My 14 favorite moments from Milan Design Week
Plus some other delightful highlights from my time in the Italian city
At this moment a week ago I was in Milan soaking up all I possibly could without giving myself an ulcer. I’d never been to Milan Design Week before and everyone I talked to before going emphasized that it could be quite stressful. Good stress or bad stress? The answer depended on who you talked to, but I talked to many who fell in the latter category and no longer thought it was worth all of the hubbub—for that reason or otherwise.
Still, I try to protect any time I have a Bambi-ish positivity or excitement, any of the pockets where, uh, late 20s jadedness hasn’t fully set in. So I decided I’d make my overambitious list of everything to see in the span of four days, and not beat myself up if I didn’t make it through everything. Ultimately, I saw all but two of the things on my itinerary, plus a few extra things I hadn’t planned to see. I’m satisfied!
Below, I’ve detailed some of my very favorite sights of the trip. I couldn’t possibly recount everything, but I hope you’ll be just as dazzled by the below as I was.
It’s unfortunate to admit since it’s the very first thing I saw in Milan after dropping my bags off, but the Marimekko x Laila Gohar installation was definitely my favorite part of Milan Design Week. To highlight their new capsule collection with Laila Gohar, the beloved Finnish brand created a massive bed inside of a centuries-old theater and invited guests to kick off their shoes and linger in the space. I’m a Marimekko obsessive (I spent all of winter in their striped balaclava) so from the jump I knew this would be close to the top of my list, if not the very top…
I traveled with my friend Cooper, who’s a designer based in Berlin, and we stopped. by for the cake-cutting ceremony. We’d already been sitting inside for half an hour when we realized a portion of the bed about 10 feet away from us was the very cake we were waiting to eat. There was such a fun communal energy in the space—it was just as warm and amusing as the Maija Isola–designed archival striped pattern that’s used throughout the collection. Including pajamas, duvet covers, sleep masks and other pieces, the collection will launch in September 2025.
Then we went next door for MoscaPartner Variations. The group exhibition is staged inside Palazzo Litta, a Baroque building that’s otherwise used as Milanese offices of the Italian Ministry of Culture. The exhibition was themed around ‘migrations,’ with each exhibitor presenting a unique interpretation. My favorite piece in the building was a part of Katia Luna Benaï’s debut furniture collection “Tessellation,” with her newly launched Helix Bespoke Studio. The PAVAGE DE COULEURS cabinet’s mosaic doors were inspired by Ottoman tilework. The glistening dyed mother of pearl doors really pulled me in.
The next morning we went to the fortieth anniversary show of SCP, a British furniture manufacturer and retailer. Most of the pieces on view were part of the Boxed Collection, a concept that SCP first explored in 2009 and brought back for their 40th anniversary. Designers were asked to create pieces that would fit within the standard DHL international shipping box (480 x 400 x 390mm) for easy shipment. Other than that parameter, designers could approach the design however they wished to. I was most taken with Elliot Payne’s Norton, with its kinked wooden legs, Jonah Takagi’s Cove side table (though full disclosure I know him personally!), and Julie Richoz’s Boxton. It was held in the Sowden showroom, and as a George Sowden superfan, I was thrilled to see the space itself too.
Set in four different locations in a northern Milan suburb, Alcova is a series of sprawling group exhibitions. Villa Borsani was the high point for me. Soft Witness’s debut furniture collection at Villa Borsani was one of my favorite rooms in all of Alcova. The pieces have a real adaptability to them—the Tienelo Side Table, for instance, can be reconfigured to be held up by only three legs—without feeling gimmicky or losing any of their material elegance. Studio Musa’s Nova Bar was another favorite—I love the juicy purple upholstery—as was Lemon’s Conservatory Collection, it looked so dreamy in the sun.
On the whole I really appreciated that the Alcova spaces felt very ‘immersive.’ There were sound, lighting, and scent elements to some of the spaces that added to the texture of the spaces without it feeling like Disneylandish.
Over at Capsule Plaza, I immediately gravitated toward the display of Sabine Marcelis–designed Bloom Planters, made with XL EXTRALIGHT foam, in a brightly lit alcove off of the main courtyard. The planter, which looks like two donuts smushed together, has a futuristic edge and the rich cherry red version feels particularly unique.
I zeroed in on the shoes the people working there were wearing and it turns out they’re the latest Sunnei x Camper shoes. The shoes were made with the same foam as the planters. I’m a total Camper hound (I have like five pairs of their shoes or some similarly ridiculous number). I felt a “no matter where you go there you are” moment wash over me. I do need these shoes, I think…………….
I was also excited to see NO GA’s new collection with work by NM3, Willo Perron, and Paul T. Frankl. The metallic shell the pieces were displayed within created a sense of continuity among the pieces that were otherwise quite different materially.
The next day we popped by one of the Capsule Plaza satellite locations to see the Uma T4 pieces. I lived with the Uma T4 for months while testing it for AD a couple of years ago, so I was excited to see the sectional version in person. This is still my favorite chair of all time, my white whale…….
Other things I loved:
Casa Lana, a reconstructed apartment designed by Ettore Sottsass, which is part of the Triennale museum’s permanent collection
The 24 Hours exhibition at Riviera, which collected many different interpretations of the clock. My favorite was Jamie Wolfond’s “Final Sale” which printed a new slip of paper with the time every minute.
Cassina’s high drama Staging Modernity exhibition
The Apartamento bookshop + Memphis Milano printed matter exhibition (I had to resist the urge to buy the limited edition socks because I had 00000 room in my luggage but I’m still thinking about them…)
the very vanilla salads I had for lunch everyday to avoid total gluten overload…
locking eyes with people smoking on their balconies
the cafe down the street from our Airbnb where an italian man was dozing off at 10am
taking photos of all of the analog clocks on the street
stumbling upon the Matthieu Blazy–designed Bottega Veneta store that I saw pix of when it first opened (great article on the space by Dan Howarth here)
the La Bella Durmiente Floor Lamp, seen at Salone
the feeling of pride from finding a place to eat at the convention center where everything was completely packed with people
The salads!!! 😂 Thank you for the shout-out too 🤗