In Paola Antonelli's excellent introduction to Droog Design's seminal "Spirit of the Nineties" book, published in 1998, she pinpoints Droog's first international appearance at the 1993 Salone Del Mobile as a crucial moment for the direction of contemporary design.
She also perfectly sums up the importance of the Salone for our industry, explaining that “its international audience is always hungry for new heroes to be celebrated by the design magazines, themselves often better looking than Vogue. The spontaneous buzz in this milieu is much more decisive than any kind of official promotion, and this was the kind of reception afforded to Droog.”
As we all continue to wonder what the future of the design industry will look like and when we might experience that spontaneous buzz again, we are looking back fondly at Droog. Arguably the 90s most influential design group, their less-is-more attitude and experimental approach to materials is as relevant today as it ever has been.
A full version of Spirit of the Nineties can be found here, enjoy.
