As Milan Design Week and its main event, Salone del Mobile returned to their usual spectacle this year, the world’s leading fashion brands were sure to follow suit. Below, take a look at the best interiors, homeware, installations, and launches offered by luxury clothing and accessories labels in Milan.
Versace
Photo: Courtesy of Versace
This year, Donatella Versace joined forces with architects and designers Roberto Palomba and Ludovica Serafini on the brand’s new home collection as well as a new outdoor line. The launch was presented via a striking installation at Milans’ Palazzo della Permanente, where shades of red and lush fabric like leathers, silks, and jacquard shone through with the help of LED lights. A nod to the fashion house’s latest show and campaign, Versace’s La Medusa collection including a sofa, a bed, and a Trono armchair, was rendered with new vinyl covering. Inside the installation, the Secret Garden space housed Versace’s debut alfresco line, the Stiletto Outdoor collection comprising dining and occasional tables.
Louis Vuitton
Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Objets Nomades at Milan Design Week, Louis Vuitton took over the revamped parking lot of Garage Traversi to stage a two-floor exhibition. The space with a colorful and retro aesthetic showcased five new additions to the house’s expanding furniture and design range alongside a number of design objects never displayed in Europe before. Created in collaboration with Atelier Oï, the Campana Brothers, and London-based Raw Edge, the five new pieces are reiterations of Objets Nomades’ signature designs. Atelier Oï’s Aurel Aebi, Armand Louis, and Patrick Reymond presented a new lounge chair, a bar stool, and a side stool inspired by their Belt Chair, Fernando and Humberto Campana redid their Bomboca sofa in a four-seat version with 11 upholstered cushions, while Shay Alkalay and Yael Mer of London-based Raw Edges supplied the Cosmic Table with a brightly colored enamel and glass top.
Hermès
Photo: Courtesy of Hermès
In a “quest for lightness”, Hermès’ installation at Via Palermo’s La Pelota this year featured four massive yet airy structures which housed the brand’s new home collections. The four structures by Hervé Sauvage and Charlotte Macaux Perelman were made to resemble water towers, and were built with wood and jewel-toned translucent paper which made them light up in the dark space. The home collections too echoed the theme of lightness. Displayed on stacks of paper were the brand’s lamps, furniture, and porcelain dinnerware inspired by the sun’s rays, alongside cane furniture, and home textiles celebrating cashmere, one of Hermès’ most favored materials.
Dolce & Gabbana Casa
Photo: Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana
After launching in 2021, Dolce & Gabbana Casa took the occasion of its Milan Design Week debut to open the doors to two new dedicated stores. The two Milanese spaces will showcase the Italian fashion house’s furniture and accessories collections, home textiles, Murano glassware, and Sicilian ceramics. Also launched via a bold new campaign shot by photography duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, are four distinctive collections. Blu Mediterraneo features sea-colored motifs, Caretto embraces Sicilian aesthetics and colorful Maiolica-like patterns, while the pieces in the Zebra and Leopardo lines are taken over by prints of their namesake animals.
Dior
Photo: Courtesy of Dior
After enlisting 17 international creatives to reinterpret Dior’s Louis XVI Medallion chair at last year’s fair, the fashion house commissioned Philippe Starck alone to put his spin on the piece this time. The French industrial designer reimagined the chair which dates back to the late 18th century with his characteristic mix of minimalism and glamour and named it Miss Dior. The collaboration sees the traditional wooden frame and fabric upholstery of the chair replaced with injection-molded aluminum which is then left in its natural finish, or polished in pale rose copper, black chrome, or gold. The 24 designs were presented under spotlights in a dark space on the lower level of the Palazzo Citterio, which is an 18th-century building in the heart of Milan.
Fendi Casa
Photo: Courtesy of Fendi
The Rome-based fashion house participated in this year’s design fair via a three-part showcase. Firstly, Fendi Casa’s new home line was displayed at its 7,560-square-foot, two-story Piazza della Scala flagship which opened in April, and secondly, the brand furnished an entire apartment on the main floor of a historic home on Via Monte Napoleone 3, which was accessible only by appointment. Lastly, a temporary Fendi Bar was opened by reinterpreting the previously-launched Fendi Caffè. Mirroring the brand’s design codes, the bar was emblazoned with its O’Lock logo on the outside, with Pequin stripes on the awning, and stools in its signature shade of yellow.
