BMWs, pet therapy, fashion, furniture, and art. Milan Design Week had it all! From April 7–13, swarms of design aficionados and experts converged on the Italian capitol to explore a host of weird and wonderful design innovations.
Each year, the premier event gathers talent from a variety of disciplines and cultures to learn, showcase and challenge conventional design. The main event? Salone Internazionale del Mobile: the flagship furniture trade fair serving as the world’s largest event in the furnishing and design sector. Attendees braced themselves for a crucible of groundbreaking exhibitions, immersive installations, and collaborations showcasing the heights of international craftsmanship. Read on to discover which exhibitions and partnerships made a big splash.
Design 360°: Where Fashion, Cars, and Beauty Converge
Milan Design Week has long hosted cross-industry collaborations that merge design from various sectors. This year, visitors were greeted with collaborations across the fashion, automotive, and beauty sectors.
Louis Vuitton Presented Three New Gifts
Louis Vuitton stormed Milan with a trio of design-inspired offerings: the reopening of its historic Milan location (which includes the three michelin starred Da Vittorio Restaurant), a collection of travel books by French artist Jeanne Detallante, and its new Home Collections, revealed for the first time in the sumptuous setting of Palazzo Serbelloni. Alongside original trunks and the now iconic Objets Nomades, the Home Collections shone a spotlight on two designers: futurist artist Fortunato Depero, whose graphic universe has inspired its textiles and tableware, and Charlotte Perriand, with her debut textile collection.
Thonet – A Personal Interpretation by Jil Sander
German furniture brand Thonet partnered with renowned fashion designer Jil Sander to reinterpret the iconic cantilever chair, S 64 by Marcel Breuer. The collaboration introduced a contemporary perspective on this classic piece of furniture.
Boyy x Studio Mary Lennox
Known for their luxurious accessories, BOYY collaborated with botanical design studio Mary Lennox to create a new, eco-conscious piece—the Gazette bag. The playful piece is made of newspaper-printed Lambskin and adorned with photographic images and a colourful party of bugs. The limited edition bag launched exclusively at the BOYY Milan flagship during Milan Design Week, with an in-store special activation and installation by Studio Mary Lennox.
Gucci | Bamboo Encounters
Unveiled at Milan’s Chiostri di San Simpliciano, this exhibition was curated and designed by 2050+ studio and its founder Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli. Bamboo has traced a unique path throughout Gucci’s history, inspiring the intertwined dimensions of art, culture, and design with its many meanings and roles. Building upon this rich heritage, the House and 2050+ invited select designers to recontextualize the material in bold and unexpected ways.
Lexus – A-Un
Lexus’ immersive installation A-Un explored the brand’s commitment to personalization, using its cutting-edge software to create a unique interpretation of automotive design. The installation discussed how technology and design can personalize the driving experience.
Type-XIII Atelier Oï Project by A-Poc Able Issey Miyake
Fashion brand A-Poc Able Issey Miyake united with architectural design studio Atelier Oï to create a series of lighting installations. The collection transformed wires and cloth into intricate, organic lighting forms, redefining the relationship between fashion and design.
Vibrant Transitions by BMW Group Design
BMW Group Design presented Vibrant Transitions, an installation that combined the thrilling worlds of automotive design and art. It delved into the relationship between colour, form, and movement, offering a visually captivating experience that showcases the brand’s commitment to innovation.
Immersive Experiences: A Sensory Journey
Milan Design Week encourages its participants to push the boundaries of what an exhibition can be. This year, several brands presented immersive experiences combining scent, art and design.
Aesop – The Second Skin
Renowned skincare brand Aesop presented The Second Skin: an evocative installation which incorporated its Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm. The installation explored the tactile and sensory dimensions of skin care. As visitors passed through the structure, they engaged with scent and the amplified sound of a single drop of water.
