Milan Design Week 2024: 20 Highlights from Salone del Mobile and Beyond

Salone del Mobile, the so-called Super Bowl of interiors, opened to the public on Tuesday for a six-day furniture abbondanza expected to draw more than 300,000 visitors, last year's record attendance. The exhibition at the Rho Fieramilano dates to 1961, but over the decades the number of satellite fairs, gallery openings, collection launches, cocktail parties and raves, incubators and symposiums has mushroomed into a much broader umbrella marathon known as the Fuorisalone for the locals and Milan Design Week for the tourists. The faithful start receiving invitations seemingly almost as soon as the last edition ends, so by the time flights arrive at Malpensa for the latest go-round it's increasingly clear no one will make it to everything. Luckily, T&C is here to help with an authoritative and up-to-the-minute guide to the highlights of Milan Design Week, from the most thought-provoking installations at the fairgrounds—David Lynch is a contributor this year—to the buzziest happenings around the city. With many also flying in for the vernisssage of the Venice Art Biennale, which formally begins Wednesday, Milan is going to be a very busy way station on the international design, art, and fashion circuit, but one thing is certain: the Campari will never stop flowing at Bar Basso. — Erik Maza

Best of Alcova: Magnetic Midnight Maison

In just six years, Alcova has broken out from the pack of Salone satellite fairs to be in a league of its own. Always staged at an architecturally important location, usually off the beaten path but invariably worth the schlep, this year's edition took a noticeably more elegant approach by setting up at a pair of modernist buildings in nearby Varedo, Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi. Borsani, today the home of the Borsani archives, boasts a stunning early fireplace by the artist Lucio Fontana, whose father, Luigi, co-founded FontanaArte with Gio Ponti. It's hard to stand out next to such a work, but the young Colombian designer Lucía Echavarría managed it with exquisite craftsmanship, styling the property's living room with a collection of 120 one-of-a-kind pieces, including seating, lighting, and screens. Echavarría started out with an accessories label known for its headpieces, and she's translated her signature materials, like tamo straw, for the making lamps and side tables with a marquetry technique known as enchape de tamo. Working with the Mayfair gallery 32 St. George at LAMB, this was Echavarría's second showing of her furniture designs. — EM

Most Dramatic Lighting: Nilufar Gallery

The Nilufar Gallery on Via della Spiga glows at night these days. A blood-red octopus hangs from the ceiling, casting a sinister light on passersby. It is a striking lamp (pictured) by Christian Pellizzari, who started out in fashion and has now turned his attention to design. For Nilufar, he created a new collection of ceiling, wall and floor lamps drawing on the natural world, in this case not a cephalopod but plant life he noticed in Tangier during early morning strolls. He showed Nilufar founder Nina Yashar prototypes in various colors, and naturally she went with a deep, dramatic red. Elsewhere in the gallery, Joe Armitage's muscular chandelier looms large in the Senato room, where the moody Latern Stack series by New York-based Brit Anna Karlin nicely matches the sensual lines of the Crown sofa by Gal Gaon. Meanwhile, the Como-based atelier Draga & Aurel turned Chez Nina into its own planet, with resin and Lucite tables and poufs in futuristic, cotton-candy shades evoking a whimsical, extraterrestrial world somewhere between Terry Gilliam and Wall-E. — EM

Best Milestone: Molteni&C's 90th Anniversary

It speaks to the quiet elegance of the Italian furniture company Molteni&C that in its 90 years it had never published a comprehensive book touting its rich history. That changes this September with the publication of Molteni Mondo: an Italian Design Story by T&C contributing editor of design and architecture Spencer Bailey, who has wrangled a who's who of devotees for the project, including Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, who wrote the foreword. He is among the design eminences who have added to the legacy of the brand, including Jacques Herzog, Tobia Scarpa, and Patricia Urquiola—Molteni also produces a Gio Ponti collection in collaboration with the Ponti archive. At the fairgrounds, where Molteni always commands impressive real estate, creative director Vincent Van Duysen evolved signature pieces, like the Augusto sofa (seen here), which is now available as a modular system. In other words, to forge a path forward, Molteni looked to the past. There's a lesson in that for all. — EM

