Droog presented 5135 objects “saved” from liquidation.
Lots of variable quantity (from 1 to 2500 pieces) and different types (from dog baskets to matchboxes and handkerchiefs) from bankrupt businesses destined for destruction were acquired and assigned to 14 designers, invited to offer their own interpretation.
Nearly everyone here at the furniture fair did more with less this year, but few so overtly made an asset of the crisis, the business-killing tendencies of which inspired Droog to come to the aid of all those orphaned goods. The result – a collection of 19 products, arrayed in an orderly fashion on a series of counters – is on sale.
below are some “saved products“owners ( incl our friend David Harrison /Sydney stylist ! )
Reclamation can also apparently benefit the bottom line, considering that 125 euros ($170) will net you one of 448 wallets stamped “Money does not make me happy” by the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister. And silicone-coated wooden spoons by the Dutch food designer Marije Vogelzang are only 29.50 euros ($40).
Everything is for sale on-site, and the designers get half the profits. They are obviously “limited editions” with a rather high price tag.
So what is the meaning of an operation such as this, especially in a moment of economic crisis such as the present one?
“Changing the status of an object from something that nobody wanted and that was going to be thrown away into something that people desire and are willing to buy is an act of design”, they explain. And effectively, looking around, there is no shortage of buyers.
The designs are very different from one another: they range from handkerchiefs with the news of the day printed on them (that the buyer can embroider) by Studio Makkink & Bey to wooden spoons covered in silicone by Marije Vogelzang.
There are also more conceptual projects such as that of Atelier Ted Noten that has used 500 matchboxes to construct a narrative. Reusing the past is a familiar concept to the Dutch foundation that has already worked with leftovers and old objects in the 1990s.
This is a new operation however: conceptual but also pragmatic (half of the profits go to Droog, half to the designer). Value and design quality, limited editions, refuse, crisis and waste. As always, with Droog, there is no lack of issues to consider
From Droog website
Droog presents during Salone del Mobile in Milan:
5135 items saved from liquidation sales and other leftovers
Every month about 500 companies in the Netherlands go bankrupt. Where do their products go? In the past several months we have been bidding on liquidation auction items ranging from handkerchiefs to dog baskets. We acquired 5135 items—1 water cooler, 1 dining table, 2 bar stools, 4 metal trays, 6 wooden trays, 8 mirrors, 10 small bowl sets, 11 cups, 14 dog baskets, 20 dish towels, 40 glass vases, 50 safety vests, 60 sets of cutlery, 80 folding chairs, 90 flower pots, 100 candy pots, 102 wooden spoons, 168 plates of glass, 200 saltshakers, 448 wallets, 500 matchboxes, 720 cola glasses, and 2500 handkerchiefs.
Having invited 14 designers to consider these items as raw material for creative re-interpretation, the result is a new collection of 19 products, with outcomes ranging from folding chairs manicured by nail artists, to handkerchiefs that distribute selected daily news articles, to spoons with non-edible yet mouth-watering coatings. A pragmatic starting point with surprising outcomes, the presentation celebrates the re-use potential of leftovers as a valid approach to product design and development. All items will be immediately available for sale in editions dictated by the limited liquidation lot quantities. Get them before they are gone!
Revivers: Atelier Remy & Veenhuizen, Atelier Ted Noten, Ed Annink, Eric Klarenbeek, Erna Einarsdóttir, Luc d’Hanis & Sofie Lachaert, Maison Martin Margiela, Marian Bantjes, Marije Vogelzang, Mieke Gerritzen, Minale–Maeda, Roelof Mulder, Stefan Sagmeister, Studio Makkink & Bey
