Going Global
In Conversation with Adam Goodrum & Jordan Fleming
25.07.24

International design fairs have long been a drawcard for Australian designers and design enthusiasts, offering an enticing glimpse into diverse and established design cultures and a once-necessary springboard to global opportunities and domestic credibility. However, with the proliferation of online platforms and increasing sustainability concerns, are events such as Milan Design Week still relevant, particularly for antipodean designers, and does the tyranny of distance still exist?

Here, Hayley Curnow, NHO Writer & Producer, speaks with lauded Australian designer, Adam Goodrum, best known for his work with Cappellini, NAU and Tait, and emerging Australian designer, Jordan Fleming, whose collectible works have been exhibited in Melbourne, Milan, and most recently in Brussels. Together they consider these questions, reflecting on the impact of Australia’s geographic remoteness, the unique opportunities afforded by design weeks and fairs, and how they navigate the complexities of exhibiting abroad from their homes in Sydney and Melbourne respectively.

HC: Adam and Jordan, thanks for joining me. I saw you exhibited in the same group show for Melbourne Design Week earlier this year – Matters at Villa Alba. Did you know each other prior to that?

AG: It was lovely to be included. It’s the first time we’ve exhibited work in parallel.

JF: We’ve been familiar with each other’s work for some time, but never had the opportunity to exhibit together until now.

HC: Melbourne Design Week goes from strength to strength, but it arrives nearly just as quickly as Milan Design Week finishes. Adam, you’re a frequent fixture at Milan, having exhibited work at Local Milan, curated by Emma Elizabeth, and through your partnerships with international brands such as Cappellini, Alessi, Cantarutti, and District Eight, which has helped put Australian design on the world map. How have you seen the fair evolve over your time exhibiting and attending?

AG: Salone del Mobile is where it all started – a platform for big brands to come together and present new work. Now it’s grown into all these fringe satellite exhibitions, which in some ways have overtaken it. I think a lot of attendees don’t make it to the main fair, but I will say, there are some inspiring things to see at Salone – even in the way products are presented. There is a general feeling that it’s overwhelming but then it’s particularly special when a company presents work in a way where it breathes, and you can appreciate it. Flos create these incredible, walk-through experiences where you could be anywhere in the world. It’s memorable beyond the actual products displayed. You’re just in this euphoric state.

HC: Jordan, have you attended or exhibited at Milan Design Week before?

JF: Interestingly, the only year I’ve been to Milan was the first fair after Covid. I wasn’t exhibiting but I met a curator who was familiar with my work, which led to an invitation to exhibit in a group show for Lake Como Design Festival and Milan Design Week in subsequent years. I recently exhibited solo at Collectible in Brussels. It’s one big fair in one big building with a collectible focus – it was an amazing atmosphere to be a part of.

HC: Having both been exposed to international design fairs early in your careers, how have these experiences shaped your career trajectories?

AG: For me, it’s been fundamental. When I finished university, I had, for better or worse, a passion to pursue design. At the time, there was no digital media. There was Domus magazine and other publications, and the founder of Space furniture, Kevin Jarrett, had strong relationships with Italian brands. To go overseas, visit showrooms and learn about these amazing companies and designers was so inspiring and felt completely unfamiliar. The design landscape in Australia, then compared to now, is black and white — it’s grown unbelievably.

HC: Opportunities to travel and engage with the broader design landscape must have enriched your perspective considerably.

AG: The opportunity to go to Milan was literally life changing. To be immersed in a culture of design that I knew very little about seemed like a fairytale. I remember Philippe Starck and all these superstar designers walking around with cameras following them. Back then, design was much less appreciated in Australia. Going overseas, I observed a different level of appreciation for what a designer offered, particularly in places with strong cultures of design, like Italy and Scandinavia. When I did have some luck with overseas companies like Cappellini, it was incredibly important for my career. It’s kind of funny – I was the same designer in Australia, but after working internationally, I noticed this validation when I came back home, and more opportunities came about.

JF: It’s easy to forget how accessible everything is now. We see so much from afar – you can almost live it without being there. We have our bubble in Australia, and it’s amazing and there’s so much going on, but going to international fairs and seeing the breadth and diversity of work is incredibly inspiring and encouraging. Like, ‘okay, I’ve got to keep pushing,’ you know?

HC: It’s almost a sense-check of your work that holds you to a higher standard. What other benefits do you see attending in person?

JF: For me, it’s a lot to do with optics. Often people have seen my work online, then see it in person and I’m there and able to have these incredible conversations, which lead to other opportunities. It’s a little daunting. You’re just a tiny fish in a big pond, but there’s always great attendance and appreciation for the work. It still shocks me that people are willing to spend money on the spot to take home a piece of your work. That’s probably not so common in Australia yet.

HC: It must be beneficial having that face-to-face time and for people to interact with the work directly and make those connections.

AG: That’s maybe the most obvious benefit. It’s one thing to show work on a digital platform, but it’s all about relationships and bonds with like-minded people which lead to the most enjoyable work. Unexpectedly, I’ve made some of my strongest Australian connections while overseas at events such as UCCA in Beijing, ICFF in New York, Milan Design Week and Stockholm Furniture Fair. You’d like to think you’re not going to an international fair to hang out with other Australians, but some of my most valuable relationships with local companies started over there.