Best Brand Extension: Gucci Design Ancora

The Parola table lamp by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni for FontanaArte (pictured). The Le Mura sofa by Mario Bellini for Tacchini. The Opachi vase by Tobia Scarpa for Venini. They are all icons of Italian design, venerated by generations of connoisseurs, including Gucci creative director Sabato De Sarno, who has chosen to recast these and two other canonic pieces in the signature red of his debut collection for the house in what he's calling Gucci Design Ancora. The limited editions, which are available to buy on the Gucci site, are on view at the flagship on Via Montenapoleone, which is exclusively selling another sort of fetishized design object: a sneaker, the 3D-printed Cub3d in sustainable Demetra, the animal-free leather alternative Gucci launched in 2021. — EM

Best Use of Intrecciato: Bottega Veneta x Cassina

Italian design great Gaetano Pesce, who died earlier this month, was a recent inspiration for Bottega Veneta creative director Matthieu Blazy. For his fall 2024 ready-to-wear collection, he turned to another titan of the field, Le Corbusier, whose LC14 Tabouret Cabanon stools doubled as seating at Blazy's February fashion show. Le Corbusier based the stools on a discarded box of whiskey he found on the beach for his Le Cabanon in Roquebrune Cap Martin in the south of France, and now they have been produced by Bottega in limited editions, including a serialized run of 100 in wood and 60 in the signature intrecciato weave in various hues (pictured). All, naturally, are available to purchase. Get 'em while they last! — EM

Best Homage: Habitación 116 at Unno Gallery

The "Crafting Modernity"exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, highlighting 40 years of Latin American design, shines a special spotlight on the work of the influential if often overlooked work of the Cuban-Mexican designer Clara Porset. Notably, her 1947 butaque, a low, curved chair that is widely imitated though not always properly attributed, now has pride of place in the show and in the museum's permanent collection. Porset, who was born in Cuba but lived and worked in Mexico, based her chair on the pre-Colombian duhos, and, fittingly, the Mexican architectural and design firm Habitación 116 is now paying tribute to Porset herself with its Criollo collection, shown during the Fuorisalone by Unno Gallery, which also presented new works by Mark Grattan, Estudio Persona and Andrea Vargas Dieppa. The standout piece in Criollo is a re-interpreted butaque, seen here, that duly credits Porset as the creator of an enduring icon. — EM

Best American Import: Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren’s presence in Milan goes back far, and became permanent when the brand moved into Casa Campanini-Bonomi in 1999. Today, it is better known as Palazzo Ralph Lauren, and it’s been typically used to show menswear collections and other trade appointments. That is until a Ralph Lauren Home Fall 2022 collection that was inspired by the 12,000-square-foot Rationalist gem on Via S. Barnaba. Since, the label’s been more eager to show off its outpost in the design capital of the world, and it was there that the Fall 2024 home collection was unveiled. Called Modern Driver, it is inspired by the founder’s “longtime passion for the beauty of the automobile.” Cars are never far from a Ralph Lauren mood board. In fact, its 2003 RL-CF1 chair is based on the designer’s own McLaren F1 race car. Here, the technology that’s used to develop Formula 1 cars is put at the service of sleek furniture craftsmanship. More importantly, the collection was the first to debut under the auspices of a longterm strategic partnership with the manufacturer Haworth Lifestyle Design, which will enhance Ralph's made-in-Italy production power. — EM

Best Side Project: Interni Venosta by Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci

