MILAN, ITALY — Fashion’s presence at Milan Design Week intensified this year. Savvy presentations by brands comprising Loro Piana, Loewe, Aesop, Etro and Dior showed how Salone has become a critical melting pot that bridges the parallels between design and fashion.
Heritage label Gucci presented an exhibition curated and designed by 2050+ and its founder Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli, celebrating the enduring legacy of bamboo in Gucci’s design history and identity. Set against the stunning backdrop of Milan’s 16th-century Chiostri di San Simpliciano, the exhibition showcased a series of unique contributions by contemporary designers and artists from around the world who were invited to reimagine bamboo in bold and unexpected ways.
Gucci at Milan Design Week
Throughout Gucci’s history, the material has traced a unique path, adopting many roles and meanings to inspire the intertwined dimensions of art, culture, and design. The exhibition builds upon this rich heritage, exploring the lasting impact of the material and how it continues to bridge past and present in ever-evolving ways.
Gucci at Milan Design Week
Swedish Chilean artist Anton Alvarez pays tribute to the bamboo’s natural shape with his sculpture, 1802251226. Palestinian architect, artist, and researcher Dima Srouji reveal Hybrid Exhalations, showcasing found bamboo baskets with hand-blown glass additions. Kite Club, a Dutch design collective comprising Bertjan Pot, Liesbeth Abbenes, and Maurice Scheltens presents Thank You, Bamboo, a series of kites made from contemporary materials and bamboo.
Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello presented an exclusive collaboration with Charlotte Perriand on the occasion of Milan Design Week, which showcased four exceptional furniture designs by Perriand, dating from 1943 to 1967.
Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello x Charlotte Perriand
The Perriand designs selected by Vaccarello existed only as prototypes or sketches until now. Saint Laurent carefully reproduced and reissued them in limited editions. Perriand originally created three of the pieces for her own homes around the globe (‘Bibliothèque Rio de Janeiro’ and ‘Fauteuil Visiteur Indochine’) and for a diplomat’s residence in Paris (‘Canapé de la Résidence de l’Ambassadeur du Japon’).
Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello x Charlotte Perriand
Known to date only from a small maquette on Perriand’s desk, the ‘Table Mille-Feuilles’ has been produced in full scale for the first time as part of this collaboration, making its debut public appearance at Milan Design Week.
The partnership between Saint Laurent and Charlotte Perriand is the latest example of the House’s ongoing commitment to heritage, aimed at bringing important artefacts of design culture—previously hidden in inaccessible collections—to a wider audience. It also honours Yves Saint Laurent’s admiration for Perriand’s work, whose pure modernity echoed his own creations.
Since its founding by Gianni Versace in 1992, VersaceHome has ceaselessly proven that it is, proposing a universe that brings a fantasy of poise, extravagance and heritage to life. As luxury fashion’s original pioneer in the lifestyle arena, the Versace state of mind has never limited itself to expression through a single discipline.
VersaceHome 2025
As was underscored in the House’s recent Fall-Winter 2025 fashion show, to embody Versace is to embrace a way of living at once proudly historied and decidedly modern, and to live it – to wear it, eat from it, sit on it, sleep in it – with uncompromising intention. During the 2025 edition of Salone del Mobile, guests were immersed in a living celebration of three decades of bold lifestyle innovation, underpinned by an avid appreciation for the history of neoclassical design and an abiding appetite for its reinvention.
VersaceHome 2025
Emblematic fragments from across Versace’s defining creative and cultural legacy pave the way towards its future, distilled into directional furniture pieces, decorative furnishings and homeware. House icons – among them the Harem chair, a stacked cushion lounge seat originally issued in 2010 – are revived and reimagined through a lens of distinction and contemporaneity.
Louis Vuitton has always cultivated a great creative interplay with the world of design. From the appearance of the first trunks that revolutionised the Art of Travel, the House has placed originality and innovation at the heart of its vision. Examples include the emblematic 1885 Bed Trunk, the 1930 Stokowski trunk in Monogram canvas, or the Library Trunk, a cross between a travel object and a piece of furniture.
