NEW NORMAL 5

Digital Art Produce

JAPANESE MAISON

About

NEW NORMAL is a design project launched in 2020 under the concept of “Creating designs that become the new normal.”

Currently, with the theme “Creating designs that become the new normal for family businesses,” successors to family businesses and designers collaborate to create designs that lead to new products and initiatives.

The project begins with encounters between business owners and designers, followed by exhibitions, and over the course of about a year, ideas and designs are nurtured through collaboration.

Overview

Milan

DATE
7-13 April 2025
11:00 - 19:00
VENUE
Zetalab
Via Cola Montano, 2, 20159 Milan, Italy

Osaka

DATE
11-14 September 2025
Weekday 15:00 - 19:00, Weekend 12:00 - 19:00
VENUE
iha place
1-6-7 Kitahorie Nishi-ku Osaka-Shi Osaka 550-0014

Tokyo

DATE
1-5 October 2025
Weekday 15:00 - 19:00, Weekend 12:00 - 19:00
VENUE
TIERS GALLERY by arakawagrip
5-7-12 Jingumae Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-0001

Creation

CASE OF FLOCKED COATING

CASE OF FLOCKED COATING

Experiments to expand the new possibilities of flock coating.
Flock coating and jewelry cases form the core of Sanei Case's business. At the Milan exhibition [Kan-Setsu], we explored new expressions by applying thin flock coatings to various materials. Building on this, the Osaka and Tokyo exhibitions will showcase prototypes of jewelry cases poised to become Sanei Case's next standard.

See the future design where jewelry cases, unchanged for years, evolve in structure, form, and color. Sanei Case and Kairi Eguchi continue to explore together the next standard for jewelry cases.

Kairi Eguchi × Sanei Case Co., Ltd.

  • 江口 海里

    Kairi Eguchi / 江口 海里

    Industrial designer and creative director. CEO of KAIRI EGUCHI STUDIO Inc.
    I started career as a freelance designer in 2008 and incorporated in 2021, and has been awarded iF DESIGN AWARD (Germany), A' DESIGN AWARD (Italy), DESIGN FOR ASIA AWARD (Hong Kong), GOOD DESIGN AWARD (Japan), etc. Exhibited at MILANO SALONE (Italy), TENT LONDON (UK), EAST DESIGN SHOW (China), DESIGNART TOKYO (Japan), and others.

  • 三栄ケース株式会社

    Sanei Case Co., Ltd. / 三栄ケース株式会社

    Our core business is the manufacture and sale of jewelry cases, as well as fixtures for the jewelry industry. The idea of applying the electrostatic hair implant process to the production of jewelry cases was first spotted by my grandfather and was then put to practical use by my father, the company’s founder and the one who realized the automation of production.
    Based on our knowledge of the materials and processing required to create a three-dimensional image, we now respond to inquiries from a wide range of industries and fields, as well as providing assistance in planning and manufacturing related to packaging and store fixtures.

FLOAT REST

FLOAT REST

A new material, like feathers, that creates a sense of weightlessness.
“Mogyufil” is a new material made by compressing two types of polyester fibers into ultra-fine pellets. It offers a feather-like softness while being non-animal-derived, reducing concerns about feather allergies and odors. Its firm pellets maintain cushioning over time, making it a sustainable material that's kind to both the environment and animals.
The first product under this material brand, “FLOAT REST,” combines Mogyufil with pocket coils to achieve a sensation of floating. Offering a gentle seating experience and beautiful presence, it proposes an open, low-style lifestyle.

Takashi Shikano × Takahata.Co.Ltd

  • 鹿野 峻

    Takashi Shikano / 鹿野 峻

    As the representative of Matataki Design, a product design office, and a Product Designer, I carry out everything from strategic planning to product design and brand development. By addressing real-life challenges and leveraging the unique strengths of each client, I uncover fresh perspectives that drive innovative product development and the creation of sustainable brands.My work has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the GOOD DESIGN AWARD (2016–2023), the iF DESIGN AWARD (2017–2023), and many others.

  • 株式会社髙畑

    Takahata.Co.Ltd / 株式会社髙畑

    For about 74 years, we have been manufacturing, purchasing, and selling materials mainly for chair manufacturing to furniture manufacturers and automobile seat manufacturers under the management slogans of "Obtaining Customer Satisfaction" and "Taking on Challenges". At our factory in Hita City, Oita Prefecture, we manufacture materials for chairs (springs, pocket coils, grain cotton cushions, and resin products). We also sell rare materials imported from overseas. We will continue to take on challenges for further customer satisfaction.

Lumiframe

Lumiframe

Redefining the culture of “display” cultivated as a frame manufacturer into an interior product.
By adopting extrusion molding, our design accommodates various dimensions and allows for flexible placement—whether standing, hanging, or leaning.
A structure that can be disassembled into a single material enhances maintainability and demonstrates environmental consideration.

The lighting itself enhances the space, creating a beautiful, art-like presentation while balancing functionality and design. We offer a new form of light that integrates seamlessly into everyday life.

Akira Hojo × Aluna Co. Ltd.