Dimore Studio, the Milanese design and architecture firm, pulls out the stops during the Fuorisalone, staging exhibits all over the city that showcase the brilliant ingenuity of founders Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci. This week, Moran and Salci debuted a furniture concept separate from Dimore called Interni Venosta, after the Italian designer Carla Venosta. The collection, though—including a lamp, a screen (seen here), a dining table and chairs, and a bed so beautiful it seemed a crime to cover its slats with a mattress—was really an ode to American minimalist artists, including Donald Judd, Carle Andre and Walter de Maria, as well as the Germans Marcel Breuer, Gerrit Rietveld and the leading faces of the Bauhaus movement. All the works were produced by Italian manufacturer Fabbrici Services. Follow up a visit with lunch at Trattoria del Ciumbia in Brera. Its design is by Dimore. — EM

Best British Imports: Boateng Ozwald and Faye Toogood

The British fashion designer Boateng Ozwald enjoys a multifaceted practice known for tailoring that has also seen him dip his toes in costume design and various collaborations, most notably with British Airlines. But in 30 years he had never tried his hand at furniture design. That changed when the Italian heritage house Poltrona Frau approached for a partnership that made its debut in November. Now, he has added new pieces to the line-up, including armchairs, like the Martha and the Ginger, that mine the designer's Ghanaian heritage. Poltrona enlisted the help of other A-listers for its Salone berth, including an inaugural collection with another Brit, Faye Toogood, who seems to be everywhere in Milano—she also worked on a furniture capsule for Tacchini and a rug collection for cc-tapis. Her contribution for Poltrona, Squash (pictured), includes an armchair, side table, carpeting and a mirror that's immediately recognizable as a Toogood. — EM

Best One-Stop Shop: Artemest

How does an online Italian design retailer with over 1,500 different designers put on a show for the Fuorisalone? Placing a fraction of them within a mansion that was built between 1905 and 1907 and was the former home of an Austrian prince. Titled, l'Appartamento, Artemest invited six design firms—Elicyon, Gachot, Rottet Studio, Studio Meshary AlNassar, Tamara Feldman Design, and VSHD Design— to transform various rooms with their signature styles. For Ippolita Rostagno, Artemest's founder and creative director, it's a thoughtful way to "celebrate authentic Italian beauty." For visitors, it's an easier way to shop in bulk. — IM

Moodiest Lighting Experience: Loewe

Loewe's eighth presentation during Milan Design Week was its most ambitious showing yet, with 24 international artists showing their interpretations of the the humble lamp at Palazzo Citterio. Genta Ishizuka, the winner of the Loewe Foundation's Craft Prize in 2019, created a piece finished with layers of glossy lacquer that emits a gentle glow. Dame Magdalene Odundo's lamp, a departure from the burnished vases the artist is known for, sees sheets of leather protrude from a central ceramic column. The brand is also offering a collection of homewares and bespoke designs created in collaboration with the artists. Bamboo artist Hafu Matsumoto, for example, reinterpreted Loewe's Puzzle and Hammock bags. — IM

Most Kaleidoscopic Bathroom: Kohler Co. X Yabu Pushelberg

Long gone are the days when neutral-colored bathrooms reigned supreme—at least, according to Kohler's booth at the Salone fair. Instead, the brand, working with the design studio Yabu Pushelberg, opted for whimsy for a collection that exploded with color and energy. Curiously, the lighting design for the presentation was inspired by the circadian rhythm, allowing the "natural hues of the sun to guide the flow of visitors in the space." — IM

Best Take on Sea Mollusks: Pierre Frey

Designer Samuel Accoceberry splits his time between Paris and the elegant seaside town of Biarritz in the South of France. Naturally, sea life imagery figures prominently in his work. Now for a collaboration with Pierre Frey, Accocebarry has introduced the Callista line: an armchair and sofa inspired by the often-referenced sea mollusk. Its curved arms and back envelop those who take a seat, offering a sense of protection and comfort. — IM

Best Tribute: Loro Piana

Cini Boeri, who died three years ago, is often remembered as one of the great pioneering women in Italian design and architecture. Could it be that she might be the mother of modular furniture? Aside from the Ghost Chair (1987), a product of Boeri melding a single glass sheet cut and bent to form a curvaceous chair, Boeri also created the Serpentone (1967), a sofa that could be literally bought "by the meter" and Bobo armchairs and sofa that was offered in four sizes to accommodate a user's desired level of mobility. For what would've been her 100th birthday, Loro Piana paid homage to Boeri by outfitting some of her most notable designs in the brand's most exclusive interior fabrics so that they can be enjoyed and revisited once again. — IM

