The first week in December is always a dynamic time on the shores of Miami Beach. The arrival of Design Miami/ and Art Basel infuses the social circles that exist year-round with excitement and, quite literally, brings much of the rest of the world rushing in. While the fairs themselves are filled with collectible design, across the causeway in the Miami Design District, international brands have a way of opening showrooms during the long weekend in order to grab some of the high-design magic.
Our editor-in-chief watched the District blossom during the years she lived in South Beach, beginning with the first Design Miami/ fair, which took place in 2005 when Zaha Hadid’s telescoping white sculpture “Elastika,” debuted inside the Moore Building there. After a few years on the mainland, the fair moved adjacent to Art Basel on the beach, and the rest, as they say, is art/design history!
ENNE Comes to America
Rather than cover the fairs, per se, we have decided to feature one particular Turkish manufacturer opening a new showroom in the District this year because the company’s products truly knock us out! The brand, ENNE, will unveil its new space at 921 NE 2nd Avenue that showcases its latest collections by Christophe Pillet, Arketipo Design, Carlo Colombo, Marconato Maurizio and Terry Zappa, and Maurizio Manzoni. Yesterday, they held a local preview, and today the grand opening will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Tomorrow and Friday, December 1st and 2nd, the showroom will host a pop-up lounge from 2 to 6 p.m. each day.
ENNE carefully selects the designers it brings into the fold, introducing their new designs at the Salone Del Mobile in Milan. This is the first year the collections will be available to the U.S. market thanks to this new venue. This year, the collection is inspired by a mood that combines a natural aesthetic with modern lines. Their concept, as well as the selection of materials, workmanship, and manufacturing, focuses on human-centered design, spatial aspects, and product relationships.
“We’re thrilled to officially celebrate our U.S. arrival and unveil these exciting new collections to the market” says Erkan Aytekin, President of ENNE. “Poised at the heart of Miami’s Design District, this location opens the brand’s doors to an international audience and creates a new offering for accessible high-design contemporary furniture in the Americas.” The new 4,000-square-foot showroom will serve commercial and residential designers, as well as consumers interested in high-quality contemporary design. Along with knowledgeable guidance relating to the brand’s products and goods, staff will offer a full menu of design services.
What drew us to products by this manufacturer, which was established in 1999, is the quiet sophistication of the pieces. It’s no wonder the company motto reflects “a desire to experiment without overstepping the boundary into excess.” The brand is also committed to a constant attention to quality and ergonomics. “ENNE believes that design products should not only be technically excellent, but also respond to real consumer needs, as well as offering aesthetics to stir the emotions,” its founders note. This last point calls to mind a question that was the chic new query during cocktail hour in the 1950s—shaken or stirred? We recognize a mid-century modern freshness in the aesthetics of that time in these new products, though they are on a grander scale to accommodate modern lifestyles and they exude a thousand times the sophistication. Let us know if you agree with us after enjoying the views of the showroom that illustrate this post.