What We Saw At Milan Design Week
Camera roll selects and observations from three attendees
Every year, Milan Design Week gathers the first class of contemporary design into one city for the weekend, and floods all of our social feeds with images, professionally photographed, of the premier pieces.
But the experience in-person is different. So instead of being content with touched-up PR imagery, this Design Week we wanted to get close to a first-person POV as possible. To do that, we asked a few attendees to send personal photos of their favorite pieces.
Their submissions follow. But first, some context on what the festival actually is: what we today call Milan Design Week grew out of a trade fair called “Salone del Mobile,” which began in 1961 to showcase Italian furniture manufacturers.
As the fair grew, it became an opportunity for the entire city of Milan to host an international audience, and a decentralized network of exhibitions, installations, and events grew around it. These events come in a wide variety, and trend less commercial than the Salone. Together, this citywide programming is referred to as “Fuorisalone.”
That’s basically all you need to know: Milan Design Week is a citywide festival celebrating design (Fuorsialone), orbiting a commercial furniture trade fair (Salone del Mobile).
With that in mind, here are some reports from the ground from friends of the page:
Photos from Lenka V
Lenka on how this year was different than past years:
“Over the past few years I’ve watched Milano Design Week become a globally anticipated event drawing guests and crowds from all over the world. The city was oversaturated with festivities. Just walking through the infamous Via Tortona I counted 7 events on a 10 meter block, and those were only the ones I entered.”
“This year I was a bit pickier than I have been in the past, trying to avoid the usual major fashion houses showcasing their home collections, which each year becomes more uninspired and repetitive. It was the streetwear, culture, and innovation-driven showrooms focused on niche up-and-coming brands that drew my attention this year. Some favourites include Capsule Plaza and DEORON.”
Photos from Brendan Charles Smith
Brendan describing the vibe on the ground this year in one sentence:
“Craftsmen, commercially driven brand folks, culture vultures, FOMOers, and seemingly everyone with any interest in design objects and spaces flocked to Milan, bumping through the cobblestoned streets on their Lime bikes.”
Photos from Alpha
Alpha on what impressed this year:
“Salone was inspiring this year. Really impressed by the level of execution and the scale of most activations. There’s a lot to take in, from the big established brands to smaller independent designers. At the same time, seeing how many resources the major players are pouring into these moments makes you question how sustainable it all is.”
