Italian journalist Elena Cattaneo is reporting on Design Week from Milan.
Does the world really need something new? To try to answer this provocative question, José Dominguez and Leandro Leccese responded with few words, instead showcasing their designs because, as they explained, “we’re designers, not writers.”
José and Leandro met while studying Industrial Design at the University of Buenos Aires, and, in 2011, they decided to combine their expertise and create the design studio Leko. The results of their work in recent years, namely the Didrik and Eiko, was presented at Milan Design Week. The Didrik is a desk made of wood and steel; the steel sheet underneath the tabletop works as a containing structure and, at the same time, is covered by wood that can be lifted while remaining horizontal, so as not to have to move the objects placed on top for access to the vast space below. The part of the design that’s toward the floor and wall, however, serves to hide and keep in order all of one’s electrical cords. The Eiko, a desk lamp, was made using simple manufacturing processes and standard materials (aluminum and steel). Leko’s designs, then, are first and foremost functional, but with a contemporary vision; they save time and energy and are adaptable, universal, original, but not indistinct. That’s because, according to José and Leandro, it’s always worth trying to create new things.