We started early to tackle what many would consider the main event of Milan Design Week, Salone del Mobile, on the outskirts of the city to the North West. Vast in scale, it attracts some 300,000 visitors over six days and is very much the place for doing serious business.
Salone featured by far and away the most impressive, ambitious stand builds we’ve encountered yet – double decker, glass-fronted, VIP desks, meeting rooms, chandeliers, bars, water features – all being typical features as luxury brands and leading design studios competed to grab the attention of passing trade and discerning journalists.
For us the main attraction of this massive event was Salone Satellite, an area that provides a highly visible platform for emerging designers, collectives and universities. A breath of fresh air from the elaborate stand builds and (dare we say it) repetitiveness of the main Salone, presentation styles here were simple, clean and all about the products:
UMU design from Japan
Orla Reynolds‘ nifty ‘As if from Nowhere’ concealed furniture solution and fabrics by Danish manufacturer Kvadrat.
Black pottery lighting by Mexican designer David Pompa
‘Divide’ table by Elina Ulvio from Finland.
‘FRAM3’ copper table by Anna Weber
‘Aava’ lamp by Laura Väre from Finland.
‘New Materials, New Future’ tactile sample wall featuring cutting edge fabrics, materials and innovative textiles and surfaces.