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24 April 2012
Marc Newson Gets Candid
Marc Newson gives Mandi Keighran his honest views at the Magis stand in Milan.
On Milan
It really makes you want to go to a monastery or something. It’s always the same thing every time I come... I haven’t had a chance to get around the city yet. I went to a few things last night. I always end up doing not even half the things I say I will.
On new work with Magis
With Magis I’m launching the rocking horse, the ‘Bunky’ bed has been put into production, and some big pot plants. They’re really quite simple, generic, pot plant holder things. It’s kind of hard to buy decent pot plant holders. They’re not designed to be a big statement. They’re just things to hide in the corner or outside. Magis asked me to design a pot plant holder, but the rocking horse and the bunk bed were both my idea.
The rocking horse came from having kids. Magis have this range of kids’ things – ‘Me Too’. When you have kids, you discover there’s just horrible, soul-destroying shit out there. And, you have to spend money. You can’t avoid it. You have to buy beds and things. I thought it would be fun to make a rocking horse. This is the first time I’m seeing them. It took ages to get that [rocking mechanism] to work probably – nightmare. But it seems to work quite well.
The whole idea of ‘Me Too’ is that it’s all rotationally moulded, so it’s low tech, low tooling costs. It’s a really simple, recyclable, fun thing.
On future work
I’m working on some furniture, chairs and stuff for Magis that should be ready next year. I went through a period of not designing much furniture, except for Qantas.
I’m doing a very big project with Knoll – a serious office programme. It’s a task chair, so it has to tick all the boxes, it has to do everything. It’s very technical. It’s generally just me and one other guy. I generally tend to do things just me and one other person. But, having said that, it’s no more technical than a seat for an airplane. I’ve come from a good place. It’s a long-term project. It won’t be ready for a couple of years.
Magis is available in Singapore through XTRA.
Marc Newson
marc-newson.com
XTRA
xtra.com.sg
