Story | Eve Lam, Connie Li Photography | Featured Brands
Milan became the global centre of the furniture and interior design industry this April at the 63rd Salone del Mobile Milano, held in conjunction with Milan Design Week.
Salone attracted more than 2,100 exhibitors from 37 countries, celebrating design with a focus on sustainability, global outreach and cultural celebration It has become an increasingly important hub for the industry.
Practical Furniture
There, Armani Casa unveiled its new VIVACE Armchair. With its sleek silhouette and silk cushion embellished with delicate embroidery, it stands out for its unique faux-bamboo metal frame, a design extension of last year’s namesake dining table. The overall earthy colour palette evokes a sense of being immersed in nature.
Armani VIVACE Armchair
Earlier in January, Paris Déco Off, a prestigious showcase for the latest furniture and homeware collections from around the world, kicked off the design season. During the event, Loro Piana Interiors debuted its “Pure and Pristine” collection. As the name suggests, it embodies refined minimalism, blending premium materials with distinctive design.
Today’s furniture must strike a balance between practicality and modern sensibility—pieces that not only serve a function, but also act as objects d’art that seamlessly integrate into the living space.
The Palm Armchair is a highlight of Loro Piana Interiors’ new Spring/Summer collection, “Pure and Pristine.”
For this collection, Loro Piana collaborated with designer Raphael Navot to introduce the brand’s first Palm Wicker Armchair. The piece reinterprets the armchair’s graceful curves with artisanal hand-woven wicker, showcasing a creative and tactile approach to craftsmanship.
Seating plays an essential role in interior design and the Crinoline outdoor armchair by Italian design house B&B Italia exemplifies this. Its sculptural, intricately woven form is paired with a generously wide, hollow base that mirrors the flowing curves of the seat and backrest, offering both aesthetic beauty and exceptional comfort.
The Crinoline outdoor chair from Italian design brand B&B Italia stands out with a high backrest adorned with floral sculpted patterns.
The Flair O armchair from Italian furniture brand B&B Italia features a vibrant red-orange hue, with a fully integrated seat and base design.
Fine Textile
Textiles play a pivotal role in determining the value of a furniture collection. Take, for instance, Loro Piana Interiors’ Pure and Pristine collection. It features ultra-fine Wish Merino wool enhanced with cashmere for added softness. along with innovative linen fabrics transformed into vibrant velvets and a wide range of finely textured materials. The Wish striped and checkered flannels are yarn-dyed, offering a soft and plush touch—ideal for furniture upholstery.
Loro Piana Interiors’ new Palm Stools are upholstered in striped Wish flannel, with colour combinations that complement minimalist interiors.
Fendi’s latest FF home collection draws design inspiration from the brand’s archival Spring/Summer womenswear revival. The collection features bold geometric patterns interwoven with oversized “F” motifs for high recognizability. The textile accessories include soft, cozy cushions and throws made from a cashmere-blend wool, available in either navy blue or a warm camel hue—both evoking a sense of comfort and calm.
Louis Vuitton’s new home collection features wool and cashmere textiles. The blankets and cushions, designed by Argentinian artist Cristian Mohaded, are marked by highly recognizable motifs inspired by the House’s iconic Damier pattern and LV initials. The rugs draw inspiration from Argentina’s native clay mountains and the glaciers of its southern regions, evoking a poetic interplay between earth and ice.
Elegant Tableware
Never underestimate the power of tableware, which can be a true reflection of a host’s refined taste. Louis Vuitton’s tableware collection continues to expand with new designs and forms that blend cultural influences and styles from around the world. The new Coiling series by Japanese designer Nendo pairs deep black hues with pristine Limoges porcelain, adorned with endless variations of the Monogram, floral motifs and lozenges—a refined expression of elegance.
The new Coiling series by Japanese designer Nendo.
The Splendor and Constellation lines, launched at the end of 2024, along with the Capri collection inspired by the Italian Riviera, convey Louis Vuitton’s singular art of living and entertaining. These creations infuse everyday rituals with an elevated sense of luxury and distinction.
The Capri collection is inspired by the Italian Riviera.
Moreover, Louis Vuitton also pays tribute to Italian Futurist artist Fortunato Depero, where parrots, pelicans, monkeys and other figures are transformed into geometric forms, full of dynamism and joy.
Louis Vuitton’s new tableware collection pays tribute to Italian Futurist artist Fortunato Depero.
The new Hermès “en contrepoint” tableware collection exemplifies this perfectly. Designed by Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis FabryHermès Maison’s artistic directors, the collection features a variety of fine white kaolin porcelain pieces, accentuated with soft or vibrant tones of pink, purple, blue, green and orange.
Hermès “en contrepoint” tableware collection.
The collection includes dinner plates, cups, teapots and shallow bowls. embodying the essence of minimalist elegance. Some pieces are adorned with striking geometric patterns, hand-painted in watercolours by artist Nigel Peake, adding a touch of artistic flair to everyday dining.
Fendi’s Art de la Table collection, on the other hand, is masterfully crafted from Limoges white porcelain. The line features an array of dinner plates, bowls, coffee cups, teacups and decorative dishes—all unified by the brand’s signature deep blue FF geometric motif, creating a bold and cohesive visual statement across the entire collection.
Fendi’s Art de la Table collection.
A Glimpse of Milan Design Week
Gucci Bamboo Encounters Exhibition
The exhibition is set in the 16th-century San Simpliciano Monastery in Milan, showcasing unique creations from contemporary designers and artists around the world. It achieves a cross-temporal dialogue on materials and cultural
heritage.
Gucci began using bamboo for handbag handles in the mid-1940s, with the iconic Gucci Bamboo 1947 its most representative piece. Over the following decades, bamboo became one of the brand’s most emblematic elements, transcending design detail to carry rich cultural symbolism.
Palestinian architect, artist, and researcher Dima Srouji reveals Hybrid Exhalations, showcasing found bamboo baskets with hand-blown glass additions.
Austrian designer Laurids Gallée’s Scaffolding reinterprets bamboo structure through resin works.
