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Milan Design Week is an annual event that sees the city buzzing, from city centre stores, streets and palazzos to the outskirts of town. Derelict buildings are converted to activated pulsating spaces and the city exhibition buildings are filled from wall to wall with legacy furniture brands, emerging designers and this year’s euroluce exhibitors for Salone del Mobile 2025.
I keep returning to this immersive design experience and have learnt how different the week can be from person to person. Some attend to do their business buying trips focussing on a tightly curated list of meetings, others come to explore and discover emerging talent, some come to report on the industry. What everyone has in common is their own unique purpose and plan for the week which itself requires research and a solid agenda. Mindful consideration of traffic and transport is a necessity during what according to locals is the busiest week of the year, with fashion week coming in a close second.
Day 1
My day one destination for discovery and morning coffee is the Rossana Orlandi Gallery. Bursting at the seams with talent showcasing their work from a soft sofa that looks like stone to giant vases made of fiberglass. Every room and corner of her maze-like building and famous courtyard (where Rossana the icon herself walks head on straight into me) is filled with inspiring objects and ideas.
I have decided to visit the Alcova event on the outskirts of Milan early in my week to avoid the queuing and crowds. Set across four breathtaking buildings including a derelict factory, the event focuses on giving emerging talent a platform to present their products, ideas and prototypes. As we walk through the breathtaking Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, we get lost at the Rive Roshan X Sol R&D installation – A solar panel sitting in a pond. As you walk around the perimeter of the pond, the glass changes color. Then in complete contrast we find the wood panelled master bedroom antispace of Villa Borsani juxtaposed with The Breeder X Objects of Common Interest project lighting.
Back in the city centre, Brera Design District is humming with excitement. People are pouring into the Loewe Teapots presentation. Byredo is serving perfume out of a kiosk and Jil Sander has collaborated with Thonet to reimagine their iconic chair in colour.
Into the early evening, private cocktail party guests are spilling out onto the streets.
At the Edra Palazzo, chandeliers and sofas line the courtyard at the base of the breathtaking showroom. Waiters in white are serving aperol spritz and tiny canapes. It feels like you could keep on keeping on in Milan, but my feet hurt, my head is full. Time to rest before another day of more in Milan.
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