#10: 70's Cartier

This month an interesting Cartier exhibition is open to the public which unveils the extensive collection from the past.  "Cartier & Aldo Cipullo: New York City in the '70s" can be seen at the Cartier Mansion until May 8th.  It focuses on the house's designer, Aldo Cipullo's work done from 1969-1974.  There are 40 historic pieces, some famously known from Elizabeth Taylor and the Dutchess of Windsor.  The cool thing about this exhibit is that they brought in a giant touch screen where visitors can scroll through pictures of Manhattan it girls, like Diane Von Furstenberg in tons of Cartier jewels.  You can also look through news archives highlighting big sales, such as the  $1 million diamond Richard Burton bought for Elizabeth Taylor in 1969.  As a tribute, the jeweler reintroduces Mr. Cipullo's unisex nail bracelet, Juste un Clou, originally designed in 1971.  Most definitely something to check out!

The Juste un Clou bracelet in rose gold



Elizabeth Taylor at the 1970 Oscars, wearing the 'Taylor-Burton' diamond' set by Cartier

#9: Milan's Fair Turned Techno

Every year Milan hosts a furniture show displaying the newest, most enticing furniture and housewares.  This year the fair is taking a technologically savvy turn.  The fair, which started yesterday, will focus on new manufacturing technologies, 3-D printing in particular.  The 3-D manufacturing allows for super fast speeds and excellent percision, all while being able to be personalized to every customer's liking.  It also saves money and is eco-friendly by leaving less surplus material and unsold stock than conventional production processes.  The fair will stage exhibitions of young designers’ experiments with new forms of manufacturing in Milan for the week.  Some of what is expected to be seen: the Japanese design group Nendo will show a new series of 3-D printed objects at the design gallery Nilufar, and British designer Tom Dixon plans to make chairs and lamps on a live digital production line and then to give them away for free as part of a cluster of events he is organizing at the Museum of Science and Technology.

Digital systems, like 3-D printing, have been talked about as the future of manufacturing. The Economist recently predicted that "3-D printing would prove to be as transformative as the invention of the steam engine and the transistor."  Even more fashion brands, including Marni and Roberto Cavalli, plan to introduce furniture lines.  I think the future of fashion will rely heavily on technology and new innovations like these.  Image being able to watch a production line live to see how your piece of furniture is being made at that very moment?  I know we will be seeing a lot more of this, as we have already begun to witness the great impact technology has had on the fashion industry.  Keep an eye out!

Spoon made by French designer Inga Sempre

Wooden chair created by German designer Konstantin Grcic

3-D printer