Singapore design sets sights on Europe
Posted by luxuryasiahome on May 2, 2008
THE words ‘Made in Singapore’ may not have meant much to the casual observer overwhelmed by the multitude of international names and cutting-edge designs at the just-ended Milan Furniture Fair. But for the six local design companies making their debut showcase in the most prestigious furniture fair in the world, it was a seminal moment.
But, better still, there was more than just a casual interest in the glossy crystal acrylic finishes, unique soft-closing mechanisms and Asian-inspired furniture on display at the Singapore Mozaic booth.
‘We’ve received very positive reviews about our designs,’ says Kee Ai Nah, retail, furniture, textile and apparel director of Spring Singapore. ‘They know it’s not a copycat thing that we’re trying to pull off here.’
Led by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) under the umbrella banner of Singapore Mozaic, the companies taking part in the debut showcase were: Koda, Star Furniture Industries, Getz Gallery in collaboration with design studio HybridMatter, The Life Shop and Air Division. Each company’s strengths were highlighted in a diverse range of contemporary design-led furniture, from The Life Shop’s Asian-inspired teak pieces to Star Furniture’s high-gloss and veneer bedroom set.
Elsewhere in Milan, Singapore design was in the spotlight at diverse events around town. At Zona Tortona, the most popular area for individual design shows, DesignSingapore scholars Hans Tan and Hunn Wai presented their latest collections in separate group shows led by their alma mater, Design Academy Eindhoven, while DesignSingapore Council exhibited Blueprint 2008, featuring furniture designed by Jason Ong, Jarrod Lim, Gabriel Tan, Wendy Chua, P C Ee, Brian Law and Tan Sixiu. Two of them – Jarrod Lim and P C Ee – also showed their work with Singapore-based manufacturing and design company Exit at Salone Satellite, the show for young designers.
This year marks Singapore’s largest entry in recent times to Milan during what’s known as design week, which celebrates furniture, product and industrial design both at the Salone del Mobile and in over 400 stores, galleries and exhibition spaces all over the city.
‘We’re just very happy to be given the opportunity to be here,’ says Ms Kee of the modest 700 sq ft space that Singapore Mozaic was allocated in Hall 13 at the fair. ‘It has been impossible for the last 10 years.’
The reason for this can be attributed to the selectiveness of the organisers at the always over-subscribed fair. ‘We’ve always applied – but after we submit our companies’ profiles and designs they come back to say that they have 200 to 300 companies on the waiting list,’ says SFIC’s executive director Shermaine Ong.
It was a different story in the mid-1980s to 1990s, when Singapore furniture companies were a hot commodity in Europe, thanks to their competitive manufacturing ability and low prices. Back then, local manufacturers had a strong presence in Milan, occupying an entire hall at the then-smaller furniture fair.
Ernie Koh, senior vice-president of marketing for Koda, recalls the glory days. ‘In the mid-80s, International Enterprise Singapore (then known as the Singapore Trade Development Board) led a group of companies to the Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Business was fantastic – they were literally lining up to order.’
But since the furniture trade started to focus on design as well as production capabilities, Singapore has been fighting to get its foot back in. ‘Singapore was still a very competitive source of manufacturing, and we were known for our reliability. Over time, we became very expensive,’ explains Mr Koh. ‘We could not compete without having an additional edge.’
Mr Koh is back in Milan this year, this time armed with Koda’s expertise in product design and workmanship. The new, design-led contingent proposed a hopeful repositioning of made-in-Singapore furniture – that is, designed in Singapore, with manufacturing based in the region.
As SFIC president Andrew Ng puts it: ‘Shanghai was the third-largest furniture supplier in the world last year, but this year they’ve overtaken Italy to take the second spot. Our guys have facilities in China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, so we are three up on China.’
He cites the brand equity of Singapore, with efficient infrastructure and transparent business practices as leverage, but is quick to admit that ‘we are a small stone in a big sea. We are fighting with very major players, which is why we set up Singapore Mozaic so we can showcase the finest quality and design that we can come up with’.
The value of Singapore furniture exports stands at $3.4 billion currently. SFIC hopes to increase its share of the world furniture export market from 0.7 per cent to 2 per cent by the year 2015.
‘It’s our first entry into this market, and it takes us a while to really understand the needs of this market,’ says Mr Ng. ‘Some are very experienced producers, like Koda, and then there are newcomers such as Air Division. Even if they don’t sell, they’re here to gain experience as well, which is important.’
The experience they’ve gained so far? Star Furniture Industries’ international marketing manager Susan Wu has noticed a difference among the fairs the company has participated in, such as in Cologne, Singapore, Malaysia and China. ‘The customers here are different, their emphasis is on design, rather than prices. These are completely new leads that we are getting here – you wouldn’t see them in the other fairs.’
A big player in the local market, Star Furniture Industries has an annual output of US$27 million and has established markets in the UK, France, Spain, Cyprus, the Middle East, Australia, The Netherlands, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines.
