Jordan Mozer created a whole line of cast metal and cast resin accessories for the East Hotel in Hamburg, Germany (left). Right is a table inspired by that city’s Goose Market Square.

Ugo Casati wasn’t actively seeking a contemporary designer to represent at his West Loop gallery. Still, the savvy dealer of mid-20th-century Italian design understood that his in-demand inventory would eventually level off, and that it wouldn’t hurt to nurture some 21st-century talent. After all, if a prototype of a lounge chair created by hotshot furniture designer Mark Newson in 1986 was for sale this past winter at Design Miami for $2.5 million, why not get into the contemporary furniture game? Enter Casati’s pal Jordan Mozer, a Chicago-based designer known primarily for his restaurant interiors, many of which use curvy lines and metal (his projects include the Cheesecake Factory and Vivere). Mozer recently created a line of cast metal and cast resin furniture and accessories specifically for a boutique hotel in what was once an iron foundry in Hamburg, Germany, using foundry techniques and forms. Casati loved the line and now represents Mozer at his gallery. "These are pieces that will work with what I already carry and may also be investment pieces for clients," he says. Casati Gallery, 949 W. Fulton Mkt., 312-421-9905.

Get Them While They’re Hot . . . But Before They Get Hotter

Wondering about other potentially collectible contemporary designers (other than the ubiquitous Philippe Starck) available through local dealers? The following pieces are by the Saarinens and Eameses of tomorrow.

(1) Patrick Norguet’s Rainbow chair, for Cappellini, $12,650, at Luminaire, 301 W. Superior St., 312-664-2433. (2) Zaha Hadid’s Aqua table, manufactured by Established & Sons, $23,980, at Luminaire. (3) Patricia Urquiola’s T table, for Kartell, $227 at Orange Skin, 223 W. Erie St., 312-335-1033.

Photography: (hotel and table) Doug Snower; (t table) courtesy Kartell