Beyond the fairgrounds: Milan Design Week 2026

Compelling objects, exhibitions and ideas to know

06 Jul 2026

Milan Design Week 2026 extended far beyond the Fiera Milano Rho fairgrounds, as the city became a laboratory for experimentation, storytelling and immersive design interventions. Here’s an ode to collectible design, limited editions, design antiques and high-end creative craftsmanship.

RODOLFO AGRELLA X VIKRAM GOYAL ATELIER

Developed during the Shakti Design Residency, Natyam by Rodolfo Agrella at Alcova is a suspended brass mobile conceived as a floating screen, interacting with light through reflection and movement. Created with Vikram Goyal Atelier, the work draws from northern Indian metalworking traditions.

Websites: shaktidesignresidency.com, www.rodolfoagrella.com, www.vikramgoyal.com

JAIPUR RUGS X KENGO KUMA

Presented at the Crespi Bonsai Museum, FACES by Jaipur Rugs translates the architectural language of Kengo Kuma into rugs. Within the collection, the SUKIMA-6 rug draws from traditional Japanese latticework, using linear patterns to create a permeable composition where shadow, air and atmosphere become part of the design.

Websites: www.jaipurrugs.com, kkaa.co.jp

HOUSE OF KNOTS X SANCHIT ARORA

Debuting at Alcova Milano, Brick by Brick by House of Knots and architect Sanchit Arora translates architectural drawings into handcrafted textiles. Drawing on the geometry of masonry, thresholds and courtyards, the limited-edition rugs explore relationships between material and the built environment.

Websites: www.houseofknots.com, studiorenesa.com

SERAFINI X KARAN DESAI

JinaShilp by Karan Desai for Serafini takes cues from Jain architecture and reinterprets them into furniture. Presented at Salone Raritas, the collection uses marble, travertine and lava stone to balance monumentality with introspection and craft.

Websites: www.serafini.com, www.karandesai.in

VERSACE HOME

Meteora by Versace Home is defined by a cylindrical backrest that wraps into the armrests before terminating in gold Medusa emblems. Upholstered in leather, the modular sofa introduces intrigue through angled quilting and surface textures, giving depth to an otherwise rigorous silhouette.

Website: luxurylivinggroup.com

GEBRÜDER THONET VIENNA

A single sweep of steam-bent beech defines the C 5501 chair by Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, presented at Fuorisalone, Triennale Milano. Part of the Continuum collection, its uninterrupted frame traces the arms, back and structure, showing how a centuries-old technique can still produce remarkably current forms.

Website: gebruederthonetvienna.com

NEUTRA X ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS

Carved from a single block of Carrara marble, the Minera table by Zaha Hadid Architects for Neutra at Salone Raritas evokes landscapes shaped by centuries of wind and erosion. Produced in a limited edition of eight, the table transforms stone into a fluid and seemingly weightless form.

Websites: www.neutra.design, www.zaha-hadid.com

IMPERFETTOLAB

Notte by Imperfettolab belongs to Vestigia, a collection of imagined relics reworked for the present. Made in fibreglass, the chair pairs an archaic, imperfect surface with a softened contemporary silhouette.

Website: www.imperfettolab.com

NILUFAR

Few chairs embody the spirit of Brazilian modernism like Joaquim Tenreiro’s Cadeira de Três Pés (three-legged chair). Presented by Nilufar at Salone Raritas, the 1947 design contrasts the rigidity of European modernism with organic curves and exceptional craftsmanship, demonstrating Tenreiro’s pioneering use of native Brazilian hardwoods and ergonomics.

Website: www.nilufar.com

EDRA X FRANCESCO BINFARÉ

Anywhere by Francesco Binfaré for Edra refuses the fixed posture of conventional sofas. With independent elements and adjustable Smart Cushions, the seating system lets one decide their own depth, angle and arrangement, making comfort less about position and more about possibility.

Websites: www.edra.com, www.francescobinfare.it

MOLTENI&C X CRISTIÁN MOHADED

A leather band gives Corsetto by Cristián Mohaded for Molteni&C its distinctive silhouette. The design explores the tension between restraint and comfort through contrasting materials and curvaceous volumes.