‘Visitors to our booth think our prices are good, and the quality is very good,’ says Ms Wu. ‘The problem is a matter of how to bring in our products. They need to explore issues such as duty, Custom clearance, warehousing and logistics. They’re used to working with European firms, who transport by trucking, which is faster and more flexible than shipping, and the quantities required are smaller.’
Challenging hurdle
It’s a similar story for Koda, whose biggest concern is the quantity customers are able to order. ‘That is a challenging hurdle for us, because we require volume in order to fulfil them,’ says Mr Koh. But he has noticed an opening in the market: ‘Italy is traditionally a strong manufacturing country, but with the rising costs and the euro being so strong, they are looking into imports too.’
For smaller companies such as The Life Shop and Air Division, which have a smaller capacity and are much more design-led, this has been a very good show for them, as the fair draws mainly architects and retail buyers who are looking for designer furniture in smaller quantities suitable for development projects and retail stores.
The Life Shop, which already has established markets in Europe, has also drawn a lot of interest from existing customers who have introduced them to affiliated retail buyers. But there is one unexpected obstacle regarding their design material: ‘We have to propose a new wood for our designs, as the Europeans are concerned about the environmental friendliness of their furniture,’ says Marfo’ah Ahmad, sales and marketing manager. ‘Teak is a no-no.’
The success of the Singapore contingent remains to be seen, but so far, the response has been encouraging, with each company in the negotiating process with a list of potential project as well as retail buyers from European countries from Cyprus to the Czech Republic.
At Salone Satellite, Exit’s show was also swarming with curious visitors, and the designers had numerous enquiries from galleries and manufacturers who were keen on working with them. By the third day, P C Ee’s sculptural, stainless steel Before and After chaise longue had been sold to a private collector from the UK, and Jarrod Lim was approached by a prestigious Italian manufacturer to produce his magazine rack.
But it wasn’t only the commercially feasible, mass-oriented works that were in demand; the daring, conceptual chairs and shelving designs by Hunn Wai also drew numerous offers by galleries keen on exhibiting his work, as well as architects who wanted to reproduce them for commercial projects.
Simon Ong, chairman of SFIC’s Design Development Committee, says: ‘It’s a good start. We hope that we can create awareness amongst both customers and designers that Singapore is different from the rest of the Asian countries. In the future, we hope to work with Italian designers and bring them here.’
Source : Business Times – 2 May 2008
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Singapore design sets sights on Europe
Posted by luxuryasiahome on May 2, 2008
THE words ‘Made in Singapore’ may not have meant much to the casual observer overwhelmed by the multitude of international names and cutting-edge designs at the just-ended Milan Furniture Fair. But for the six local design companies making their debut showcase in the most prestigious furniture fair in the world, it was a seminal moment.
But, better still, there was more than just a casual interest in the glossy crystal acrylic finishes, unique soft-closing mechanisms and Asian-inspired furniture on display at the Singapore Mozaic booth.
‘We’ve received very positive reviews about our designs,’ says Kee Ai Nah, retail, furniture, textile and apparel director of Spring Singapore. ‘They know it’s not a copycat thing that we’re trying to pull off here.’
Led by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) under the umbrella banner of Singapore Mozaic, the companies taking part in the debut showcase were: Koda, Star Furniture Industries, Getz Gallery in collaboration with design studio HybridMatter, The Life Shop and Air Division. Each company’s strengths were highlighted in a diverse range of contemporary design-led furniture, from The Life Shop’s Asian-inspired teak pieces to Star Furniture’s high-gloss and veneer bedroom set.
Elsewhere in Milan, Singapore design was in the spotlight at diverse events around town. At Zona Tortona, the most popular area for individual design shows, DesignSingapore scholars Hans Tan and Hunn Wai presented their latest collections in separate group shows led by their alma mater, Design Academy Eindhoven, while DesignSingapore Council exhibited Blueprint 2008, featuring furniture designed by Jason Ong, Jarrod Lim, Gabriel Tan, Wendy Chua, P C Ee, Brian Law and Tan Sixiu. Two of them – Jarrod Lim and P C Ee – also showed their work with Singapore-based manufacturing and design company Exit at Salone Satellite, the show for young designers.
This year marks Singapore’s largest entry in recent times to Milan during what’s known as design week, which celebrates furniture, product and industrial design both at the Salone del Mobile and in over 400 stores, galleries and exhibition spaces all over the city.
‘We’re just very happy to be given the opportunity to be here,’ says Ms Kee of the modest 700 sq ft space that Singapore Mozaic was allocated in Hall 13 at the fair. ‘It has been impossible for the last 10 years.’
The reason for this can be attributed to the selectiveness of the organisers at the always over-subscribed fair. ‘We’ve always applied – but after we submit our companies’ profiles and designs they come back to say that they have 200 to 300 companies on the waiting list,’ says SFIC’s executive director Shermaine Ong.
