24 hours in Antwerp with &Tradition
Earlier this month I was invited to join Danish brand &Tradition in Antwerp for the introduction of six bold new finishes to their iconic Flowerpot range: Five new and exciting hues, alongside an original, black and white wave-pattern.
It was a great opportunity to to see the Antwerp showroom, where we met Els Van Hoorebeeck, head of Design at &Tradition and Carin Panton, daughter of Verner Panton. We enjoyed a great lunch together, had a look at the many beautiful styled rooms and got a first glimpse of the new colours. FOr more images have a look at my Antwerpen Instagram highlight
In close collaboration with the Panton family, &Tradition launched the five vibrant colours to their 2023 range: Cobalt Blue, Swim Blue, Vermilion Red, Tangy Pink, Dark Plum. Alongside the new and shiny colours, also a re-issue of a Panton original, black and white wave-pattern design inspired by the 70s was beautifully presented at the Antwerp showroom.
New Colours for the iconic Flowerpot lamp
With a playful installation at the upper floor of the showroom, different models and the new colours of the Flowerpot were shown. Every colour holds a memory or moment out of Verner Panton’s career. On the left and pictured below from left to right:
The bold Vermilion Red, the colour that informed by the Panton archives was found in an invitation for Panton’s 60th birthday party in 1986. In the middle Dark Plum which we can easily call the New Black, A deep and powerful tone which can be identified in other Panton classics like the Ring Lamp, a modular lighting element designed in 1969 for the Visiona II installation. On the far right, the eye-catching hue, Tangy Pink.
Cobalt Blue was also an original and popular choice for Panton in his early works, Swim Blue serves a freshness and provides a cool, aquatic nuance to the Flowerpot range.
Black and White Pattern
In an exciting reissue of a Verner Panton original, this retro, hypnotic-style pattern was first used in the 70s. Guaranteed to spark scintillating conversation under its glow, this design is a small piece of history plucked straight from the Panton family’s archives.
Living with Colour
Later that afternoon we joined ‘Living with Colour’, a Design talk at Momu Fashion Museum which brought together practitioners and curators from across different design disciplines, to reflect on the role of colour within design. The compelling panel, consisting of Sabine Marcelis, Dr Lucia Savi, and Els Van Hoorebeeck, was moderated by Oli Stratford. A beautiful speech was given by Carin Panton who showed us a selection of images from her personal family archive and gave us an amazing look into the home she grow up at.
After the talk we enjoyed dinner at restaurant Fiera. Together with &Tradition, Carin Panton and her son and several members of the international press before heading to one of the most beautiful hotels I ever stayed.
Thank you &Tradition for a wonderful 24 hours in Antwerp!