Aquazzura Casa
Photo: Courtesy of Aquazzura
Helmed by designer Edgardo Osorio, footwear brand Aquazzura debuted its venture into homeware at Salone del Mobile with ceramics, linens, and glassware. Each of Aquazzura Casa’s four new collections, co-created with designer Fiona Leahy, embraces joie de vivre, and showcases Osorio’s love for design. The first, named Jaipur, blooms with pink florals and cobalt blue patterns and is inspired by the city in India which is one of Osorio’s favorite countries. The Cherry Blossom line is reminiscent of Japanese sakura trees with pastel shades of yellows, greens, and pinks, and Secret Garden takes on 18th-century Chinese porcelain via green leaves and vines. The most playful of them all is the aptly-named Tutti Frutti collection, which features bright patterns of cherries, peaches, and lemons.
Loro Piana Interiors
Photo: Courtesy of Loro Piana
After opening a flagship store in Milan ahead of the design fair, Loro Piana Interiors followed it with new furniture designed by Raphael Navot. The pieces were showcased with a distinctive installation at the newly restored Cortile della Seta, which featured a structure of dunes covered in soft carpet. Loro Piana’s focus on precious and sensorial fabrics was present at the launch which includes sculptural sofas, daybeds, armchairs, stools, a side table, a coffee table, and an ottoman made with cashfur, cashmere with a hint of silk.
Roberto Cavalli
Photo: Courtesy of Roberto Cavalli
For Salone del Mobile, Roberto Cavalli introduced a new, limited-edition chair designed by creative director Fausto Puglisi. The collection of 20 numbered chairs, named the Queen of Cavalli, are personally signed by Puglisi and feature a neoclassical structure made out of carved wood with a matte black finish. The upholstery of the pieces takes after the fashion house’s recent collections with printed artworks. Think, classic Roberto Cavalli animal prints with a spin in bright shades of yellow, red, purple, green, as well as black and white. Other new pieces presented at the brand’s flagship store in Via Montenapoleone included the Assal leather sofa, and Turkana and Ragali side tables.
Loewe
Photo: Courtesy of Loewe
The Spanish brand returned to Milan Design Week two years after its last showcase with an impressive display at the Palazzo Isimbardi called ‘Weave, Restore, Renew.’ The installation celebrated manual labor, and the art of breathing new life into discarded objects. Using the ancient Galician technique woven-straw technique of coroza, Loewe displayed sculptural raincoats alongside 240 baskets sent to artisans around the world to be repaired using leather strings. Also present at the showcase were jar-shaped tote bags made by Young Soon Lee, the 2019 finalist for the prestigious Loewe Foundation Craft Prize.
Etro
Photo: Courtesy of Etro
For its Salone del Mobile showcase, Etro embraced a neutral color palette elevated with gold and sage green details to exude a vintage charm. Furniture pieces were made using statement materials like carbalho wood, marble, bronze, and brass. The highlights included the Mekong sofa which combined exotic nuances with a 1950s vintage-inspired design, and the Shiraz chair with a backrest whose shape mirrored that of the Etro’s signature paisley print. The brand also introduced an outdoor collection featuring seats with an iron structure disguised as bamboo canes as part of the natural theme.
Elie Saab
Photo: Courtesy of Elie Saab
After launching during the lockdown in 2020, Elie Saab Maison’s new collection was launched at three venues, each with a distinct concept: Seduction of Design was showcased at the brand’s showroom in Via Sant’Andrea, the Theater of Mirrors at the trade show center, and Le Privè took place in Via Martini. The Lebanese designer’s namesake brand also debuted its outdoor collection titled Edhen, at the design fair.
Ralph Lauren
Photo: Courtesy of Ralph Lauren
Showcased for the first time at Salone del Mobile, Ralph Lauren’s home collection saw the brand’s Americanised aesthetic revamped with a Milanese vibe. Central to its installation at the Ralph Lauren Palazzo is the ‘Palazzo’ collection, which features fabrics, furniture, and lighting, reminiscent of elegant Italian living. There were also entire rooms decorated by Ralph Lauren with mahogany furniture, a variety of fabrics ranging from playful zebra prints and paisleys to rich jewel tones, paired with antiqued brass and burnished leather.