  • 北條 英

    Akira Hojo / 北條 英

    Akira Hojo, who majored in product design at Kanazawa College of Art, is a Tokyo-based product designer. Focusing on the question, “What kind of experience do I want to create?” Hojo develops and presents products with a user-centered approach, constantly exploring the essence of each design. Through this process, Hojo strives to create pure, essential products.

  • 株式会社髙畑

    Aluna Co. Ltd. / 株式会社アルナ

    Aluna specializes in manufacturing aluminum frames, ranging from frames for paintings and photographs to display cases for three-dimensional objects such as uniforms and balls. The company has received multiple design awards, including the Good Design Award and the DFA Asia Design Award.

Fe+

Fe+

Play Metal Product is a brand that carries forward the storied legacy of Kitakyushu's steelworking, brought to life by Kashimoto Shouten. With masterful precision in laser cutting and bending techniques, it embarks on a journey beyond iron, weaving together new material harmonies.

"Fe+" represents an experimental odyssey—where iron (Fe) merges with unexpected elements, and the edges of possibility dissolve. Within the interplay of contrasting materials, an unforeseen beauty unfurls, revealing new forms and functions that await discovery.

Akira Nakagomi × Kasimoto Shouten Co., Ltd.

  • 中込 明

    Akira Nakagomi/ 中込 明

    Akira Nakagomi founded the AKIRA NAKAGOMI DESIGN in 2015, after working at TYD Inc. His work focuses on product design of furniture and daily necessities, taking into account new concepts based on the characteristics of materials and production methods. The goal is to create beautiful product designs that heirloom product. He received some awards, such as A' DESIGN AWARD, Dezeen Awards Longlist, SKY DESIGN AWARDS, Kyoto Global Design Awards and so on.

  • 株式会社髙畑

    Kasimoto Shouten Co., Ltd.
    / 株式会社樫本商店

    Manufacturing and sales of metal parts used in construction, shipbuilding, and factory equipment. The company mainly handles steel materials and performs cutting and processing.

CapellaMorph

CapellaMorph
-flexible metal sheet-

We propose a new building material called CapellaMorph.
It is a next-generation building material metal sheet that is colorful, light, and flexible, with a gradient powder coating. It is a new building material that creates a space by flexibly changing its shape and showing various expressions with color gradations and light refraction.

It is light and soft, so it is easy to work with, and we have developed a building material that allows you to control color and light in three dimensions, rather than the two-dimensional expressions that have been used until now.

SOL style × Sirius Co.,Ltd (CYUON)

  • SOL style

    SOL style

    SOL style is a multidisciplinary design studio that embraces the philosophy of "FUN & FUNCTION." Our work spans from interior design to the creative direction of international pavilions, exhibition spaces, and product design. By engaging with projects of various scales and genres—ranging from architecture and interiors to exhibitions and product development—we cultivate a unique perspective that allows us to analyze and design with innovative approaches.
    With a strong global presence, our extensive portfolio has been recognized internationally, earning over 70 prestigious design awards worldwide.

  • Sirius Co.,Ltd (CYUON)/ 有限会社シリウス(CYUON)

    Sirius Co.,Ltd (CYUON)
    / 有限会社シリウス(CYUON)

    Founded in 2002, the company initially operated as a control panel manufacturing contractor, but in 2012 it launched a powder coating factory and has been focusing on powder coating ever since. In 2016, it announced a gradation expression using powder coating. Following instructions from designers, it is also working to raise awareness of powder coating, having designers use it in a variety of spaces, products, and interior items.

Take 5 Rubber ®

Take 5 Rubber ®

Take 5 Rubber is a project by Tosho Rubber industries, Inc. designed to generate a variety of shapes and colors by baking a uniquely developed rubber material. This rubber can be molded easily like clay and hardens in 5 minutes in a 120°C oven. It is durable, water-resistant, and safe for the human body. In addition, the ability to adhere to each other and to be subjected to secondary processing opens up new creative possibilities.
Take 5 Rubber seeks to foster a culture of manufacturing into everyday life. The land where the company was founded is home to a pottery manufacturing industry that flourished in Japan 1,500 years ago and will continue to create a new pottery culture through our original rubber material, Artisan Silicone®.

Yosuke Shimano × Tosho Rubber Industries, Inc.

  • 嶋野 陽介

    Yosuke Shimano / 嶋野 陽介

    Multidisciplinary Designer / Brand 'YŌ' Founder
    Based in Osaka Japan. After working as an eyewear designer in Sabae (Japan) and New York, he has been exploring the core concept from his unique perspective and proposing various designs from eyewear to space through sustainability, aesthetics, and wonder. Graduated from ECAL(Lausanne, Switzerland)with MAS in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship.

  • Tosho Rubber Industries, Inc./ 有限会社シリウス(CYUON)

    Tosho Rubber Industries, Inc.
    / 東商ゴム工業株式会社

    Tosho Rubber Industries has been manufacturing and distributing rubber and sponge rollers for various machinery ranging from food and medical equipment to large printing presses under the leadership of Tomio Suenaga (current chairman). Since its establishment, the company has been highly recognized worldwide for its integrated production system.
    The processing technology and wisdom cultivated to date have been developed into unique rubber compounding expertise, which is utilized in the development of intricate parts for precision instruments and innovative new materials never existed before. Under the vision of "The future to contribute with rubber," the company continues to be committed to building a sustainable society.

