This month’s Swatch looks at colour – more specifically, the colours of Milan Design Week 2022.

The standout colour of Milan 2022 is mined ochre.

Although yellow is traditionally seen as a colour of joy and playfulness, this toned down, burnt yellow evokes a sense of melancholy, signalling to a general cautiousness around these unprecedented times. Yet the energy imbued from the colour yellow remains, summoning optimism and resolve for positive change.
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‘Appropriating the Grid’ by @i.rocamrc is a collection of modular furniture which features mined ochre, as well as a mix of soil (we named ‘terracotta powder’) and aggregate (we named ‘faded concrete’). It critiques the wastefulness in the construction industry: the built environment generates nearly 50% of annual global CO2 emissions. As creatives, we not only need to improve the way in which we produce materials, but also rethink the way in which they are sourced.