JF: It’s interesting how that happens. Everyone’s in a small geographic area and there for the same reason for a short amount of time, so you’re naturally on the same level. I recently became good friends with a South African designer who was exhibiting in the same space as me at Collectible in Brussels. He’s quite advanced in his career and he’s been so generous sharing his knowledge. Even overseas, you can develop a sense of community quite quickly.

AG: Mentorship is interesting. Overseas, there’s a culture of doing internships with studios, which really lacks here. It’s challenging for Australian designers, because you can’t get much information or advice. The fairs are a good opportunity to meet other designers and share insights, whether it be about royalties or exhibiting. If you’re not there, those organic conversations don’t happen.

HC: With so many design fairs springing up across the globe, how do you find the right event to exhibit your work?

AG: It’s interesting. I work with Cult on their brand NAU. We’ve exhibited in New York, Singapore and New Zealand, but we’ve never presented in Milan before. Right now, we’re looking at the logistics of Salone del Mobile, thinking about flat-packed stands, positioning, and all the rest of it. By comparison, the work I’m doing for Adam & Arthur alongside Arthur Seigneur sits more in the collectible category. New York has cemented itself in that scene, but perhaps it’s wise to do something in Seoul, which is more on the precipice. We’ll probably do a recce trip to make decisions about the right platform. I think you need to be informed to position yourself strategically, particularly when you don’t have deep pockets.

HC: In terms of investment, some companies have come under scrutiny in recent years for producing excessive material waste. Do you feel that approach has evolved in the time you’ve been attending design fairs, Adam?

AG: Some fair stands are multi-million-dollar architectural feats that are created new every year. It is staggering the amount of money some companies spend and what ends up in landfill is quite horrific. A lot of brands are evaluating their impact and considering whether they produce a new stand every second year to reduce their impact or explore digital formats to present work in a more sustainable manner. The fair was once an essential platform for big brands to present new work to distributors. Now, there is more emphasis on direct and online sales, the fair format is arguably less relevant as it used to be and might leave companies questioning its value, especially given the cost and wastefulness.

JF: I believe there will be a natural pivot to a more minimalist approach over time because it’ll become so obviously silly – particularly as things change quickly with our climate and we start to look more closely at our resources. I don’t know what that will look like, whether there’s more of a push towards online platforms, an increased focus on reused materials or even, some sort of initiative to work within sustainable parameters.

HC: It would be an incredible initiative to invite designers to rethink the fair’s presentation norms through a more sustainable lens. Perhaps there’s an opportunity for organisers to dictate these design standards more explicitly?

AG: I haven’t been to 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, but it seems to be growing in momentum. It doesn’t have a fair ground, so there are no stands being made, and perhaps that’s a natural evolution of designers thinking more mindfully about waste.

JF: When I was in Milan a couple of years ago, there was a group that got hold of a desolate sewing factory to use for the week and they did that again this year with another building destined for demolition. It’s a bit more avant garde, and for me, those were the most exciting places to visit – so ad hoc and bizarre. So, there might be more of a push to take up vacant spaces. Fairs could become less regular to slow down consumption and environmental impact, but I think they’ll always have a place.

HC: How do you tackle sustainability in your own practices?

JF: If I ever send something overseas, it stays overseas until it sells. Sending work over, especially by air freight, is A: wildly expensive, and B: really builds up the carbon miles. I think it’s worth considering smaller pieces, where possible, that can be packed in your luggage or sent as a small package.

AG: Being a little bit longer in the tooth in my career, I have shifted my focus. My work with overseas companies is an exciting part of my business, but I focus on the Australian market more than I did before. It makes sense to work with companies who are local, rather than having to constantly jump on a plane to work abroad. I’ve shown work in Milan with Local Design, curated by Emma Elizabeth, alongside some incredible Australian designers. It’s an amazing platform that makes participating more accessible.

HC: It’s a powerful proposition for a community of Australian designers to showcase their work together, from a conceptual and logistical standpoint.

AG: Working with Emma was amazing – she speaks Italian and lived in Milan for a while. Even simple tasks like rigging up a light can be so complex in another country. To have that collective to work together makes sense, particularly to share costs because the real estate, even for the smallest exhibition footprint, costs so much.

JF: The logistics of getting my work to Brussels recently, insuring it, and being down to the last day before opening and waiting for crates to turn up, was intense. And then it’s the little connections, like “how do you get the work from your accommodation to the exhibition space? Where do you buy plywood here?” It’s almost better not knowing what you’re getting yourself into until you’re there. I think that bit of ignorance helped me, because I probably wouldn’t have done it if I’d known how complex it would be logistically, particularly exhibiting solo.

HC: What advice would you offer to emerging designers seeking to leverage opportunities in this area to gain a foothold in the industry and advance their careers?

AG: I’d 100-percent encourage others to partake in international events. In Australia, we are such a long way from everything else and it’s so exciting to be exposed to international design cultures, and potential opportunities. It gives you a kick up the pants to do something with a point of difference, too.

JF: I think it is important to have good foundations here in Australia, but exhibiting abroad has added another layer to my career and influenced how I see things. I think it’s vital to keep sharing Australian design internationally. People are often shocked when you say you’re from Australia, like “you came all this way with your work?” There’s a real pride in being present with your pieces and people find that quite compelling.

HC: Adam and Jordan, thank you for sharing your experiences. We look forward to seeing your work exhibited at home and abroad sometime soon.

AG: Pleasure.

JF: Thanks for having me.