back	September 15, 2009 RSS

The new nature nostalgia

Heart-shaped chairs and pine-clad interiors are out: the Alps are getting hip. Trends on the design and fashion front are towards ironic renditions of stag antlers and a new take on knickerbockers and Alpine hats. From the lurid green Mountain & Soul hotel in the Zillertal with its bright pink balcony and Matteo Thun's M32 restaurant in Salzburg featuring a forest of antlers under a red ceiling, all the way to Gaetano Pesce's Montanara sofa - wherever you look, design is citing Alpine style elements. "Nature is a hot topic because it's in short supply," explains philosopher Gernot Böhme. The Alps and their glaciers are changing, prompting designers to abandon exotic influences and honour these awesome surroundings through idealised creations. The results are tongue-in-cheek and highly original, ranging from swimming trunks in lederhosen look to a minimalist plywood stag head trophy to hang on the wall. That way people down in the flatlands get to enjoy the heights of Alpine fashion as well. Read the full story by Barbara Markert on how the Alps are inspiring the world's designers in THE MINI INTERNATIONAL