M.E. puts our Milan 2009 questions to Casamania and finds out they're in an upbeat mood; looking forward to presenting a collection of 20 new products on show for the first time which are result of a series of ongoing collaborations with leading international designers and some exciting emerging young talents.

This year at the Salone del Mobile, they will debut an optimistic, enthusiastic and vivacious collection where colours seize the leading role: green, orange, sky-blue, pink, yellow and purple – a welcome explosion of colours and positivity in a grey world in our book. Inspiration came from the world around us such as the forms of animals; the colours of the forests and the beaches; the textures and sensations of our childhood and demonstrate a return to simplicity and nature: solid woods, glass, aluminium, cement and wool. The result is a collection which is both innovative and nostalgic, which will also be reflected in the stand they'll contruct, set to feature a giant photograph of a forest scene as a backdrop.

So, on with the questions...

What does exhibiting at the Salone del Mobile mean for you? How would you describe the positives (and maybe negatives?) of the experience?

Salone del Mobile in Milan is the world's premiere design fair. It is a chance to show the public and fellow professionals what we have been working on, get important feedback from the market and get the pulse of the current situation: tastes, colours, needs and trends. It is also a magical moment when Milan comes alive and design becomes the focus of an entire city... events, parties, designers, students all wandering around the city and creating an amazing sense of energy and optimism.

We're sorry, it has to be asked - How do you think the current economic situation will affect the climate in the design world, and particularly this year's Milan Salone? Do you foresee any positive or negative knock on effects or adaptations that might happen as a result?

Undoubtedly it is a difficult market, but the key is to keep up momentum and a sense of optimism. Design in the modern sense of the world was born in the aftermath of World War Two -  a difficult time when many architects didn't have the opportunity to create large-scale works and focused on creating small, cost effective and genial objects which satisfied the needs of the consumer, maximising on the production methodologies available. Necessity has always been the mother of invention, and looking at the work our designers have done for this year's collection, I can sense that this difficult period may offer us some real possibilities for innovation, growth and stylistic development.

Do you have any predictions for trends in design this year?

I can't speak in global terms, but perhaps for Casamania the biggest trend is the use of colour, as a way of brightening up spaces and lives, as a means of communicating emotions and of describing ourselves. Design in an almost linguistic sense of expressivity.

Is there anything you're especially looking forward to at this year's Salone? Can you let us in on the stands you'll be checking out for yourself/selves or new names to watch?

A chance to breathe pure creativity for 5 days straight. Casamania works with a lot of young designers, so we are always really interested in what goes on at the graduate shows in Zona Tortona and Salone Satellite in the Fair.

And of course, its not all work! Where do you think this year's best Salone party will be?

Bar basso after midnight.  All of the die-hard design addicts migrate to this historic bar after the other parties draw to a close, a fantastic chance to unwind with a great drink in the company of 300 or so fellow design addicts.