Miguel Milá: pioneer and classic of design

"ACHIEVING SIMPLICITY IS COMPLEX"

 

 

When in this country no one knew what it was to be a designer, despite the fact that, as we all now know, any object is designed (with or without a signature behind it), Miguel Milá already was, that is, he tried to make everyday objects would make our lives easier and happier, which are the basis of all innovation.

To innovate is to launch an imaginative and productive chain: imagine new forms and new uses and make it possible, through crafts and industry, for this to come to fruition, choosing the appropriate materials and techniques. He did it from the beginning, that's why he's a teacher.

 

 

Milá, at over ninety years of age, has been surprising us for decades – without the need to make a fuss – with pieces that were born predestined to be iconic, such as the Cesta (1962) and TMC (1961) lamps produced by Santa & Cole, and with recent works, like the Càntir 2019 edited by the Museu del Càntir, a prodigy of modernity based on the great functional values of this humble object; or the most elegant fly swatter that we could never have dreamed of, which is handcrafted by Isist Atelier. Any useful object to which Milá applies her craft becomes pure beauty without losing any of its function, always improving it.

 

 

Miguel Milá's professional career is probably one of the most consistent of all Spanish designers, each piece is a step forward, but without ever forgetting what he has learned along the way. His working method, as he himself says, consists of "having an idea and removing what is left over", which is why his objects are a charming company that does not bother or make noise, which has an irresistible natural elegance: we never tire of looking at them or interacting with them, or thinking how lucky we are to own them. Anyone who wants a lamp, a chair or any piece by Miguel Milá knows exactly what we mean.   

 

Text: Angels Manzano | Photo M. Milá: Maria Espeus