4 Exhibitions to remember from Milan Design Week 2025
This year, Milan Design Week was on top form with Euroluce and latest brands showcasing their new projects. We were there for 48 hours and managed to visit most of Brera District and Alcova. Here are our highlights:
Hermès, La Pelota
As the first exhibition we walked in the morning, Hermès was our favourite of all. The way the brand’s usual exhibition space (a former 1940s sports court) has been transformed into suspended large boxy columns and reflected colours below was intriguing. The exhibition was designed by Charlotte Macaux Perelman.
Each homeware item reveal itself while visitors walk around these suspended structures, letting people peek through negative shapes and slits of these structures. The combination of colours for the fine home textiles, the level of craftsmanship for the glassware was all expected and beyond from Hermès.
What was also impressive was how well the branding tied together. The invigilators were wearing beautiful scarves on neutral tone uniforms. The coffee stand, benches for visitors to perch and paper coffee cups all matched with the patterns of the latest porcelain tableware collection. The lighting of the exhibition space, scent and how sound had been controlled were all seamless. The flow of the exhibition was great to experience design and learn from this high quality of craft.
Hermès website: https://www.hermes.com/uk/en/content/339070-milan-design-week/
2. Tactile Baltics with MoscaPartners in Palazzo Litta
We visited this exhibition as recommended by fellow design colleagues. The exhibition venue is a beautiful palazzo and it is an artwork as itself. The selection of design pieces by 21 designers from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were eloquently curated by NID, Latvian Design Centre and Lithuanian Design Forum. As Dita Danosa (curator of Latvia selection) walked us through the exhibition, she stated, ‘The materials and designs were selected for mostly staying true to their nature.’
Our favourite was the pink neon light designed by Dace Suna, in the center. We enjoyed the overall playfulness and honest design approach in the beautiful venue.
ALCOVA: Uniqka and Studio Lugo
Alcova as the far distant corner of the Milan Design Week requires almost a full day dedication to visit. We hopped on a train to Varedo to visit Villa Borsani, Ex SNIA and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi. Quoted from the Alcova website, here is a background summary of these venues:
The former SNIA factory and the Pasino glasshouses, alongside Villa Bagatti Valsecchi and Villa Borsani from the previous edition. These additional sites expand the design conversation beyond domestic environments, focusing on the interplay between materials, industrial processes, and nature’s reclamation of abandoned architectural spaces.
As we followed all the stylish designers who could easily be cast in Zoolander, we started our visit from Villa Bagatti Valsecchi. The beautiful large villa with a garden which the borders reach far out. The venue looked as if it came out of a fairytale. The exhibition we liked the most was the new Betsy furniture collection by Uniqka in collaboration with Lara Bohinc. Uniqka describes this collection as:
The designer's inspiration for the Betsy Collection stems from plumage and how birds’ feathers are layered. Captivated by the way feathers overlap to create a rhythmic, textured surface, the collection reflects the refinement and organic harmony found in the natural world. This interplay of softness and structure brings a sense of fluidity and personality to each piece.
Uniqka with Betsy Collection designed by Bohinc Studio at Alcova Villa Bagatti Valsecchi. Photo credit
The furniture items from Studio Lugo were carefully hand crafted in Türkiye. The hardwood furniture pieces combine the traditional silk-cotton blend Kutnu fabric, horse hair and copper which are inspirational elements from the South east region.
https://www.instagram.com/studiolugo/?hl=en-gb
Both Uniqka and Studio Lugo harmoniously displayed the latest designs using the most advantages of the lighting and layout of their exhibition space.
Studio Lugo collection at Alcova, photo credit
ERG Media, 150 Tea Caddies celebrating 150 years of Kaikado legacy
Five minute walk from Palazzo Litta, we visited ERG Media exhibition in a courtyard of another beautiful Palazzo. As we walked into the space, 150 tea caddies were lined up in precision with a peaceful seating area as a replica of the @kaikadocafe. In the right corner, the tools and process was shown on a large table along with the recently published limited edition book. We decided to pause for a cup of coffee from their partner Rocket coffee before we continued our Milan exhibition marathon. Every detail of this exhibition was incredible. The bespoke coffee machine from SMEG, other Kaikado items and the team who worked to meet the visitors were all the great details we took in memory with us.
ERG media exhibition 150 Kaikado Tea Caddies. Photo credit: https://www.instagram.com/thomaswalk/
Summary
It was refreshing to re-visit Milan Design Week since 2019 since we exhibited at Lexus Design Awards. Here are some of our past exhibition images above. This was our first time as a visitor. We know how much team work and effort it requires to create a compelling exhibition in Milan.
When in Milano, we reconnected with old friends and made some new ones. We came back to London with new ideas, inspiration and new knowledge of the latest materials and techniques. Our opinion is this is what Milan Design Week is about.