The Slowdown’s first-ever public event, the exhibition “Take It or Leave It,” made its debut yesterday at Milan Design Week. Organized in collaboration with the Italian architect and designer Paola Navone and curated by former Merci artistic director Daniel Rozensztroch, the presentation features an eclectic assortment of one thousand items collected or designed by Navone, which are then given away through a free, by-reservation, in-person lottery. Our whole team has been here in Milan for the occasion, feverishly working with Navone, Rozensztroch, and OTTO Studio to bring the vision to life.

Yesterday was a whirlwind first day, during which nearly 200 lottery reservation holders and Slowdown members took (or, in a few cases, left) objects at the exhibition. (Six instances resulted in trades!) We’ll be doing two more lottery drawings, from 3-7 p.m. on Thursday and 3-7 p.m. on Friday. While all advance reservations are fully booked, we’re opening up additional slots for members of our new subscription program, who can simply show their subscription confirmation at the exhibition door for a guaranteed drawing.

When asked why he decided to take the handmade textile he won, a priest named Clayton Crawley said, “I like that the purpose is to upcycle and move an object from one person to another, and I want to be part of that process.” The architect Gertrude Kintzel, who won a giant seashell, said “I think the object took me! I entered and looked around, saw the shell, and hoped it was mine… and it was mine!” Designer Alberto Biagetti, who won a cutting board and a few utensils, said, “Well, it’s from Paola, and she has the Midas touch. Everything she touches becomes gold”—a sentiment that was echoed by more than a handful of attendees.

Check back on our site and our Instagram for more photos and tidbits as the week goes on.