Swarovski Rocks Milan, Again

Swarovski, maker of crystal components for over 100 years, didn't invent the idea of the guest designer, but I do think they do it better than anyone. Witness yet another amazing array of chandeliers presented at this week's Milan Furniture Fair. Contributions from fashion land include hat designer Philip Treacy, retailer Sheik Majed al-Sabah from Villa Moda, and the Italian fashion house Missoni.

(Clockwise from top left: Philip Treacy, Fredikson Stallard, Majed Al-Sabah, and Ben Jakober)

In February the latest incarnation of Runway Rocks, where fashion desginers are let loose with the crystals, was shown during Oscar week. Patricia Field, the costume designer behind Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada, styled creations by designers Hussein Chalayan, Christopher Kane, and jeweller Shaun Leane for Alexander McQueen.

The collaborations are the brainchild of Nadja Swarovski, who recognizes them as the best way to create excitement for her product within the design and fashion worlds. They're more museum pieces than commercial product, but they do illustrate that when desginers are asked to do collaborations, rather than, say, celebrities, the products are worth celebrating.

For more on the furniture fair, check out Deezen, the internet design journal edited by design journliast Marcus Fairs.