The Objets Nomades has become the heir to this innovative spirit. Launched in 2012, the collection brings forth designer objects in a limited series, each more extraordinary than the last. They showcase both incredible craftsmanship and the creativity of the guest designers, who include some of the greatest talents of the international scene including Estúdio Campana, India Mahdavi, and Patricia Urquiola.
In 2025, Louis Vuitton continues to explore the realm of design and decoration by opening a new chapter expressed by the launch of the Louis Vuitton Home Collections to constitute a comprehensive world dedicated to the art of living. To cover an unprecedented scope, Louis Vuitton Home Collections encapsulates five product categories: Objets Nomades, the new Signature Collection (furniture and lighting), Decoration (objects and textiles), Tableware, and exceptional gaming.
This collection embodies the evolution of electronic music culture. It‘s an artefact of past club nights and a vision of those yet to come, marked by the patina of countless hours of movement on the dance floor. Shaped not just by design, but by experience, the PAN x NIKE AIR MAX 180 “NIX” combines ancient craft techniques, curated by PAN’s founder Bill Kouligas, with Nike’s modern design precision. With all-night comfort and durability in mind, both colourways in black and yellow, with tonal woven upper and tonal air bubble, feature a protective shrink-wrapped shroud and pre-worn aesthetic.
Aesop invited the culturally minded and sensorial inquisitive alike to discover its installation at Chiesa del Carmine: The Second Skin. Taking place at the historic 15th-century church located in the heart of Brera, the exploration of dermis and design took inspiration both from the skin’s functions of regulation, protection and sensation, and the alluring entrance halls that are a signature of so many Milanese buildings.
Here, formulation becomes fabrication, as Aesop’s Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm is repurposed into a mortar for its walls. As guests proceeded within, they were encouraged to engage with the structure through deep inhalation of its scent. There, a film is screened that uses dance to express the joyful act of bathing.
Created for the launch of Eleos Nourishing Body Cleanser, the work was done in collaboration with Nayoung Kim, an independent choreographer and current dancer of Tanztheater Wuppertal. The courtyard was the unexpected setting for a demonstration of furniture on an immense scale.
At nearly 16 metres long and with space for 50 seats, a wooden table designed by the English fine-furniture maker Sebastian Cox is a dominating physical presence. A previous collaborator with Aesop on their Marylebone and Rotterdam stores, Sebastian chose Cedar of Lebanon for the table tops.
For over 20 years, Park Hyatt Milano has been a symbol of Italian excellence in prestigious hospitality, standing as an iconic five-star luxury hotel in the vibrant heart of Milan’s historic centre: a benchmark for Milanese style and elegance.
This refined hotel, located just steps away from the Duomo Cathedral and offering an exceptional view of the renowned Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, boasts a strategic position that makes it the perfect choice for immersing oneself in the splendour of the city and the timeless charm of its historic centre.
The Signature Suites, regarded as the hotel’s crown jewels, are true masterpieces of design and perfectly embody the essence of exclusive luxury and unparalleled prestige. With its deep connection to Milan’s history and culture, Park Hyatt Milano stands as a true icon in the heart of the city. The Signature Suites—Montenapoleone, Duomo, Brera, Fiori Chiari, and Solferino—pay homage to some of Milan’s most iconic locations. Some of these suites feature exclusive, enchanting panoramic terraces that offer sweeping views of the city skyline.
An immersive installation that explored the boundary between reality and cinematic fiction through the spaces of an elegant home, Loro Piana and Dimoremilano made their debut together for the first time at Milan Design Week 2025. Presenting an immersive project in which the real and the verisimilar intertwine, creating a fascinating experience inside the Cortile della Seta, at Loro Piana’s Milan headquarters.
