CIAO Asia! FIND – Design Fair Asia Announces New Global Partners

FIND – Design Fair Asia (Furniture, Interiors and Design) continues to gather momentum as it welcomes onboard new partners. Under the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FIND will showcase a number of Italian brands as well as inspiring and emerging creators, bringing Italian design to Asia and solidifying a strong presence at FIND. A Memorandum of Understanding between dmg events, Fiera Milano and the Italian Chamber of Commerce Singapore will be signed to cement the partnership. Design scene tastemakers and key opinion leaders Tony Chambers, founder of creative agency TC & Friends and former editor-in-chief of Wallpaper*, and Yoko Choy, creative consultant and China Editor of Wallpaper* will curate FIND’s content and contribute to its positioning as the definitive platform for design in Asia. They’ll be joined by architect André Fu on FIND’s global advisory board and he will be a keynote speaker at the fair. Interni magazine editor Gilda Bojardi will also come onboard as a curator and collaborator of FIND.

“Italy and Singapore share a deep commitment to trade and investment and the Italian government recognises that Singapore is a vital partner as it forges a new wave of partnerships and collaborations in Asia. We aim to continue working together to strengthen this collaboration that drives progress in sustainability in design, innovation and community. FIND – Design Fair Asia is the perfect annual meeting where the good work of our expanding global cooperation can be showcased and we expect to push the envelope with each edition of FIND,” says Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Manlio Di Stefano.

Visitors to the fair can look forward to discovering a capsule collection of the icons of Italian design put together by Andrea Cancellato, the Director of the Milan-based ADI Design Museum. ADI, the Italian Association of Industrial Design, known for hosting the highly prestigious and longest-running Compasso d’Oro ADI Awards – since 1954 – will be presenting the awards at FIND this year.

“The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore has a strong experience to support Italian design companies in Singapore and SE Asia. Thanks to the presence of over 150 architect firms and more than 2,000 architects in the city, Singapore is the hub of specifications for the SE Asia Region, and the best location for an event like FIND in the Region,” says Alberto Maria Martinelli, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.

Tastemakers and key opinion leaders Tony Chambers and Yoko Choy will form the creativity and content pillar at FIND – Design Fair Asia, creating an opportunity for exchange and inspiration in the convergence of West and East and a platform for global designers to showcase their work. They will bring together a panel of global design opinion leaders who will contribute to the conversation of good living, design and architecture. Tony has masterminded Wallpaper* Handmade, the annual exhibition of creativity and craftmanship at Salone del Mobile; Yoko is currently a creative consultant and China Editor of Wallpaper*.

With Asia on the rise, DesignSingapore Council will bring together over 50 emerging creators from Asia to display their work at the EMERGE @ FIND pavilion. For this first edition in 2022, EMERGE @ FIND will present a dedicated Southeast Asian showcase that will shine the spotlight on design talent from this region.

“FIND – Design Fair Asia will be one of the anchor events for Singapore Design Week which will make a much-anticipated return in 2022 with a fresh and innovative concept. We are honoured to embark on this brave new chapter for Singapore design together with our esteemed partners from Italy, who are leaders in the world of design. As the first new design fair to emerge out of the neo-pandemic era, we are confident that FIND will present a forward-thinking design experience that also highlights the immense creativity and talent of Southeast Asia,” says Mark Wee, Executive Director of DesignSingapore Council.

“Our ‘Made in Italy’ has always enjoyed its status as a mark of timeless, inimitable design and good quality, and we believe that today a strengthened partnership between Italy’s and Singapore’s more creative and innovative talents will prove to be more and more impactful, as we form a bridge between Italy, Europe and Asia. Singapore serves as the ideal hub for such a collaboration, with FIND – Design Fair Asia being the perfect catalyst for this new strategy, and a superb showcase for the whole region” says Mr. Mario Andrea Vattani, the Ambassador of Italy to Singapore.

The inaugural edition of FIND – Design Fair Asia (Furniture, Interiors and Design) will be held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore from 22 to 24 September 2022. FIND will be a key highlight of the reimagined Singapore Design Week with the collective goal of creating a global design moment in September. FIND will bring together physical and virtual visitors and 500 of the leading brands in the industry for three action-packed, inspirational days.