The Flos/LightForm party was packed with international design stars (and some awesome lights too)

Flos, an Italian lighting manufacturer, was one of the most talked about booths at IDS, where CEO Piero Gandini presented one of the coolest lamps we’ve ever seen. Designed by Philippe Starck, it does double duty as a lamp and a charger for your iPad or iPhone (an obvious necessity). LightForm founder Richard Assaly gave us a tour of the space, explaining that the showroom was kept relatively “bare bones” to keep the focus on the product. Concrete floors, exposed ceilings and simple wooden crates give the space a gallery feel that’s dramatic (there are lights everywhere, after all), yet inviting. Quirky installations, like a gigantic crack in one piece of drywall filled with 18-karat gold and a squiggly installation of light rods changing from green to pink to purple, made for great conversation pieces.

With multiple rooms to explore and product literally lighting up every corner, partygoers mingled, relaxed in the Flux seating clusters and congratulated each other (and themselves) for making it to the halfway point of the show (and for being so awesome). There was an excited buzz in the room as younger designers got the opportunity to hang out with some of their icons, and we’re certain more than a few light bulbs went off.

Check out the lights and the scene at the Flos/LightForm IDS 2012 party »