It took 118,966 steps to survey exhibitions and showrooms across Milan and booths within Salone del Mobile—but for Milan Design Week the lower back pain was worth it. The many meters walked brought forth inspiring curations and meaningful design. Within the whirlwind of activations, installations, cocktail hours, and booth appointments, thoughtful collaborations, attention to craft, and dutiful research united many of the works on display, both at the fair and beyond. The following are our favorite new releases from the week.
Prosteria’s booth at Salone del Mobile (Courtesy Prostoria)
Richter Collection by Prostoria
At Salone del Mobile, a new collection brings to life unfinished work of Croatian architect Vjenceslav Richter. Richter worked across urbanism, sculpture, and art. He was a founding member of EXAT-51, a group of experimental artists and activists in Zagreb from 1950 to 1956. In addition to pavilion and exhibition designs, Richter was recognized for applying a systemic approach to urban design and sculpture, which is continued in his furniture. Prostoria brought 20 of these to life, drawn from never realized or finished sketches and one-off items that never went into production. This includes the minimal, tubular VR58 chair, originally designed and meticulously recreated through archival photography from Expo 58 in Brussels.
The Dozie Kanu Table Collection, produced by Knoll (Courtesy Knoll)
Dozie Kanu Table Collection
Artist and sculptor Dozie Kanu brings movement and flair to static stables with taut leather and fringe tassels. The work merges Kanu’s Nigerian roots with his Texas upbringing. The tables’ leather top reference an African drum in Kanu’s collection, while the fringe skirt alludes to both African Ceremonial dress and Texas cowboy culture.
The table is designed by Rodolfo Agrella (Ooki Jingu)
CONNEXA by Rodolfo Agrella for NII
New Japanese office furniture brand NII, part of the long-standing ITOKI Corporation, presented a host of new work at Salone del Mobile. Included is a collaboration with New York–based designer and architect Rodolfo Agrella. CONNEXA’s glass top exposes its sleek, steel infrastructure below. The system allows different configurations and extensions.
Kawara Armchair was presented at Salone del Mobile (Horoshi Iwasaki/Courtesy KOYORI)
Kawara Armchair by Vincent Van Duysen for KOYORI
Japanese company KOYORI also marked its debut at Salone del Mobile with collaborations with Vincent Van Duysen and Ronan Bouroullec. The former designed Kawara, a plywood armchair featuring a 3D curved backrest and armrest. The expression takes advantage of the material’s ability to warp, shrink, and curve.
nanimarquina’s new collection translates the work of Lucia Eames (Courtesy Eames Office)
Lucia Eames Collection by nanimarquina
In collaboration with Eames Office and Form Portfolios, nanimarquina released a collection of rugs based on original artworks by Lucia Eames. The work reflects recurring motifs found throughout her joyful body of work, including butterflies, birds, suns, tendrils, and abstracted organic forms, aptly translated through hand-spun Afghan wool, hand-braided jute, and New Zealand wool.
The pavilion system is included in the Triennale Milano (Salva López/Courtesy Kettal)
Eames Pavilion System by Eames Office and Kettal
At Triennale Milano, the exhibition The Eames Houses explores the enduring relevance of Charles and Ray Eames’s ideas on prefabrication, modular construction, and a human-scale approach to living. Within the exhibition, Kettal, the Spain-based furniture manufacturer, and Eames Office present Eames Pavilion System, a modular, prefabricated system that takes after the 1949 Case Study House. The flexible system can be used to create studios, ADUs, exhibitions, event spaces, and more.
The Attimo Chaise Lounge is designed by Jean-Marie Massaud (Courtesy Poliform)
Attimo Chaise Longue by Jean-Marie Massaud for Poliform
Installed within the historic Palazzo Clerici, the Attimo Chaise Lounge’s modern form strikingly contrasts against the older setting. Designed by Jean-Marie Massaud for Poliform, the chair is defined by a gently curved, sculptural frame with a soft, feather-filled cushion, clad in leather. The seat rests on wooden base with intersecting planks, adding lightness to the bottom.
KARIMOKU FURNITURE presented at Capsule Plaza (Kohei Yamamoto)
Wagetsu わ月 by KARIMOKU RESEARCH and WAKA WAKA
After exploring the theme of “What is tradition?” KARIMOKU RESEARCH and Los Angeles–based WAKA WAKA created a distinct, new brand wagetsu わ月. The work presented, at Capsule Plaza, showcases a new take on traditional Japanese furniture, united by material unity: polished wood.
Slalom is featured in Alcova Milano (Piercarlo Quecchia/DSL Studio)
SPYKON by Slalom
At Alcova Milano, Slalom, an Italian acoustic company, collaborated with Vintage Audio Institute and Studiolatte on Felt Frequencies. The exhibition transforms a freestanding pavilion within the Baggio military hospital complex into a temple of rare vintage Italian synthesizers. The space, designed by Studiolatte, is clad in Slalom, including the new SPYKON designed by Giulia Foscari. The new acoustic solution features a compelling constellation of prismatic elements that generate a continuous, blocky texture.