STANDARD CHAIR

STANDARD CHAIR

A prototype chair beautifully assembled using 3D pipe laser technology.
Since 2021, we have developed products under the KŌSEN FURNITURE brand, utilizing the 3D pipe laser processing technology possessed by Settsu Metal Works.

Through this work, product designer Kairi Eguchi discovered the beauty of the intersecting lines formed when two flattened elliptical pipes are stacked three-dimensionally. This has become the crown jewel of the brand and its most compelling design feature.
Evolving from the three-dimensional puzzle exhibited in Milan, we present the prototype of a chair that will become the brand's symbol.

Kairi Eguchi × Settsu Metal Industry Co.,Ltd.

  • 江口 海里

    Kairi Eguchi / 江口 海里

    Industrial designer and creative director. CEO of KAIRI EGUCHI STUDIO Inc.
    I started career as a freelance designer in 2008 and incorporated in 2021, and has been awarded iF DESIGN AWARD (Germany), A' DESIGN AWARD (Italy), DESIGN FOR ASIA AWARD (Hong Kong), GOOD DESIGN AWARD (Japan), etc. Exhibited at MILANO SALONE (Italy), TENT LONDON (UK), EAST DESIGN SHOW (China), DESIGNART TOKYO (Japan), and others.

  • Settsu Metal Industry Co.,Ltd. / 株式会社摂津金属工業所

    Settsu Metal Industry Co.,Ltd.
    / 株式会社摂津金属工業所

    A steel furniture manufacturer established in 1967. The company manufactures display fixtures for convenience stores, drug stores, housing storage materials, office furniture, and other products made mainly from pipe materials on consignment from major manufacturers.
    With our philosophy of “contributing to the creation of a rich human environment through the creation of new value,” the company aims to create beautiful products by utilizing pipe processing technology and know-how cultivated over many years.

Sou

Sou

To create "someone's favorite place" in the city, we envisioned an inclusive space that welcomes people of all ages and diverse preferences. By reimagining the iconic elements of street furniture—benches and tables—into three distinct pieces, we crafted a multi-layered "hill-like" landscape.
Each piece consists of L-shaped cross-sectional materials arranged so that various perspectives and the angle of sunlight yield ever-changing expressions and shadows.

Aruto Yasuda / Tomoki Doi × Mizushima Mfg. Co., Ltd.

  • 安田 存人

    Aruto Yasuda /安田 存人

    Born in Milan, Italy. Graduated from Kuwasawa Design School with a major in Space Design. Through work as a photographic artist and teaching at Kuwasawa, developed a deep interest in the relationship between urban spaces, public spaces, and people.For the graduation project, explored the theme of “blurring the boundaries between public and private” by placing products in streets and outdoor spaces to challenge the fragmentation of urban environments, seeking to create new relationships and values between people and the city.

  • 土井 智喜

    Tomoki Doi / 土井 智喜

    Designer / Founder of soell / Founder of NEW NORMAL
    Born in Kagawa Prefecture, he graduated from Kuwasawa Design School and worked at an interior design firm before becoming a freelance designer in 2010. In 2022, he founded soell Inc.At soell, he focuses on product and interior design while supporting companies in enhancing the potential of their materials and technologies through design.
    Since 2014, he has been a part-time lecturer at Kuwasawa Design School, and since 2020, he has also served as a part-time lecturer at Showa Women’s University.

  • ミヅシマ工業株式会社

    Mizushima Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    / ミヅシマ工業株式会社

    Mizushima Mfg. Co., Ltd. has been in business for 89 years, specializing in the manufacturing and sale of entrance matting, dust boxes, benches, and other public-use products, primarily produced at its own factory in Kyoto, Japan.
    Our strength lies in our integrated system, which enables us to develop, produce, and sell products that enhance the comfort of public spaces.
    In recent years, the "M series," known for its minimalist design, has received the Good Design Award. Additionally, in 2024, we launched the new brand "iha," offering street furniture designed to bring a sense of fun and vibrancy to public spaces.

Organizer

NEW NORMAL Executive Committee
Tomoki Doi / Takanori Urata / Kairi Eguchi / Makoto Arakawa

Supporter

  • Arakawa & Co., Ltd.
  • ITL Co.,Ltd.
  • Settu Metal Industry Co.,Ltd.
  • ALPOLIC

Credit

Project Management : Tomoki Doi
Key Visual Design : Yosuke Shimano
Web Design : Akira Hojo
Leaflet Design : Takashi Shikano
Venue Design : Takanori Urata / Maki Izawa
Venue Graphic Design : Akira Nakagomi
Digital Art Produce : Noriko Kinouchi
Photography : Takanori Urata / Kairi Eguchi
Movie : Maki Izawa
Reception Planning : SOL style
Overseas Liaison : Makoto Arakawa
PR : Maki Yoshikawa
SNS : Maki Yoshikawa / Aruto Yasuda
Podcast : Kairi Eguchi