Milan Design Week from the 4 to the 9 April with events scattered all over the city. There’s something for everyone, too—museum shows, retail pop-ups, industrial showcases, cocktail parties, etc.—but the following six were our favorite showings across all of Design Week this year.
MARNI PLAYLAND
Photography by Penelope Vaglini
Photography by Antonella Bueno
Known for consistently producing some of luxury fashion’s most eye-catching, high-color design pieces, the Italian fashion house, Marni, has created a nostalgic playground in light of this year’s Milan Design Week. Aptly titled, Playland, Marni’s latest installation consists of several different, sand-covered areas, separated only by the color of each section’s floor coat.
Marni’s modern, high-fashion playground rendition sees the brand offering its distinct take on traditional playground equipment, as it encourages onlookers to create their own, elaborate fantasies as they visually interact with the installation. Alongside such equipment, the Marni Playland is said to contain certain interactive elements, such as purpose-made picnic blankets offered to those who wish to settle down on the sand in and around a selection of specially crafted label furniture.
Courtesy of Fuorisalone and Highsnobiety
CARTIER PRECIOUS GARAGE
Photography by Beatrice Poma
Photography by Penelope Vaglini
As part of the Milan Furniture Fair, Cartier is hosting an extravagant pop-up space called “Precious Garage.” At its centerpiece is a suspended gold Corvette with neon LED lighting, accented with a gold “spill” oozing onto the floor alongside gold-encased nuts, bolts and rims.
Also on display are two of Cartier’s heritage-inspired pieces; the Juste un Clou torque necklace based on the original Nail Bracelet designed by Aldo Cipullo in the seventies, and a spin-off bracelet from Cartier’s Écrou de Cartier line. The industrial-meets-opulent space is designed by New York-based visual artist Desi Santiago.
Courtesy of Fuorisalone and Highsnobiety
HERMÈS MAISON ON THE WALL
Photography by Aurora Ravasi
Photography by Gianluca Ardiani
Hermès took the opportunity to debut its 2017-2018 home collections at this year’s Milan Design Week. The assortment boasts an array of luxe furnishings ranging from jewelry boxes and serving trays to hooks, hangers and tableware, in addition to modish chairs constructed from bamboo and a bronze coffee table. The fashion house’s signature leather links are in turn featured on a number of the items.
Each piece from Hermès’ 2017-2018 home collections is made in collaboration with architect Alvaro Siza, industrial design studio Barber & Osgerby, and designer/artist Pierre Charpin.
Courtesy of Fuorisalone and Highsnobiety
DOLCE GABBANA & SMEG
Dolce & Gabbana and Smeg continue their collaboration with a new collection of small appliances presented during Milan Design Week 2017. Last year, the two Italian companies teamed-up to create 100 limited-edition refrigerators that celebrated the decorative richness of Sicilian traditions. this time, smaller-scale objects comprise the series ‘Sicily is my love’, including domestic kitchen items like a toaster, juicer, coffee machine, kettle, and blender.
The appliances are laden with vivid decoration that evoke traditional Sicilian motifs and ornamentation. Golden yellow lemons, vibrant citrus fruits, and deep purple figs drawn from the coasts and landscapes of southern Italy adorn each of the objects. Dolce & Gabbana also included images of mount etna on a blender, surrounded by ornamental illustrations, delicate floral forms. all of the symbols thematically relate to the decorative aesthetics of Sicily — the root of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s vibrant vision for the Smeg collection.
Courtesy of Designboom
Photo courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana
LOUIS VUITTON OBJETS NOMADES
Photography by Gianluca Ardiani
Photography by Sara Brambilla
Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades homeware collection is now in its fifth year, as the fashion house has taken to Salone del Mobile 2017 to showcase the latest assortment. Here, each piece in turn draws inspiration from elements of travel.
For 2017, LV has worked with various designers to present 10 new items, ranging from Marcel Wanders’ Paravent screen, to the Campana Brothers’ cloud-shaped Bomboca sofa.
Courtesy of Highsnobiety and Fuorisalone
NENDO AND JIL SANDER INVISIBLE OUTLINES
‘Invisible Outlines’ is the title of Nendo‘s exhibition presented inside the Jil Sander showroom during this year’s Milan Design Week. A total of 16 collections have been carefully curated and placed in the seven rooms to showcase the theme that interprets the blurred boundaries, outlines and borders of objects and things.
The exhibition itself captures an aesthetic that Oki Sato of Nendo has created over the years. within the minimal and ethereal-lit spaces, the objects including the ‘border table’, ‘traces’ and ‘unprinted material’ explores the existence of various items by manipulating their outlines in various ways but can still be visually recognized by viewers.
One of the highlights within the presentation is the new project called ‘jellyfish vase’. Thin silicon shaped like vases is submerged in a tank of water to create a marine and design combination that attempts to re-establish the relationship between vase and water with color boundaries. Meanwhile ‘objectextile’ is a collaborative project with Jil Sander and sees the contours of 3D objects being retrieved and turned into textiles.
‘We tend to perceive the existence and positioning of objects by subconsciously following ‘outlines’, and by distinguishing the ‘inside and outside’ of these contours.’ – Oki Sato, Nendo