Inhorgenta Europe: The Future of Design is Female

Inhorgenta europe is presenting the special show "brand new - new brand" for the third time. Like in the previous years, 20 young designers and newcomers to the trade fair have the opportunity to present their work to a specialist audience for the first time. What's new this year? All participants are female.

The "brand new - new brand" concept specifies that the first 20 people to send in their files to the Munich Trade Fair on time can take a place in the special exhibition. Recent years also indicated a trend towards larger numbers of female applicants than male. But there is no way of missing it this year: The future of design is female! Apart from one man, all of the applicants were female. Accordingly, in February 2005, "brand new - new brand" will present the work of 20 new firms run by women who - as dictated by the terms of the exhibition - completed their diploma qualifications as designers in 2004. A total of over 50 schools throughout Europe are written to and their graduates are invited to take part in this start-up platform. Barbara Schmidt, initiator of "brand new - new brand" and also responsible for coaching the "brand new" exhibitors in trade fair presentation, is surprised at the modest feedback. "The exhibitors really do get a lot of support. Firstly, the trade fair supports the graduates financially; secondly, by being coached in trade fair presentation, they learn the existential ropes concerning press liaisons, price calculation, target group definition, stand planning and so on. Sales training also takes place." As always, the inspiration, materials and workmanship in the fresh and sometimes very innovative jewelry products are exceptionally varied. It is already perfectly clear that the 20 showcases offering work by the "brand new" exhibitors along the Designer's Avenue in Hall C2 will be besieged by the specialist visitors and also by other designers and manufacturers. After all, the presentation of the new exhibitors is also intended to forge initial contacts with manufacturers from industry and trade in order to investigate possible cooperation.

New works: examples

What do jewelry and pralines have in common? Katja Hunold posed this question and found the inspiration for a jewelry series in the answers. They are both luxury commodities that one doesn't absolutely need, but that make life more pleasant. Additionally, both of them are regarded as proof of love; anyone giving a present of jewelry or pralines would like to make a beloved person happy. The jewelry series "Pralines" that was created in this way consists of confectionery dishes made of sterling silver with strikingly genuine looking pralines made of hard rubber. For Julia Reymann, experimenting with combinations of two dissimilar materials was the starting point of the jewelry series she developed. The paper she uses symbolizes transience and volume, while silver stands for longevity and form. They complement each other in their characteristics and possibilities. Luzia Vogt from Switzerland, whose vita is particularly striking due to the periods she spent abroad in Canada, Germany and Japan, will present colorful brooches, pins and earrings in Munich. The twisted jewelry appears almost organic, and its unusual ideal value is several times higher than the material value. The Danish born artist, Mette T. Jensen, presents an extremely impressive set of work that is characterized by its lightness and buoyancy, consisting of jewelry made of beech and cherry wood. Flowing forms inspired from bent wood in furniture and ships were the basis for playing with curves that change directions, define shapes and suggest forms in an attempt to make sculptural jewelry. Drawing on this inspiration, the main material used is wood. Its molding capacity is emphasized by a combination with silver. Sophia Wahl addresses inner longings, as her jewelry focuses on comfort and a sense of security. The designer believes that people find comfort in beauty, color, genuineness and honesty, while a sense of security is found in things that accompany us and come back reliably. Her mildly ironic collection "Almauftrieb" combines colorfulness, joy and traditional values to mirror the Almauftrieb herding festival to celebrate the perennial return of spring. The silver ram and the colorful, plastic cushions and colored gemstones are suitable symbols of this. Annette Ehinger places the focus of her jewelry design entirely on the gemstone. In this, she presents it from all sides and simultaneously reduces the ring band to an absolute minimum. All of the stones have an individual cut, intended consciously to promote association with traditional cuts. The counted verse on the blossoms of a daisy - he loves me, he loves me not - that is characterized by superstitious belief and is purported to provide insight into the feelings of affection on the part of a loved one was used by Anja Pietrowski as a source of inspiration for a pleasing series of partnership rings. She preserved the all-important last blossom, which symbolizes a resounding YES on the part of the partner, in an abstract form and transformed it into a series of engagement and wedding rings made of colored plastic, gold and silver.