NEW NORMAL 5

Digital Art Produce

JAPANESE MAISON

About

NEW NORMAL is a design project that has been exhibited not only in Japan but also in Milan and other countries, based on the concept of “Designs for the new normal.”

We are currently working on “Designs for the new normal in the family business.”
By collaborating with the managers of companies that are taking over the family business and designers, we are creating products and designs that will lead to new initiatives.

The process begins when a company and a designer match, and after exhibiting overseas and in Japan, the ideas and designs are nurtured through collaboration over a period of about a year.

Overview

Milan

DATE
7-13 April 2025
11:00 - 19:00 ( Last day until 17:00 )
VENUE
Zetalab
Via Cola Montano, 2, 20159 Milan, Italy

Creation

KAN-SETSU

KAN-SETSU

Kan-Setsu means snow falling and accumulating as if it is draping everything beneath it in Japanese. For many years, San-ei Cases has been manufacturing jewelry cases, where flocked painting has become synonymous with these exquisite creations.
However, the full potential of this technique remains largely unexplored. This exhibition delves into experimental endeavors, showcasing how various materials, surfaces, and pile heights can produce new textures in flocked painting.

We invite you to experience a world of delicate beauty, where thin layers of snow seem to grace the surface of beautiful Japanese products, evoking a sense of serene elegance.

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

MOGYUFIL is a revolutionary material made from two types of polyester fibers, crafted into ultra-fine fluffy grains. While it provides the gentle touch of down feathers, it is free from animal-based materials, alleviating concerns about allergies and odors.
The resilient grains retain their cushioning over time, making it an eco-friendly and animal-friendly choice.
Our first creation “FLOAT REST” is combined the grains with pocket coils to create a floating sensation. Its soft comfort and elegant design offer a relaxed, low-profile living experience.

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.

intersezione

intersezione

Since 2021, SETTSUKINZOKU Metal Industry has developed products under the KOSEN FURNITURE brand, leveraging 3D pipe laser processing technology. Kairi Eguchi, a product designer, has discovered the beauty of intersections formed when two flat elliptical pipes are layered three-dimensionally. This intersection has become the brand's masterpiece and greatest design attraction.

We present a three-dimensional puzzle that allows anyone to experience the beauty of assembled iron pipes. Engage with the exquisite intersections that define KOSEN FURNITURE's identity and feel inspired to create new and beautiful furniture.

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 four 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