Join Snyder Diamond + the LA Design Community for Milan Design Week

The following post is brought to you by Snyder Diamond. Our partners are hand-picked by the Design Milk team because they represent the best in design.

Was travel one of your New Year’s resolutions? This April, Los Angeles kitchen and bath showroom Snyder Diamond will embark on its second annual trip to Salone del Mobile in Milan, Italy—and you’re invited. Founded in 1961, Salone is not only one of the oldest furniture and design fairs in the world, it’s also the largest of its kind. The event reaches beyond the confines of the Milan Convention Center to all corners of the city with satellite fairs, exhibitions, panel discussions and parties. Lots of parties. With more than 2,500 exhibitors and some 435,000 attendees in 2018—and even bigger numbers anticipated this year—it can be a bit daunting. Having a plan and knowing you’ll see friends when you get there makes all the difference. That’s why Snyder Diamond, which celebrates its 70^thanniversary this year, was inspired to create a bespoke auxiliary travel program with the LA design community in mind.

For years, Russ Diamond (President of Snyder Diamond and son of one of the company’s founders, Walt Diamond) has been traveling to Europe to source cutting-edge products for the Southern California market. (He was the first to bring German luxury brand Dornbracht to the United States in the 1970s.) A benefit of all those trips is the friendship he now shares with some of the finest manufacturers in the business—firms like Fantini, Gessi and Kreoo in Italy.

Those relationships lead Diamond to develop a plan to bring a group of designers together for Salone 2018, offering them special access to celebrated manufacturers, along with private events and behind-the-scenes tours of exhibitions, showrooms and factories, as well as trips to Lake Orta and Lake Como. “It was a wonderful way for us to bring our local design community together, and it helped give them a greater presence in Milan,” says Diamond. “We can’t wait to do it again this year since we really hope to inspire collaboration on all levels. We want to promote our incredible Los Angeles talent in Europe,” he adds.

Building last year’s success, Snyder Diamond’s 2019 program begins with a pre-party on January 30^th at Poliform in West Hollywood. Guests will have a chance to meet and learn more about the program, which is designed comprehensively but can also be a la carte—simply go to what sounds best to you.

Once in Milan, kick-off the week with an exclusive welcome party at the Bulgari Hotel Milano, co-hosted with KneedlerFauchère, on Monday, April 8th at 6pm. Some of the following week’s Snyder Diamond events include: a private tour of architect Piero Lissoni’s studio; a Poliform-hosted breakfast and tour of their booth at Salone, plus a visit to their factory outside the city; a private party at the Gessi showroom; dinner with Fantini; private meals around the city; and more forthcoming excursions. The entire program is made possible by partnerships with GC Collaborative, Poliform, Kneedler Fauchère, Stark, Black Crow Studios, Design Milk, and DesignLA, among others.

“It was really exciting to see everyone finding creative inspiration in the city,” recalls Diamond of last year’s trip. “Not only did the tours give designers a chance to get to know each other better, it also gave them the chance to talk directly with people like Daniela Fantini and Gian Luca Gessi—the people behind the brands, as well as to meet editors, like Michael Wollaeger of DesignLA. This trip is a great, comfortable way to get to know some of the most important people in the design field.”

With so much potential—not to mention the sheer beauty of Milan’s rich architectural heritage and surrounding countryside—it’s a fun and easy way to attend the fair.

Sign up here to learn more and you’ll receive Snyder Diamond’s custom-designed 2019 Guide to Milan filled with insider tips for the city’s best shopping, dining and, of course, design resources.

Source: design-milk