Loro Piana x Dimoremilano
Loro Piana x Dimoremilano
As soon as they cross the entrance, visitors are welcomed into the foyer of an elegant city cinema with dark red velvet curtains, an original speckled carpet, fine furnishings and brass wall sconces. Here, accompanied by the masks, guests prepare for the viewing of La Prima Notte di Quiete, an installation that recreates the environments of a house, inspired by an apartment from the 1970s and 1980s, perfectly decorated with pieces designed by Dimorestudio for Loro Piana Interiors.
New and classic furniture from Dimoremilano dressed for the occasion with fabrics from Loro Piana Interiors, objects from the Loro Piana The Art of Good Living collection, antique pieces and works of art. The works on display come from Tornabuoni Art, Galleria Cardi Galleria Gracis and Secci. Gradually each room is illuminated, offering viewers a privileged view of the style and elegance of details and materials.
Loro Piana x Dimoremilano
As in a film conceived and directed by Dimorestudio-that subverts expectations, the installation’s cinematic twist transports visitors to another dimension. The tension between silence and movement also inspired the title, as part of an exploration of the boundary between reality and cinematic suggestion, which is the central theme of the entire project. The house signifies calm and silence and provides comfort and protection from noise and chaos, thus giving inhabitants and visitors a first night of tranquillity, of stillness.
On the occasion of Milano Design Week, Fendi continues its journey to discover new stylistic balances and expressions, advancing the brand’s distinctive language and aesthetic philosophy. Rooted within the excellence of the Maison Fendi from which it derives, this year’s collection coincides with the celebration of its centenary.
The Fendi Casa 2025 collection is a refined blend of new ideas and pieces that have become iconic over time, reimagined through updated materials, colours, and finishes to create entirely new moods. A constantly evolving narrative, the collection responds to both contemporary and timeless aesthetic sensibilities, while embracing the unpredictability of trends.
Fendi Casa 2025
Fendi Casa 2025
This conceptual fluidity is grounded in the brand’s strong stylistic coherence, allowing it to foresee the direction of contemporary design and to welcome new creative voices as companions in its ongoing journey. Lewis Kemmenoe curated the concept and window displays of the iconic Fendi Casa boutique in Piazza della Scala, where his pieces will be showcased.
Fendi Casa 2025
A narrative that is both material and poetic: the shapes Kemmenoe arranges on the panels defining the exhibition space evoke the artisanal techniques of tailoring and leather craftsmanship used in cutting materials, giving life to a metaphysical scenography that pays tribute to creativity and savoir-faire.
Arnica, both material and pattern, was a symbol of the deepest essence of Etro, for forty years. Born by absorbing the vital force of Indian Paisleys – the only pattern in the Etro repertoire that has never changed, the Arnica motif is a cultural connector.
Only a journey can celebrate other journeys, and this is what Etro is doing, during Design Week, with the exhibition 5 THREADS, 40 YEARS: an emotional and narrative journey on a quest to discover Arnica, from its origins in the imagination to the design and manufacturing process, culminating in its transformation into timeless objects.
Etro 5 Threads, 40 Years
The venue for the event is the Etro boutique on Via Pontaccio in Milan: in the heart of Brera – an area closely linked with the origins and the wandering spirit of the brand, with its ties with radical and artistic culture. Three rooms plundered in darkness, are connected by continuous carpeting that swarms with the unmistakable pattern: from the creation (The Creation) to the icon (The Icon) and to the journey it takes (The Journey).
Everything comes together in a flow that is as continuous as the merging of the Paisley drops; each visitor can choose how to explore the rooms, or in what order. The story of Arnica is an adventure that weaves together the enchanted territories of nature and art.
As an extension of the Ode à la Nature collection, Dior Maison revealed three unprecedented vases conceived by Sam Baron in captivating proportions. Presented in preview on the occasion of Design Week, these outstanding creations each measure almost one meter high. Sculptures that surpass the boundaries of excellence through their dimensions and sumptuous details.
