16 Young Designer Highlights from the Lost Graduation Show in Milan

For young designers struggling to find a platform for their talent, the global pandemic has been tough. At exhibition center Fiera Milano last week and coinciding with Supersalone 2021, the smaller and rebranded Salone del Mobile furniture fair, The Lost Graduation Show turned the spotlight to the design industry’s rising stars.

Sustainably presented with materials such as concrete blocks that will be put directly back into the construction production cycle, 170 projects hailed from students who graduated between 2020 and 2021, from 48 design schools in 22 different countries (distinguished from 300 design schools in 59 countries). Curated by Anniina Koivu, this year’s digital-savvy initiative came with an in-depth Sustainably presented with materials such as concrete blocks that will be put directly back into the construction production cycle, 170 projects hailed from students who graduated between 2020 and 2021, from 48 design schools in 22 different countries (distinguished from 300 design schools in 59 countries). Curated by Anniina Koivu, this year’s digital-savvy initiative came with an in-depth Instagram page.

From furniture you can stick your head into to whimsical cast-sand beach toys that leave no earthly impact to a florescent-accented shelving system that dims when separated, here are 16 of our favorite finds.

Hum Objects by BNAG

There are moments during a global pandemic—in a journey for elusive joy and calm—when you might want to take your head and stick it right into your furniture. Or so thought Oliver Boualam and Lukas Marstaller of BNAG. When you place your head into a piece in their collection of Hum Objects and hum, sound waves reverberate from the walls, “and you experience your own voice, stripped of speech and language,” according to the duo.

Sand to Sand by Bar Cohen

Flimsy and short-lived, most beach toys soon become plastic waste. Not so the Sand to Sand collection of beach toys by Bar Cohen—in a few hours, the whimsical cast-sand objects dissolve and become part of the beach—closing their lifecycle without a trace.

For a Fleeting Moment by Bijin Davis

Potted Plant Furniture by Max Guderian

With a breath of fresh air and well-being, plants only improve interior environments, so why not build them right into furnishings? Potted Plant Furniture by Max Guderian is a tool-free plug-in system built from sustainably sourced wood.

Embossing by Hemmo Honkonen

Embossing can make wood stand out, yet this age-old method of ornamentation is labor-intensive and expensive. Exploring the thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of wood, Hemmo Honkonen developed a new cost-effective embossing technique without sacrificing on beauty.

Lotte by Sarah Hossli

An armrest is also a handrail in Lotte by Sarah Hossli, an armchair developed with assistance from on-site research in care homes and feedback from medical and care professionals, in collaboration with Swiss furniture manufacturer Girsberger.

Into Shelf by Haruka Isono

Yellow metal tiles known as ‘braille blocks’ wrap the Into shelf by Haruka Isono. An urban material usually found underfoot, the tactile tiles guide those with vision loss.

Trim by Haruka Sekiguchi

A nearly invisible light source seems to appear as light itself with Trim by Haruka Sekiguchi. The light is made of the transparent and conductive film used on touch screen electronics.

Reddo by Francesco Maria Lucini

A grid of material made of oyster shells is an underwater home for flora and fauna with Reddo by Francesco Maria Lucini. Intended for seaweed cultivation, the material is made from shells harvested from the Ebro Delta—Spain’s second largest oyster production site.

Lumi by Milan Mitev and Pietro Mondini

Both conversation-worthy contemporary light and wood side table, Lumi by Milan Mitev and Pietro Mondini is back-lit from below its table top or, when flipped via turn-and-pull joint, a direct light source. Circular geometry define both functions of the two-in-one design.

Flip-Flap by Theo Luvisotto

With a backrest that flips down, Flip-Flap by Theo Luvisotto transforms from child’s chair to stepladder—stylishly saving space.

Pattern of Industry stool by Oneseo Choi

The anodized aluminum Pattern of Industry stool by Oneseo Choi is part of a furniture collection that exposes the profile of a material generally tucked away within an industrial site.

Multi Glass series by Jukka Jokinen and Heikki Konu

Mold-blown glass—instead of mouth-blown—offers new opportunity for glass products such as the Multi Glass series by Jukka Jokinen and Heikki Konu of Jokinen Konu. By stacking the mold layers, unlimited pendant lights, vases, and other glass products can be produced at the same time.

Seam of Skin furniture collection by Chiaki Yoshihara

The Seam of Skin furniture collection by Chiaki Yoshihara is the result of an exploration of sturdy and light styrofoam. To create the plywood and styrofoam pieces, the designer welded blue foam made of polystyrene resin.

Objects by Michael Kleiner

The global pandemic produced anxiety…and a lot of bread and plants. To meet these new demands, Michal Kleiner designed three products with a similar aesthetic: a hot water bottle, a sourdough starter container, and a system for growing plants.

Shift chair by Jeffery Lambert

Flat-pack ready, the Shift chair by Jeffery Lambert swiftly transitions from home office to living, with replacement parts that can be easily swapped in or recycled.