Malaysian International Furniture Fair report - MIFF matters

This is the third time I've attended MIFF, Malaysia's premier furniture exhibition. Sure, it's a somewhat sprawling event, taking place through the twisting corridors of the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) and an almost-inconvenient satellite site, the MATRADE Exhibition and Conference Centre (MECC), both in northern Kuala Lumpur.

It's also far from the most innovative show in terms of product. Wood - principally rubberwood - is what Malaysia does best, and such a crucial part of the country's economy that significant Government backing goes into this sector of the furniture industry, perhaps eschewing other material opportunities.  ekonglong furniture

Many UK buyers would agree that MIFF's product assortment has become somewhat homogenised over the years as its manufacturers increasingly put their effort into meeting the needs of markets closer to home - visitors from China and the ASEAN region are abundant, alongside a growing number of Indians and Pakistanis, and a fairly static number of Australians and Americans. However, there are still great, UK-suitable ranges to be found here - even if doing so requires a little tenacity.

Perhaps Malaysia's relative lack of innovation is to blame. I say 'relative', because the majority of the Far Eastern manufacturing nations - and China - are struggling to bring distinct design identities to the table, as they simply do not have the centuries of development enjoyed by the furniture culture in Europe.

International designer/manufacturer Klaus Kummer, of 2K Design and KDT International Co, delivered a seminar this year that asked how Malaysian furniture designers could go about building a design identity of their own, lamenting that it was fairly non-existent at present. He suggested that design students immerse themselves in their own Malaysian culture, through museums and tradition - then travel, and return having observed how other counties solve their design problems. He urged designers to create furniture not with aesthetics in mind, but with making it work better. Klaus - and the floor - agreed that such steps would require greater support from government, greater hands-on experience ... and a degree of financial selflessness from those involved, at every level.