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It was a whirlwind week for design lovers. Hundreds of thousands of industry aficionados (including yours truly) flocked to Milan for Design Week 2022 and witnessed an array of fashion-forward launches sure to shape interior trends in the months and years to come. From trippy iridescent-finished armchairs to speaker box-inspired sofas, here are some of the most memorable releases I saw at Salone del Mobile and beyond. Bellissima!
At the Palazzo del Senato, Kohler revealed its commanding—and highly Instagram-worthy—collaboration with artist Daniel Arsham. The large-scale installation, titled “Divided Layers,” featured a voluminous series of stacked panels that forged a walkable tunnel meant to mimic the brand’s 3D-printed Rock.01 sink.
Ralph’s Milan—that is, Ralph Lauren’s private home in Milano—was every bit as swoonworthy as expected. As if the sumptuous marble walls and vine-filled courtyard weren’t enough to make my heart skip a beat, the brand’s new Palazzo collection, complete with burnished leather sofas, French rococo-style consoles and intricate marquetry cabinets, truly took my breath away.
Nanimarquina’s “Re-Rug” installation at the fair—punctuated by huge piles of salvaged yarn—quickly drew a curious crowd. Inspired by the newly launched floor covering of the same name, the collection offers hand-loomed rugs composed of 50 percent reused wool, ensuring each piece is as easy on the environment as it is on the eyes.
Rinck exhibited its first-ever textile collection, alongside its new Amarante furniture series, at Alcova. The former is curated by French fabric house Maison Thevenon and offers six avant-garde patterns, while the latter features seven contemporary designs, including a minimalist daybed, curved ottoman and abstract geometric-print rug.
At the fair, Fermob showed off a sleek new series called Studie. Inspired by traditional classroom chairs, the collection features an armchair and side chair composed of outdoor-friendly aluminum that can be finished in your choice of 21 colorways, including deep Black Cherry red and cool Ice Mint green.
Poltrona Frau’s display space was filled with an array of futuristic designs that captured my imagination. Along with an iridescent-finished armchair clad in trippy rainbow upholstery, the courtyard of the brand’s Milanese flagship featured an immersive sculptural installation by Greta Rosset showcasing the latest introductions to its True Evolution and Boundless Living collections.
At the Rossana Orlandi gallery, Off-White revealed its latest home collection. The line, called Organic Feeling, is a love letter to nature and all of its unruly, biomorphic motifs—as embodied in such items as wavy, pond-shaped mirrors, fluorescent green–speckled ceramic vases and Persian-style carpets crafted from natural coconut husk fibers.
Eichholtz pulled out all the stops to showcase its collab with Philipp Plein at Salone del Mobile. The vibrant setting, already enlivened by a glittery leopard-spotted sofa and a slew of Day-Glo-colored dining chairs, was further energized by the striking animal print wallpaper from the fashion designer’s line for Zambaiti Parati enveloping the entire display.
Artemest unveiled Blow, its colorful collaboration with street artist Bradley Theodore. Hand-crafted by Venetian artisans using centuries-old glassblowing techniques, the kaleidoscopic series boasts nine Murano glass designs ranging from spray-painted mirrors to skull-inspired sconces and a Rezzonico-style chandelier with pineapple-shaped lights.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Le Bambole collection by Mario Bellini, B&B Italia unveiled a collaboration with Stella McCartney. Among its most au courant offerings was an eye-catching armchair dressed in a hand-drawn fungi print from the fashion designer’s Spring/Summer 20222 collection, which was on full display (with coordinating Cole & Son’s wallpaper) inside the city’s historic Porta Nuova gate.
Pierre Frey Jr. was on hand to walk guests through the brand’s latest additions. Along with six fresh furniture collections, such as a family of seats designed by Rachel and Nick Cope of Calico Wallpaper, debuts included three imaginative rug designs based on the work of legendary French artist Yves Klein.
Dornbracht introduced a new colorway into its Tara collection. The addition, which was prominently displayed in the brand’s expansive Salone del Mobile stand, offers the iconic faucet in a glossy dark chrome finish for an edgy alternative to traditional black fittings.
Inside its grid-patterned booth at the fair—a tribute to the 5oth anniversary of its legendary Quaderna line—Zanotta premiered the Re-Connecting collection. The series spans nine characterful pieces designed with comfort and versatility in mind, such as the wavy neon-hued Karelia chairs (that can be joined to forge a sofa) and an overstuffed cloud-inspired love seat dubbed ZaZa (that was so snuggly I needed an espresso to wake up after the sit test).
Against a bright orange backdrop inside its Patricia Urquiola–designed showroom, Cassina premiered its collaboration with the late designer Virgil Abloh. Called Modular Imagination, the series features two speaker box–inspired, matte black building blocks that can be combined to create an assortment of space-savvy configurations.
In honor of Design Week, Aliita created a special installation for its Milanese showroom. The exhibit, called “Aliita Land,” showcased an assortment of the brand’s bestselling jewelry designs—including Deco Sandwich and Diaspro—alongside an artful series of repurposed porcelain tile panels by ceramics brand Mutina and a pseudo–sandwich bar with a spread made from the most scrumptious precious stones.
The Piero Lissoni–designed Fantini stand at the fair made me want to break out in song. Though the deep black Sailing series by Yabu Pushelberg certainly caught my eye, it was the colorful two-tone Murano glass Venezia handles by Venini that I’ll be dreaming of for weeks to come.
After a long day of walking, Carl Hansen & Son’s collaboration with London-based designer Ilse Crawford perked me right back up again. The collection offers Hans J. Wegner’s iconic Wishbone chair in nine limited-edition colorways, including soft red Terracotta and pale yellow Hollyhock (which the brand’s president, Knud Erik Hansen, confided was a favorite).
Lodes opened the doors to its first Milan showroom, located in the heart of the Brera district. Inside, the Venice-based lighting brand’s latest launches, including the wabi-sabi Flar glass lamp by Patrick Norguet and the modular Volum pendants by Snøhetta, illuminated the bi-level space.
Dwayne Bergmann debuted a home collection created with marble fabricator Kreoo. The sculptural series comprises 18 solid stone designs in varying finishes, including an asymmetrical dining table with a stacked base named Venus and a bold black-to-white ombre console dubbed Giza.
Rimadesio’s showroom was nothing short of chic, filled with clean lines, lush materials and loads of touchable finishes. One design that made me do a double take was the brand’s updated Giuseppe Bavuso–designed Zenit bookcase, which still offers the same streamlined, floor-to-ceiling shelving display but now comes outfitted with aluminum drawers and backlights for an added dash of oomph.
At Alcova, Beni Rugs showcased Colin King’s Spoken Lines series in a dreamy exhibit by Moroccan artist Amine El Gotaibi. The collection includes the graphic Ancora, the geometric Entrata and eight more hand-woven designs, all inspired by the mosaic entryways that adorn the city’s celebrated Piero Portaluppi building.