Best Trip Around the World: Armani/Casa

It seems that Giorgio Armani wants to take a trip down memory lane. After all, when your fashion label has been around for nearly 50 years and your home line around for almost 25, why not look back with admiration? At Palazzo Orsini, the T&C OG presented a new Armani/Casa collection, Echi dal mondo,
or "Echoes from the World," that referenced his travels around the world, which often inform his fashion and design inspiration boards. One gallery, punctuated with the gold accents of the new Vivace table and the Venus console, nodded to China. Another, a blue enclosure, evoked "Arabian nights," where the bright blue lacquer the Miro cabinet was inspired by the garments of "the Tuareg, to whom Giorgio Armani has also dedicated a historical clothing collection." Teleporting to other parts of the world in an instant? Leave it to Mr. Armani to know how. — IM

Best Pick-Me-Up: Objects Are By

Founded by a Milan-based American couple, Jenny D. Pham, a fashion brand consultant and former luxury marketing executive, and Phil America, an artist and creative director, Objects Are By is an emerging design brand and studio that operates almost like an incubator, pairing together creatives and manufacturers to create sustainable, forward-thinking homewares with a low-impact production philosophy. For its second collection, "Zurich Visions," Swiss fashion designer and artist Babybrush created a bone-free porcelain airbrushed dining set, including small plates, saucers and cups, a vital accessory for weary Salone-goers in dire need of espresso pick-me-ups after, ahem, too many late nights at Bar Basso. — EM

Best Aperitivo: Cabana X Sant Ambroeus

T&C contributor Martina Mondadori's magazine, Cabana, is doing a weeklong takeover of the original, 88-year-old Sant Ambroeus on Corso Giacomo Matteotti to mark its 10th anniversary. Only seven more decades to go, Martina! Cabana, which has since expanded into something of a lifestyle brand, is also opening its first brick and mortar store off Via Montenapoleone, the Madison Avenue of the city, where it will sell textiles, accessories, and tableware, including a limited-edition series of tabletop linens in collaboration with the famed restaurant. Its homewares were used by Ashley Hicks in his redesign of the restaurant's private dining room. — EM

Best Performance: Thom Browne

Has there ever been a Thom Browne show without theatrics? During the Fuorisalone, the American designer marked his partnership with the bedding heritage label Frette by having models sleep before a live audience. Dressed in Thom Browne tank tops and underwear, the performers dressed and undressed around a series of midcentury cots outfitted in Frette bed linens within the 19th century-built arena hall of Palazzina Appiani. It might've struck envy in the attendees whose schedules have been anything but restful. — IM

Best Use of Logomania: Fendi Casa

Fendi is no stranger to doubling its logo for branding purposes. While we've seen those signature F's used creatively on the runway, the label has rarely employed the motif as boldly as it has in its latest Casa collection. Sofas and tables, such as the new Fendi F-Affair sofa designed by Controvento, are now available in a modular system format that features the letters as interlocking pieces. You know what they say: double your pleasure, double your fun. — IM

Best Detour: Azimut Yachts

A yacht in the pool is always a bit of a surreal sight. Yet, there it was: a gleaming Azimut Seadeck floating in the swimming pool of the Bagni Misteriosi. This wasn't just any case study in daring. It was also part of a design installation, "Mooring by the Moon" curated by AMDL CIRCLE, commenting on the relationship between humans and the environment. It was a fitting context in which to display the Seadeck series, the first hybrid motor yacht for families and the most efficient ever designed by Azimut. Developed in
collaboration with Alberto Mancini and Matteo Thun & Antonio Rodriguez, working in yachting for the first time, this Seadeck is part of an invested effort by the company to reduce the environmental impact of its production machinery. All abord! — IM

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