Milan Design Week 2021

Expressions and regeneration

In September 2021, instead of the usual May date, there finally is the revival of Milan Design Week. After having been cancelled and postponed, the event takes shape at Rho Fiera, Supersalone, and Fuorisalone around the city of Milan.

Italy has a rich design history, a history of craftsmanship and quality, words that are important for tomorrow’s design. Sustainability is an important theme, from exploring alternative materials to rethinking the way we live. We realise we are connected to nature and depend on nature for our materials and quality of life.

*The Hermès installation in La Pelota, Milan*

The role of the designer is changing. To meet future challenges regarding sustainability, digitalisation, research, innovation, creativity and inclusiveness, designers have to dive into the supply chain, production and investigate the entire life cycle of the object.

Design can make personal stories unfold and create the fantastical and the luxurious; it can evoke emotions, make us feel relaxed and comforted. Uninterrupted studio time caused by the pandemic results in greater experimentation, more research and more extravagance to re-enter the design world with something extra special.

Inclusive design from all over the world comes together in Milan. While the design world is still very Western-centric, the representation of people from different regions and backgrounds makes the design landscape more exciting and fair.

Below are six directions that sum up the key findings seen at the Milan Design Week 2021.

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1/ Nature is our home

Natural Integration by Note Design for Swedish outdoor furniture brand Vestre

Connected living

Love for all living creatures is likely the most important lesson for humanity, a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of all life and a sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

Top row Mezzoterra Mezzomare by Michelangelo Pistoletto, underlining the message of communication as the sea connects people, Habitats by Vestre x Arde creates meeting places between humans and the natural world, Natural Capital by Carlo Ratti in the Brera Botanic garden is a data visualisation of how much CO2 trees store.

Bottom row Gaia by Luke Jerram shows the detail and scale of the Earth to create the Overview Effect, the feeling that astronauts experience in space, The Playful Home by La Casa del PresenteFuturo, PA*GA (Parliament of Gaia) by Sicilian studio Analogique, listen to the sound of the plants to connect with nature.

Circular materials

Designers are exploring processes based on circular economy principles that combine the need to recover waste and the creation of new products through the development of new, innovative natural materials.

Top row Technicolour by Peter Saville for Kvadrat brings the raw form of the land into the home using the industrial-coloured markings on sheep as rural graffiti, The Barn by Elaine Yan Ling Ng 3D tile made with eggshell, Italian-Ecuadorian team Kajkao develops biodegradable, compostable materials using agricultural waste from cocoa crops.

Bottom row Lukang luffa chair by Cordélia Faure with seating made from pressed luffa fibers, Tabula[non]Rasa modular table by Studio Trassia with mycelium tabletop by Mogu and in collaboration with a collection of designers that explore food waste recycling into tableware, Ohmie Orange Lamp by Krill Design made from the waste of oranges.

2/Crafted tactility

*Ganges Plastic Rivers carpet by Álvaro Catalán de Ocón made from 100% recycled PET*

A tactile world

A mixture of innovative and traditional techniques that encourage sensory stimulation and connection and create a new aesthetic.

Top row Ojitos Collection by Ames design x Mae Engelgeer, Blooming Dome no.2 with integrated architectural leaves by Zheni Studio, Rocking Elements by Studio Detail.

Bottom row 3D printed clay and beeswax Tea Ceremony by Emmanuelle Roule and Bold Design, Wheel thrown Cilindro No.2 by Massimo Pavan as part of the 1000 vases exhibition, Caffeinated Architecture by Alex Schofield.

The process of making

Designers are exploring the tension between the irregular and uncontrolled and the hand of the designer.

Top row Untitled 1B by Tellurico, exploring the relationship between time, form and process, creating a live collection of wooden objects, Textured Landscape Vessels by Tania Whalen, La Maison Pierre Frey x Sam Baron.

Bottom row Sand in Motion 3D printed sand by Rive Roshan, Meander VI by Andrea Nassar, 3d textile panels by Nature squared.

3/Global expressions

*Jungle by Khaled el Mays at Nilufar Depot*

Material narrative

Unique items that are an experimental take on traditional craft are seen through a multiplicity of diverse lenses.

