Working in Zanat’s woodcarving atelier in the Bosnian town of Konjic requires not just skill, but an admi-rable resistance to noise-induced headaches too. The traditional technique the artisans here master involves using a pointed chisel and a hammer to create precise patterns on wooden furniture. The clanging is incessant, repetitive and unbearably loud to the untrained ear.

The co-owners, brothers Orhan and Adem Niksic, are unfazed as they circle prototypes of the designs they are planning to launch at Salone del Mobile. “This back is very complex,” shouts Orhan, commenting on the lithe maple chair thought up by Swedish designer Monica Förster. “We have to reconcile stability, firmness and lightness. The legs will have to be thickened.” Their other new release, an armchair by Milanese designers Palomba Serafini Associati, is only half painted for now. Its carved chessboard-like backrest, though, already gives clues as to why it earned the name Dama – Italian for “checkers”.

All around the studio, production of the current cat-alogue – including dappled tables and benches designed by London’s Ilse Crawford – is still in full swing. Among these streamlined pieces, a cabinet decorated in floral patterns sticks out: this minor part of the firm’s output seems worlds away from its current style and yet is a telling sign of Zanat’s history. When the broth-ers’ grandfather started making furniture in 1927, these were the objects he produced: the interwar period was a golden era for a woodworking craft that had started flourishing in Konjic only a few decades earlier with the investment of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Come the Second World War, Nazi occupation and Allied bombings forced the business (then called Rukotvorine) to shut. When it reopened under the socialist regime the com-pany was forbidden to hire new employees. For decades, the Niksics’ father and uncle made only what they could manage on their own. Furniture production eventually began again only to be halted by Bosnia’s most recent war in the 1990s: despite many of the employees being drafted into the army (including Adem), the company once again bounced back in 1995.

Having survived the jolts, a radical transformation was on the horizon. An architecture graduate and a senior economic adviser for the World Bank respectively, when Adem and Orhan were brought in to manage the business they had their sights set beyond the Bosnian market that formed the clientele for its traditional pieces. “We had an enthusiasm, a curiosity and an affinity for modern design,” explains Orhan. “But also a willingness to do something with the company, to internationalise it.”

The pair rebranded the family business as Zanat in 2015 and focused on taking a Bosnian-crafted prod-uct beyond the home market. Today exports make up 95 per cent of their revenues. While at first the idea was to collaborate with Bosnian creatives, getting a series of Scandinavian designers on board soon shifted the busi-ness up a gear. It was a canny move: without an established

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CARVE OUT A NEW VISION A small Bosnian carpentry shop has transformed itself into a booming worldwide brand by working with designers such as Ilse Crawford, Harri Koskinen and Monica Förster. But the brothers behind Zanat have global change on the agenda too.writer Chiara Rimella photographer Jasmin Brutus

“We’re making

furniture more

labour-intensive,

while creating

jobs at the same time”

Section 1

Salone del Mobile Edition12/04—19/04

Q & A / B R A N D W A T C H

Art and soul The idea that a high-street clothing chain can thrive with a ‘quiet’ marketing policy would be dismissed by most boardrooms, yet Cos’s regular events at Salone del Mobile are proof that subtlety can stir. Creative director Karin Gustafsson reveals 2018’s offering. writer Nolan Giles photographer Ana Cuba

Even when addressing a design-savvy audience at Salone del Mobile, gimmicks tend to creep into the equation as brands seize the opportunity to get in front of the event’s eager hordes at any cost via sponsored events and initia-tives. Yet, skip past the more implicit brand-driven exer-cises that caused British designer Jasper Morrison to call the event “Salone del Marketing” and it’s apparent that these big-brand-sponsored pieces can create impact.

Last year, Korean electronics giant LG’s work with Japanese artist Tokujin Yoshioka showcased a new form of led technology, which most will not remember, as part of a futuristic installation that few will forget. Similarly, fash-ion company Cos’s annual presence delivers thought-pro-voking installations that don’t scream “buy our brand”. Crowds waited for hours under the Milanese sun last year to get involved with its conceptual show from the UK’s Studio Swine. A bubble-emitting tree (pictured far right, bottom) in a dream-like setting was worth the sunburn.

While Cos creative director Karin Gustafsson (pictured, right) says she does not think of Cos as a “big brand”, the h&m subsidiary has captured a global following within a youth-ful mid-market bracket. Its collaborative efforts with artists, architects and designers range from its Salone del Mobile showings to events at London’s Serpentine Pavilion. The aim of these exercises is to personify the type of good taste the label tries to promote in its clothes and with names such as Sou Fujimoto and Nendo keen to take part, the fashion label largely succeeds.