It was a different story in the mid-1980s to 1990s, when Singapore furniture companies were a hot commodity in Europe, thanks to their competitive manufacturing ability and low prices. Back then, local manufacturers had a strong presence in Milan, occupying an entire hall at the then-smaller furniture fair.
Ernie Koh, senior vice-president of marketing for Koda, recalls the glory days. ‘In the mid-80s, International Enterprise Singapore (then known as the Singapore Trade Development Board) led a group of companies to the Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Business was fantastic – they were literally lining up to order.’
But since the furniture trade started to focus on design as well as production capabilities, Singapore has been fighting to get its foot back in. ‘Singapore was still a very competitive source of manufacturing, and we were known for our reliability. Over time, we became very expensive,’ explains Mr Koh. ‘We could not compete without having an additional edge.’
Mr Koh is back in Milan this year, this time armed with Koda’s expertise in product design and workmanship. The new, design-led contingent proposed a hopeful repositioning of made-in-Singapore furniture – that is, designed in Singapore, with manufacturing based in the region.
As SFIC president Andrew Ng puts it: ‘Shanghai was the third-largest furniture supplier in the world last year, but this year they’ve overtaken Italy to take the second spot. Our guys have facilities in China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, so we are three up on China.’
He cites the brand equity of Singapore, with efficient infrastructure and transparent business practices as leverage, but is quick to admit that ‘we are a small stone in a big sea. We are fighting with very major players, which is why we set up Singapore Mozaic so we can showcase the finest quality and design that we can come up with’.
The value of Singapore furniture exports stands at $3.4 billion currently. SFIC hopes to increase its share of the world furniture export market from 0.7 per cent to 2 per cent by the year 2015.
‘It’s our first entry into this market, and it takes us a while to really understand the needs of this market,’ says Mr Ng. ‘Some are very experienced producers, like Koda, and then there are newcomers such as Air Division. Even if they don’t sell, they’re here to gain experience as well, which is important.’
The experience they’ve gained so far? Star Furniture Industries’ international marketing manager Susan Wu has noticed a difference among the fairs the company has participated in, such as in Cologne, Singapore, Malaysia and China. ‘The customers here are different, their emphasis is on design, rather than prices. These are completely new leads that we are getting here – you wouldn’t see them in the other fairs.’
A big player in the local market, Star Furniture Industries has an annual output of US$27 million and has established markets in the UK, France, Spain, Cyprus, the Middle East, Australia, The Netherlands, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines.
‘Visitors to our booth think our prices are good, and the quality is very good,’ says Ms Wu. ‘The problem is a matter of how to bring in our products. They need to explore issues such as duty, Custom clearance, warehousing and logistics. They’re used to working with European firms, who transport by trucking, which is faster and more flexible than shipping, and the quantities required are smaller.’
Challenging hurdle
It’s a similar story for Koda, whose biggest concern is the quantity customers are able to order. ‘That is a challenging hurdle for us, because we require volume in order to fulfil them,’ says Mr Koh. But he has noticed an opening in the market: ‘Italy is traditionally a strong manufacturing country, but with the rising costs and the euro being so strong, they are looking into imports too.’
For smaller companies such as The Life Shop and Air Division, which have a smaller capacity and are much more design-led, this has been a very good show for them, as the fair draws mainly architects and retail buyers who are looking for designer furniture in smaller quantities suitable for development projects and retail stores.
The Life Shop, which already has established markets in Europe, has also drawn a lot of interest from existing customers who have introduced them to affiliated retail buyers. But there is one unexpected obstacle regarding their design material: ‘We have to propose a new wood for our designs, as the Europeans are concerned about the environmental friendliness of their furniture,’ says Marfo’ah Ahmad, sales and marketing manager. ‘Teak is a no-no.’
The success of the Singapore contingent remains to be seen, but so far, the response has been encouraging, with each company in the negotiating process with a list of potential project as well as retail buyers from European countries from Cyprus to the Czech Republic.
At Salone Satellite, Exit’s show was also swarming with curious visitors, and the designers had numerous enquiries from galleries and manufacturers who were keen on working with them. By the third day, P C Ee’s sculptural, stainless steel Before and After chaise longue had been sold to a private collector from the UK, and Jarrod Lim was approached by a prestigious Italian manufacturer to produce his magazine rack.
But it wasn’t only the commercially feasible, mass-oriented works that were in demand; the daring, conceptual chairs and shelving designs by Hunn Wai also drew numerous offers by galleries keen on exhibiting his work, as well as architects who wanted to reproduce them for commercial projects.
Simon Ong, chairman of SFIC’s Design Development Committee, says: ‘It’s a good start. We hope that we can create awareness amongst both customers and designers that Singapore is different from the rest of the Asian countries. In the future, we hope to work with Italian designers and bring them here.’
Source : Business Times – 2 May 2008
