An Evening of Milanese Culture and Global Design
Not everyone can visit Design Week in Milan, so our Columbia River Chapter decided to bring it home to Portland.
57 people showed up for “One Week in Milan” hosted at the Z Collection luxury tile showroom founded by NKBA member Zee Coleman.
Located in Portland’s NW district where tile showrooms abound, Z Collection stands out because of its large, wide-open space. “It’s such a perfect event venue,” said Chapter Communications Chair Bethany Broussard.
Guests mingled while sipping aperitivos and enjoying caprese sandwiches before sitting down to a presentation by freelance design journalist and creative director, Damon Johnstun.
Damon, who has been reporting on Milan Design Week for two decades, spent over an hour diving into his “best in show” from Milan–including the Rosa Levanto red marble that is currently sweeping Italy.
“Damon’s taste was everything from 70’s Scandinavian to Japanese minimalist,” said Bethany. “My favorite part was seeing the reactions to his picks. Sometimes he’d be talking about a piece of furniture, and you could see some designers agree with him, and others turning to each other and shaking their heads ‘no way’!”
The event doubled as a membership drive. NKBA members who brought non-members received a Milan-inspired tote bag with Italian wine, a wine cork, pasta, pesto, cocktail napkins, and a chocolate sampler.
