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At just 25, Ambra Medda, below, is the toast of the design world. She is responsible for helping lift the industry (once thought of as the illegitimate stepsister of art) to the same level of esteem that the art world has long enjoyed. In December 2005 Medda, along with Sam Keller, co-founded Design Miami/, a fair created to run in conjunction with Art Basel Miami Beach. It was a forum for collectors, dealers and experts at the highest level to come together to converse, shop and exhibit. What started out as an experiment became an immediate, roaring success—it raked in more than $7 million in sales—and trailed Art Basel to Switzerland in June. Next month the event returns to Miami with more galleries than last year signed up to take part. Medda, who was raised in Greece and London and now lives in Florida, has expertise that extends beyond her years; she has spent her whole life learning from her gallery-owner mother. As the director of Design Miami/, she's an authority in her own right and has given a fashionable face to design.
Mirror
In cramped city apartments they open up a room, making it appear bigger than it is, and in larger spaces they add an air of sophistication. In short, mirrors are good for more than checking for spinach in your teeth. Williams-Sonoma Home's Mirrored Bar, below, is a perfect example of a creative way to use the reflective material. Mirrored inside and out, it lends itself to easy versatility, fitting in with a wide variety of décor styles. Practical and good looking? There's a reason decorators in the know are raving about the stuff.
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Nouveau Rococo
Had enough of midcentury modern and Mies? Finished with Finnish style? The latest wave in furniture trends might just be a bright, shiny take on rococo style: this Poldo chest of drawers from the Conran Shop is sure to enliven even the dreariest room.
Needlepoint
Now that knitting has caught on with everyone from grandmothers to movie stars, needlepoint is being proclaimed as the next wave in down-home crafts. Home retailer to the young and trendy, West Elm already stocks this needlepoint Bunched Flowers pillow cover westelm.com)
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Organic for Kids
Parents of young children are always on a quest to provide the best, healthiest environment for their offspring. The latest must-have craze is all things organic. Most pervasive on the market are baby foods. New companies like Plum Organics and Homemade Baby, both founded by mothers, address the value of fresh, natural foods. Following another path is Little Twig, a brand that produces bath products, above, using organic and natural ingredients.
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Polka Dots
No longer relegated to crazy bow ties or oddball shirts, polka dots are the snappy, happy look of the resort season (now one of the biggest-selling seasons in fashion). Christian Lacroix splashed them on slingbacks, and Oscar de la Renta covered a swingy white silk faille dress with them. Crisp and graphic, they have a youthful air but look appropriate on women of every age.
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Duncan Quinn