance of performance and aesthetic value to another level.

Founded in Shanghai in 2006, neri & hu represents a new modern Chinese aesthetic. After a product preview in September 2007 where glimpses were offered to local media, neri & hu will officially launch its product line at the 100% Design Shanghai. Making available to the world a new expression of Chinese modern design, neri & hu seeks to re-define the global notion of "Made in China."

International Home DЁ¦cor & Design will be showcasing a range of long-established names that epitomize the best in interior products and services around the world. As a family business with nearly eighty years experience, Cristallerie de Montbronn specializes in producing finest quality genuine full-lead crystal. Priding themselves on the quality of their entirely handmade items, they were recently honoured with the prestigious 'Company of the Living Heritage' label from the French government.

Fellow exhibitors The French Cutlery Federation also benefits from a wealth of craftsmanship experience and plans to bring their extensive range to the event, including luxury place settings, kitchen knives and wine accessories.

Combining the keen design sense of Tobias Wong and Aric Chen with the strength of international exhibitors will ensure that 100% Design Shanghai maintains its unwavering focus on high-end contemporary design. With International Home DЁ¦cor & Design also taking place, the dates of 26 ЁC 28 June will prove to be a landmark occasion for design in China this year.



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