Mission ALDEBARAN by Marc-Antoine Barrois and Antoine Bouillot
For their Milan debut, Parisian perfumer and couturier Marc-Antoine Barrois and French designer Antoine Bouillot transformed the historic Salone dei Tessuti into an immersive sensory experience. Their installation blended olfactory art with experiential design. For the occasion, Barrois hosted a dinner where he debuted a new fragrance, his first-ever furniture collection – ALDEBARAN seating – comprising wooden stools and benches crowned with sculptural stones.
MCM x Pet Therapy: Erlebnisorientiertes Design für Vierbeiner
MCM, in collaboration with Pet Therapy and Atelier Biagetti, showcased an interactive exhibition at Giardino delle Arti. Visitors experienced a collection of pet-friendly furniture pieces, including sculptural poufs designed for pets, along with unique interactive experiences such as pet yoga and a pet spa.
Occhio – Dreamagination at Villa Necchi Campiglio
Lighting design studio Occhio believes in creating a new culture of light to enrich people’s quality of life. With its installation Dreamagination, it transported guests to a world of colours, innovative surfaces, and unique styles. In the unique setting of Villa Necchi Campiglio, light, colour, and imagination combined in a striking symbiosis, and the glass pavilion in the villa’s garden became a stage for emotions.
A Meeting of Two Italian Excellences
The iconic armchair designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand, has been reimagined as a limited edition collection. A fusion of tradition, tailoring, and innovation, the furniture debuted at Milan Design Week and was a collaboration between luxury furniture brand Cassina and fashion house Kiton. This exclusive edition arises from the meeting of two Italian excellences: Cassina, which blends heritage, research, and innovation to create eclectic and harmonious atmospheres, and Kiton, renowned for crafting one-of-a-kind garments where quality and attention to detail are fundamental values.
International Craftsmanship: A Global Celebration of Skill and Tradition
Since it began in 1961, Milan Design Week has spotlit some of the world’s finest artisans and designers. With each creative representing their respective countries and bringing traditional techniques into contemporary design. These exhibitions are a must-see for anyone looking to explore the intersection of culture and craftsmanship.
Instinct: Miroco Machiko for El Espartano
Argentinian textile brand El Espartano collaborated with Japanese artist Miroco Machiko for their joint exhibition Instinct. The display reflected a cross-cultural dialogue, blending Japanese artistic sensibilities with Argentine craft traditions.
Today’s Masters Meet Tomorrow’s Talents
Presented by the Michelangelo Foundation, this exhibition celebrated the power of collaboration between established masters and emerging talents. It observed how mentorships between seasoned artisans and young creatives are shaping the future of craftsmanship. Created in conjunction with the foundation’s Homo Faber Fellowship, the exhibition showcased master artisans and fellows: @lovenlight.eu, @natalitouloupou, @laurine_artextile, and @emma_fardeau among many others.
Woven from Stone at Isola Design Festival
Textile designer Francesca Müller presented Woven From Stone, a limited edition of decorative wall hangings that merge the craftsmanship of woven arazzi with artificial intelligence. Playing with perception and the senses, the series was an interplay of opposites and combined stone with textile fabrication.
Diade by Kapwani Kiwanga for Kvadrat
Artist Kapwani Kiwanga’s immersive installation for Kvadrat offered a meditation on the intersection of art, fabric, and space. Taking place in a maze-like environment, it featured vast paintings mixed with sand-filled glass sculptures. The installation was a dynamic experience exploring the tactile and visual possibilities of fabric design.
Naturalia – A Buccellati Natural Wonder
Renowned Italian jewellery and silverware brand Buccellati launched Naturalia, an immersive exhibition at Milan’s Piazza Tomasi di Lampedusa. It featured installations inspired by nature, and was curated and produced by Balich Wonder Studio and Studio Mary Lennox. Accompanied by a soundscape, visitors navigated three distinct environments: the mountains, the forest, and the sea.
Whether you are interested in the rich traditions of global artisans, this year’s event offered something for every design enthusiast. Click here to learn more.
words. Raegan Rubin