Celebrating the beauty of nature, an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Monsieur Dior, these unique vases unfold in irresistibly organic forms adorned with poetic plant motifs. Branches, flowers and delicate foliage – all in transparency – intertwine around these objects of desire and evoke a stroll in an enchanted garden. A profusion of oneiric scenes that depict the different cycles of the seasons and life: from its nascent state majestic nature becomes magnificently tamed. These handcrafted models use the hypnotic process of Italian mouth-blown glass, expressing the virtuoso savoir-faire and teamwork of the glass artisans.
It’s Loewe’s ninth exhibition at the international furniture fair, which enables the brand to venture into creative experiments with artists, expanding on generations of design and craft knowledge. Each artist has taken a unique approach to the teapot.
Loewe at Milan Design Week 2025
Together the works reimagine the vessel’s sculptural form, drawing on the varied and rich traditions of tea making and culture found around the world. While many of the artists have chosen to work with mediums traditionally associated with teapots, including porcelain and ceramic, they have each taken a unique approach to the treatment of their materials. The works on display feature a variety of glazes, finishes and innovative textures.
Loewe at Milan Design Week 2025
The teapot’s most distinctive elements, its handle and spout, form the focus of many of the works, though often scale and proportion are subverted through elongation or shortening, resulting in teapots that seem familiar, but defy convention. Rose Wylie’s teapot takes inspiration from British Royal Albert china tea sets, with an exaggerated lid and fluted detailing, while frayed ribbons of clay wrap around Jane Yang-D’Haene ́s elongated teapot.
Shallow perforations that enable light to pierce through cover the surface of Akio Niisato’s teapot and ridges run across the entire surface of Takayuki Sakiyama’s, which appears to swirl upward from a continuous piece of clay.
Swarovski is set to honour Milano Design Week 2025 with a program of activations highlighting the Austrian House’s 130-year heritage and infinite savoir-faire. Swarovski’s mastery of crystal and limitless imagination is in full bloom in the Idyllia family, designed by Global Creative Director, Giovanna Engelbert. Each intricate design shines with vibrant colours and motifs from the mathematical garden.
Swarovski at Milan Design Week 2025
Throughout Milano Design Week, Swarovski’s Milan flagship store, Swarovski Duomo, will be a hive of activity, blossoming with extraordinary beauty as it hosts a series of exclusive events inspired by Idyllia. Visitors will be able to explore new Spring-Summer 2025 Idyllia jewellery crafted with exceptional savoir-faire, chromatic brilliance, and emotive symbolism, as well as radiant new home collections, décor, and figurines.
The new Swarovski x Rosenthal Idyllia collection will also be unveiled in the Duomo store. The second collaboration with porcelain artisan Rosenthal features the Idyllia family’s crystallized Royal Flycatchers, Cockatoos, and citrus fruits, depicted using an innovative new technique.
Swarovski at Milan Design Week 2025
During the event themed window displays and several key areas in-store will be dedicated to displaying the exceptional beauty and creativity of Idyllia. Inspired by fantasy and the wonders of the natural world, every design celebrates our artistry and technical expertise, with vivid light-filled colors and exquisite crystal explorations of flora and fauna.
Under the direction of Miuccia Prada, now in its second iteration, the event this year explores the subjects of girlhood, love and sex education through the work of two international literary masters, French existentialist, Simone de Beauvoir, and Fumiko Enchi, the pen-name for Fumi Ueda, among the most prominent female authors of the Shöwa era in Japan.
Miu Miu Literary Club
Conversations centred around these subjects challenge the rules taught to women for centuries, questioning their veracity and any preconceived ideas. A landmark title by each author is championed: opening with “The Power of Girlhood”, an in-depth exploration of Simone de Beauvoir’s The Inseparables.
Written in 1954, but, deemed too intimate to publish in her lifetime, only released in 2020, the novella sparks renewed interest in a great feminist thinker. In this work, the writer of The Second Sex (1949) and Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter (1958), charts the journey of a young girl into womanhood and the importance of female friendship in the process of self-determination.
On the second day, with “About Love, Sex and Desire”, attention turns to Fumiko Enchi’s The Waiting Years (1957), an explicit account of women’s sexuality, among the first published in her native country.
by Chidozie Obasi