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Max Scharnigg
It sounded a bit strange that a French fashion label should play the overture to this year’s Salone del Mobile. But because there was a lot of discussion about changes there recently and also because of the pandemic and about whether a gigantic, analogue furniture fair would still be up to date at all, people thought: Aha, this is probably one of these changes, and so they drove to the Palazzo Citterio to Dior. At first there were only typical Dior things to see, i.e. thin people with serious faces, who at some point made mysterious gestures and asked you to follow them into the basement. There, neatly lined up with the minimum distance in a pulsating light show and with effect fog, was the reason for this secrecy: an aluminum chair, in a pleasing shape, based on the historic Medallion Chair and optionally with armrests or without. It was conceived, of course, by Philippe Starck, and the simplest version is said to cost over 1500 euros, the version with a polished gold finish is much more expensive. As a viewer, you were not allowed to come close to the French throne in lightweight construction. Have a try? Unthinkable!