WITH OVER 2,000 EXHIBITORS SHOWCASING THEIR PRODUCTS AT RHO FIERA, AND MORE THAN 800 INITIATIVES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, MILAN BECOMES THE EPICENTER OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION FOR A WEEK. FROM FASHION HOUSES TO SMALL BRANDS, EVERYONE TAKES THE PRETEXT OF DESIGN WEEK TO SHOWCASE THEIR CREATIVITY AND INSPIRE VISITORS.
Milan Design Week, also known as Salone del Mobile, is an international celebration of creativity, innovation, and design that draws thousands of visitors from around the globe. What started as a humble furniture exhibition in the 1960s has transformed into a luxurious festival of design, fashion, and art, with a wealth of events and exhibitions held throughout the city.
Divided into two parts, the official furniture show hosted in the pavilions of Rho Fiera brings together nearly 2,000 exhibitors, while the FuoriSalone boasts over 800 initiatives scattered throughout the city. This year, the number of districts dedicated specifically to design has increased from seven to ten, with 30 fashion houses also contributing to the event’s richness.
In this year’s extravaganza, Hermès returns to La Pelota, a historic venue where pelota was played until 1997, showcasing the collections for the saddler’s house since 2019. Louis Vuitton, after moving to its new Garage Traversi space last year, returns to Palazzo Serbelloni with its Nomadic Objects line and a special project with Marc Newson.
Dolce & Gabbana introduces a new project, Gen D, which invites ten young designers from around the world to learn about the craftsmanship of made in Italy and express their creativity. Bottega Veneta has entrusted its Via Montenapoleone boutique to artist Gaetano Pesce, who created an immersive installation to showcase a series of new bags inspired by his work. Giorgio Armani has installed its Armani Casa line for the first time in its historic headquarters in Palazzo Orsini.
This year’s Design Week also features numerous smaller brands, such as Plan C by designer Carolina Castiglioni, who created sculptures in colored resin. Serapian, a leather goods manufacturer, has planned a special installation with designer Gabrielle Crespi, and Benetton is opening a pop-up with a collection of linens and home accessories. Timberland is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its iconic work boot with an exhibition at the Milan Triennale, and Fila is marking the 50th anniversary of its F-box logo through an experience related to artificial intelligence.
Etro, in particular, has invited visitors to its long-established Milanese headquarters at Via Spartaco, where it unveiled its interior design creations by new creative director Marco De Vincenzo. The collection was displayed across a series of halls furnished with items from the new collection, with fabric, Etro’s hallmark, being the collection’s protagonist.
De Vincenzo drew on Etro’s vast archives to select three fabrics, called Pluma, Amanti, and Onda, with distinctive geometric and toile de Jouy patterns. He featured them in an earthy green and blue palette and used them for velvet upholstery, tapestries, and wallpapers, composing cozy sets with armchairs, sofas, tables, lamps, and more. He also called on US artist Amy Lincoln, who created four nature-inspired designs that Etro reproduced on various panels and upholstery.
The Etro Home line includes accessories such as vases, cushions, and tablecloths, while the Etro Home Interiors furniture line is managed under license by Italian high-end furniture producer Oniro Group. Oniro Group also manufactures furniture collections by Roberto Cavalli and Gianfranco Ferré, alongside its own Jumbo Collection line. As Milan Design Week promises to be particularly intense this year, it is an event not to be missed by anyone in the design industry.
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