Top row Hermes Home by Hervé Sauvage, lime plaster huts with geometric motifs referencing North African architecture, chair by Studio Mumbai, Japanese grass raffia lamps by llot llov, Palmea wall unit by Atelier Khaled el Mays.

Bottom row Morris collection by Richa Gujadhur, inspired by and made in Mauritius, Ornate Meisen cabinet by Bethan Laura Wood, Médaillon chairs for Dior by Atelier Khaled el Mays.

Individuality

Limited editions or capsule collections full of character emphasize individuality.

Top row Playground by Mana Sazegara, series of chairs that interact with each other, both aesthetically and characteristically, while maintaining their individuality, woven leather punching bag by Charles Schambourg, Pavone throne by Marc Ange for Visionnaire.

Bottom row Capsule collection of handmade tiles by Elena Salmistraro for Cedit, Cabinet at Nilufar Depot by unknown, Lapis Speculo 03 by Baroncelli.

4/Sixties vision

Design icons

Icons that have stand the test of time and design that continues the ethos of simplicity, technology and function of the sixties.

Top row Abstract wardrobe The Electric box by Porro S.p.A., red sofa at Nilufar Depot, Lamborghini Countach LP400.

Bottom row Radiofonografo by Brionvega, I’ll be your mirror by Josephine Akvama Hoffmeyer and Elisa Ossino for H+O, Bookcase with hand-painted doors by Filippo Carandini.

Dreams for a new age

Space Age design focused on the future, a future where technology would transform the way we live. Today the design resonates as we are looking for a new future perspective.

Top row No Title lamp by Mayice, I’ll be your mirror by Josephine Akvama Hoffmeyer and Elisa Ossino for H+O, Venini Lapilly by Emmanuel Babled.

Bottom row Monica Armani for B&B Italia, Lotus Oculus smart foils which respond to light and heat by Daan Roosengaarde at Bulgari, Flight D.154.5, an immersive installation by Ron Gilad replicating an airplane interior and featuring a reissue of the ‘Round D.154.5’ armchair.

5/Poetic sanctuary

*Clouds glass installation by Bibi Smit at Masterly*

Delicacy

Refined hard surfaces like mirrors, glass and marble are used in a poetic way that makes the design look soft and tender.

Top row Chromo chromotherapy lamp by Mut Design, 100 lamp by Bocci, Glass mirror by Bethan Laura Wood for Nilufar.

Bottom row Bon Bon chandelier by Bethan Laura Wood for Nilufar, Darkness & Light dressing room design by Park Associati, The Stone House by Studio Stefan Scholten.

Soft. volumes

Soft cushioned fabrics and rounded corners in pastel colours create a muted world, a restorative sanctuary for healing.

Top row Mass by Fred Ganim, Barret by Draga & Aurel for Baxter, Chaise longue by Studio Cagnato.

Bottom row Velvet Flora sofa by Studio Khaled El Mays, Neck Pillow by Sammlung Walter, Table and sideboard by Matteo Cibic for Scapin Collezioni.

6/Digital influences

*Odyssey chairs and digital surroundings by Andres Reisinger*

Digital-led design

Design that originates as digital expressed in the physical world stretching the possibilities of material and design.

Top row Some Vibrant Things, 3D printed objects inspired by vibrating matter by Audey Large, table by Studio Yolk, Black Light by Tom Dixon at Valextra.

Bottom row Throwback lamp by Ante Up, Scultografie by Daniele Papuli, The Infinity Table by Martina Guandalini.

Naturalistic

New forms of life that exist digitally or are brought into the physical world represent nature, growth and autonomous existence.

Top row Slurp chair by Wating For Ideas, Super Pratone by Gufram, Fantastic Smartphones In the Cloud by Ecal Mid

Bottom row Snake lamp by Studio Khaled El Mays, The face of the World by Richard Yasmine, Nuova Flora 02 by Stefano Calia and Keena Rush, as part of Future Archive, a digital archive exploring the adaptation of species on a new planet.