We meet Gustafsson mulling over mood boards for the brand’s 2018 autumn/winter collection in Cos’s

sparkling new offices in London. With pictures of archi-tectural works from names such as Norwegian design giant Snøhetta sitting alongside more abstract images of various concretes, it’s clear design and architecture creep into her team’s processes in significant ways. Cos’s collaboration for Salone del Mobile 2018 is with another genre-spanning name – Phillip K Smith III. The US-based artist and designer’s large-scale installations cleverly use mirrors and crafty structural engineering to engage with man-made and natural environments in a provocative way. Gustafsson reveals what visitors to this fruitful collaborative project can expect.

The idea of collaborations between brands in the making of “content” is so prevalent now at design events that it feels overblown. Your approach is quieter. What is the business reasoning for this?It’s not special for a fashion brand to take inspiration from design and architecture and we never had an idea to showcase this as a point of difference. We don’t want to make loud announcements about it. We see this as an opportunity for us to share with our audience what it is that actually inspires us as designers and to give back to the world of art, design and architecture. We feel a need to do these things but no need to shout about it.

How do you stay present in your customers’ lives without shouting at them?Somehow we have managed to find a way that works for us. This is a lot about focusing on the products and

Clockwise from top left: Mural on a school in

Konjic; the Konjic style is recognised as an intangible

heritage by Unesco; artisan carving

traditional Bosnian patterns; most

Zanat pieces display a contemporary interpretation of the woodcarving

technique; Prototype of Palomba Serafini

Associati chair displayed in Zanat`s

workshop

23

Read on: We take an educational extracurricular trip to explore the bold architecture of Milan’s post-war school buildings. Pay attention at the back, please.Section 2: Page 32

monocle.commonocle.com/radio

homegrown design scene it was hard to appeal to more con-servative foreign buyers. “Whenever you bring something new, people are sceptical,” says Orhan. “My hypothesis was that if you bring in people who are already established, it’s easier to break through. That’s proved true.”

What Zanat’s collections earned from collaborations with the likes of Finland’s Harri Koskinen is a simpli-fied aesthetic but no piece ever forgoes the company’s unique craft signature. “We see woodcarving as essential to our designs, not as decoration on a finished project,” says Orhan, whose efforts to promote Konjic’s traditional

woodcarving technique led to it being added to the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists last year.

It’s a choice that gives each Zanat piece a coherent mark and has bene-fitted the brand’s ability to stand out. It’s also a decision that makes eco-nomic sense: given labour is much less expensive in Bosnia than else-where in Europe, their designs’ hand-made tactility doesn’t break the bank.

“What we are doing is making manufacturing more labour- intensive,” says Orhan. “You can create beautiful things while creat-ing jobs at the same time.” Even on the carpentry side, many of the pro-cesses are hands-on despite being machine-aided. Inside the factory, a series of employees (all in matching Zanat-branded overalls) often hand-shape, sand and polish timber that is harvested from Bosnia’s forests. A hulking automatic cutting machine is a recent addition to the floor and is necessary to produce the line’s increasingly elaborate shapes – and for the company to keep up with demand.

Last year’s staggeringly high growth rate of 85 per cent (which the brothers expect to match this year) has meant 15 people were hired – bringing the team’s total to 40 – and Orhan expects 10 more to join this year. To make room for all of them the brothers will need to manage expansion of the factory.

The growth of the business has also inspired the pair to found a woodcarving academy to train an increasing number of prospective recruits, organised in association with the local university’s tourism fac-

ulty. With plans to open a museum this year dedicated to Konjic’s woodworking, it’s clear that Orhan’s background in nation development has had an influence on the com-pany’s vision. “Part of the idea of launching Zanat was to develop a business model with a sustainable-development dimension to it,” he says. “The idea is for this to become replicable by other Bosnian companies.”

Where state support for the creative industries isn’t well developed (many young Bosnian designers emigrate to find jobs), crafting a rebirth is in the hands of compa-nies such as Zanat. Forever the macro-economist, Orhan has his eyes on an even bigger picture. “I see our mis-sion as promoting craft-oriented design as a way to partly offset the job destruction as a result of digitalisation,” he says. “I did some rough calculations and, if the luxury-de-sign industry became 20 per cent more labour intensive, it could create more than a million jobs worldwide. It’s not going to solve the problem but it can be part of the solution.” It’s an ambitious idea but judging by what’s happened in Konjic, it may be one worth considering.

Zanat will be showcasing its Dama armchair designed by Palomba+Serafini, along with Monica Förster’s chairs and side tables, at its stand in the Rho fairground.

making a collection that we feel proud of every season. We then find our own way of talking with our customers about the product but also about the ideas relevant to it – it’s as simple as that. When we’re attending our events and see members of the audience wearing Cos clothing and enjoying the installation as well, we know that it is working and it feels good to see this.

