Designers’ Debutante Ball

This April marks the 15th year of Salone Satellite, the must-see supplement to Milan’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Curated by the design impresario Marva Griffin-Wilshire, the show has become the most important platform for young designers who are eager to promote their prototypes and connect with manufacturers. Many of the pieces shown in previous years have gone into production, and designers like Matali Crasset, Lorenzo Damiani, Xavier Lust, Satyendra Pakhalé, and Cory Grosser who debuted at the Satellite have since become important names in the profession.

This year’s show, which will take place from April 17 to 22 at Fiera Milano in the town of Rho, will showcase more than 750 designers, including students from 17 design schools (the New York Institute of Technology is showing for the first time). The event will also have a special exhibition, Design <–> Technology, featuring the work of 15 designers who are former or current participants in the Satellite, including Big Game, Postfossil, and Sebastian Wrong. And the 2012 Salone Satellite Prize will be awarded to the three best projects in two product categories, kitchen and bath. Here are the seven young designers to look out for at this year’s Satellite, along with our favorite examples of their recent work. We can’t wait to see what they unveil in Milan next month.