Websites: www.molteni.it, www.cristianmohaded.com

FLEXFORM X SEBASTIAN HERKNER

Tara Outdoor by Sebastian Herkner for Flexform gives concrete an unexpected softness. Slender tops and rounded monolithic bases shift the material’s perception away from its usual heaviness, creating dining and side tables that appear fluid and weightless.

Websites: www.flexform.it, www.sebastianherkner.com

HERMÈS

Sangles Sellier by Studio Hermès brings the Maison’s equestrian vocabulary to a hand-woven cashmere throw. Ribbed edges inspired by saddle webbing frame the supple weave, while knotted fringes and a palette of forest green, ochre and brown give the piece its graphic structure.

Website: www.hermes.com

LUCEPLAN X MANDALAKI STUDIO

Koinè by Mandalaki Studio for Luceplan is all line, disc and light. The ultra-thin aluminium shade in Rosso Lava holds a mineral glass lens that casts a broad, glare-free beam, giving the pendant its sharp profile.

Websites: www.luceplan.com, www.mandalaki.com

STUDIO NOFF X KLOVE STUDIO

Reh by Daniel Garber of Studio Noff with Klove Studio turns saline soil into a material and cultural inquiry. Developed for the Shakti Design Residency at Alcova, the glass lighting pieces draw from glassmaking in Uttar Pradesh and agricultural vessel forms.

Websites: shaktidesignresidency.com, www.studionoff.com, www.klovestudio.com

TRUSSARDI CASA X CARLO COLOMBO

Talism by Carlo Colombo for Trussardi Casa gives the sectional sofa a strong, grounded presence. Deep seating, compact volumes and sharply defined edges create a structured form, while the textured upholstery softens its scale and makes the sofa feel more relaxed.

Websites: www.trussardi.com, www.carlocolombo.com, www.luxurylivinggroup.com

MOOOI X STUDIO RODERICK VOS

Urchina Light by Studio Roderick Vos for Moooi takes its cue from sea urchins, interpreting their anatomy into a floating constellation of slender carbon rods with glowing tips, a hidden downlight and soft uplight.

Websites: www.moooi.com, www.roderickvos.nl

BACCARAT X BETHAN LAURA WOOD

Mille Fleurs by Bethan Laura Wood for Baccarat reimagines the Maison’s Zénith chandelier as a modular vortex of crystal and colour. Rings of twisted arms, prisms and floral elements are stacked and suspended, turning Baccarat’s archival language into a vivid, fantastical lighting system.

Websites: www.baccarat.com, www.bethanlaurawood.com

13DESSERTS X SOPHIA TAILLET

Venus by Sophia Taillet for 13Desserts turns blown glass into a suspended, fluid form with an undulating blue surface that captures the movement of molten glass.

Websites: www.13desserts.fr, www.sophiataillet.com

BAXTER

Ray by Baxter builds its character around a floating cushion and polished metal frame. The three-leg base creates a precise visual anchor, while the rounded upholstered seat and backrest introduce softness.

Website: www.baxter.it

LOUIS VUITTON X RAW EDGES

Stella Armchair by Raw Edges for Louis Vuitton rethinks comfort and experiments with optical illusions. Part of the Objets Nomades collection, the piece is sculptural and playful, with a faceted surface that gives the armchair an almost cosmic presence.

Websites: www.louisvuitton.com, www.raw-edges.com

IKEA X LEX POTT

IKEA PS 2026 Floor Uplighter by Lex Pott turns a simple steel cylinder into a lamp that shifts function through rotation. Its angled joints allow it to move between uplight, spotlight and reading light, bringing playfulness and precision to an accessible floor lamp.

Websites: www.ikea.com, www.lexpott.nl

PRECIOSA LIGHTING

Drifting Lights by Michael Vasku and Andreas Klug for Preciosa Lighting turns glass panels into a moving field. Presented in Brera during Fuorisalone 2026, the installation uses 60 suspended bubbled-glass panels to let light shift, bloom and dissolve.

Websites: www.preciosalighting.com, www.vasku-klug.com