You’re working with Phillip K Smith III, who is pro-ducing a mirror installation to enliven an outdoor space in a Milanese villa. How did this come about?He’s one of the names that we kept coming back to when thinking about these types of projects. Photographs of his work were on our mood board in 2013 when he created his “Lucid Stead” installation in the California desert. We liked the surprising elements of his work and the calmness of it. The mirrors placed over a desert shack totally changed your perception of looking at both the desert and the structure of a building. Since then we have had him in mind and we reached out to him around a year ago where we talked about ourself as a brand and our values and he shared his philosophy with us.

What is the process of finalising the design; how much of your vision is channelled into the work?We knew the venue that we wanted and the brief is always to interpret the dna of the Cos brand. The outcome in this case is all about the interaction of nature with his work so we are now waiting to see what nature wants to do over the week – but I think it’s going to be amazing.

How does the design outcome align with Cos’s dna?We take a lot of inspiration from nature and there is a serenity that we really like in his work, which will be present. Also, he is a true perfectionist and the precision of his design in this case is particularly awe-inspiring. The result means that you’ll be able to look at the piece in so many different ways.

How does the creative dialogue differ between fash-ion designers and industrial designers – and what are you learning from other creative industries?There is a lot of interest in sustainable approaches when it comes to industrial designers. We have been very lucky to collaborate with people from different paths. Phillip is an artist. Studio Swine is fairly undefinable but you could call it a creative studio. We’ve worked with Sou Fujimoto [on ‘Forest of Light’, pictured left, top] who is an architect, and from these collaborations we’re constantly learning. Seeing their process is such a privilege.

Sustainability is such a buzzword today. How are you translating it into your collections?Quality in design is always the most important. We aim for every product that we offer to have a real quality feel, both in the design language as well as the physicality. Therefore the pieces last, they are not thrown away. It’s a similar kind of mindset to the mid-century designers we admire so much here. Their philosophy is so perfect for our dna as their output was so timeless. Form following function is what design should be all about.

Two key factors are defining the state of Japan’s econ-omy: skyrocketing tourism and a shrinking population. While the former improves overseas perceptions of (and consumer spending on) “Brand Japan”, the latter makes domestic business challenging. For this reason Japanese kitchen-maker Sanwa Company, whose products are defined by smooth steel, ceramic finishes and functional ergonomics, has decided to enter the global arena via Milan to find new markets. “Salone del Mobile has an important meaning for our branding and overseas expan-sion,” says Masahiro Nakano, Sanwa’s overseas sales manager. “It’s the only trade show we are committed to.”

Taiwan, China, Italy and Germany are the biggest markets for Sanwa, while sales in Asia are growing. However, non-domestic buying accounts for just 0.2 per cent of Sanwa’s ¥8.7bn (€66.2m) annual sales. That’s why the brand is betting big on Milan as the kitch-en-maker eyes international expansion.

In 2016, Sanwa took a four-piece capsule collection of compact kitchens to EuroCucina, the biannual kitchen trade show at Salone del Mobile. Following its first appearance in Milan, Sanwa entered the Vietnamese market by sealing a partnership with a local company. “‘Made in Japan’ is a royal seal of approval, especially in Asia,” says Sanwa spokesperson Yumi Yato. “With quality design, we can differentiate ourselves from competitors.”

The design differential of Sanwa’s kitchens has also strengthened its hand as it moves products into western European homes. The kitchens (35 models) are rigidly minimal and have won a strong following in design cir-cles. Sanwa has also raised awareness via a well-designed collaboration line with Japanese homeware giant (and fellow minimalist) Muji. While most of us would love a large cooking space in our house, the reality of urban population growth worldwide means that our living spaces are getting smaller. “Our minimal design is borderless,” says Kojiro Serikawa, manager of Sanwa’s product- design department. “Other Japanese makers have started focusing on design but nobody else removes unnecessary functions to create such minimal aesthetics like we do.”

This theme continues into Salone del Mobile 2018, when Sanwa will unveil eight new kitchens at EuroCucina titled The Impact of Compact. To bring some European flavour into the mix it will release its Japanese-designed wares alongside pieces commissioned from three award-winning Italian designers and architects – Alessandro Mendini, Elisa Ossino and Kicco Bestetti.

Sanwa, still making and designing in Japan, is hoping to move into a position where it can start dictating trends. It will be interesting to see how the traditional kitchen brands of Italy respond to this Japanese outlier.

B R A N D W A T C H / J A P A N

Small kitchen, big plans Japanese brand Sanwa Company is taking its compact designs to the world stage – with a dash of Italian flavour. writer Junichi Toyofuku photographer Tsutom Watanabe

“Other Japanese makers have started focusing on design but nobody else removes unnecessary functions

to create such minimal aesthetics as we do”

“We see this as an opportunity for us to share with our audience what it is that actually inspires us as designers and to give back to the world of art, design and architecture”

Clockwise from top left: Clean lines bring drama to the kitchen sink; Sanwa differentiates its product on quality of design; worker

putting the finishing touches to kitchen cabinets; Sanwa assembly line in action