MS&WOOD presents its new furniture collection at prestigious Paris Design Week

PARIS, (Patria) - High-quality furniture manufacturer MS&WOOD will be the only exhibitor from Bosnia and Herzegovina at this year's prestigious Paris Design Week. The fair takes place from September 6 to 10, and MS&WOOD will present its latest collection Kotona to the demanding Parisian audience, alongside its previously multiple award-winning Primum and Elle collections. The Kotona collection for the Foča furniture factory was designed by renowned Finnish designer Mikko Laakkonen.

“This time, as the only exhibitors from our country, we proudly present the Bosnian-Herzegovinian furniture industry in the best light. We want to show the world design community top-quality furniture from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our industry achieves great successes year after year, and this is precisely the recipe for strengthening production. Only by developing production with as much added value as possible, along with the necessary increase in competitiveness and relief for the economy, can we raise workers' standards and stop the departure of skilled and capable labor from the country,” said Muhamed Pilav, owner of MS&WOOD.

MS&WOOD emphasizes that Paris has always been a leading center of art and design, and as such is ideal for presenting something creative, new, and avant-garde, especially at the Maison&Objet fair, which is part of Paris Design Week.

“We met Mikko in 2018, and it was love at first sight. Mikko began developing new ideas and concepts for our new collection, which follows as a logical continuation of our previous work. The name of the collection Kotona, translated from Finnish, means 'to be at home.' The entire collection will be broad and diverse, suitable for both private and public spaces,” said Sedin Ćeman, brand manager and CEO of MS&WOOD.

The Kotona collection is made of solid wood. Simple and versatile, it is intended for home use as well as hotels and other types of public spaces. Sculptural details give the collection a special tone. Kotona is an example of intercultural collaboration that brings together the best of modern design and the craftsmanship of Foča's wood masters.

“I believe that good design starts with function and has its own individual character. I always strive to design products that will last and be functional, beautiful, and intuitive,” said Finnish product designer Mikko Laakkonen of Studio Laakkonen, Helsinki.

For its distinctive approach to innovative design, MS&WOOD has won numerous awards. The Elle armchair was awarded a Special Mention Award, one of the Iconic Award: Innovative Interior 2019 awards. MS&WOOD also won the German Design Award 2018. The Winner Award in the Excellent Product Design category was awarded for the chest of drawers from the Primum collection, designed by Ado Avdagić. A Special Mention Award in the same category was awarded to the Elle chair from the eponymous collection, designed by Nataša Perković.

MS&WOOD is also a four-time winner of the Iconic Interior Innovation Award for the Elle chair, Elle table (2017), and Primum chair and Primum table (2016), awarded by the German Design Council.

All interested parties can visit MS&WOOD at Maison&Objet Paris, Hall 6, Stand H:112-I:111.

Mikko Laakkonen was born in the city of Espoo in 1974. After completing a school for musical instrument making, he studied furniture design at Kymenlaakso University in Helsinki. After working in design and architecture for several companies, Mikko founded Studio Laakkonen in 2004. The studio focuses on product design, with an emphasis on everyday objects. His work has been exhibited at numerous exhibitions across Europe, the United States, China, and Japan. He has been awarded multiple times on the international and national stage, including the German Design Award (2017), Turkey Design Award (2016), Reddot design award honorable mention (2016), Chicago Athenaeum's Good Design Award (2016, 2015 & 2010), Muuuz International Awards 2014, Finnish Designer Awards ’14: Furniture Designer Of The Year, Reddot: best of the best design award (2013), Reddot design award (2012), and the Young Designer of the Year prize (2009).

MS&WOOD is the winner of the German Chamber of Foreign Trade - AHK award for vocational education, taking first place in the competition in the field of dual education for the 2018/2019 school year, conducted under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. It currently employs around 400 workers and exports furniture to more than 40 countries across four continents.