From Loewe teapots to Dior vases to Louis Vuitton home, it was a design lover’s dream.
What does fashion have to do with the Salone del Mobile? The short answer is elaborate displays that are a treat for the eyes, often inspiring long lines and sore feet as attendees trek across Milan in search of eye-catching installations. Highlights this year include Gucci bamboo homage, done with the help of international artists while Loro Piana created an immersive installation that blurred the line between reality and cinematic fiction inside a chic home. Meanwhile, all eyes were on the Miu Miu Literary Club and Prada Frames with the latter offering a mental voyage aboard Gio Ponti’s Arlecchino train.
Read on to get more info on these events, plus everything else you might have missed.
Gucci Celebrates Bamboo
An old friend would say: keep flying high. Gucci took that advice to heart, commissioning a series of contemporary kites from Kite Club — a Dutch design collective made up of Bertjan Pot, Liesbeth Abbenes, and Maurice Scheltens — crafted from modern materials and, naturally, bamboo. Fittingly titled Thank you, Bamboo, it pays tribute to the house’s deep-rooted connection to the material and was among the five installations that made up Gucci Bamboo Encounters. Curated by Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli and his studio 2050+, the display brought together original works by artists and designers from across the globe, each reimagining this material in surprising, creative ways. Mission accomplished as everything from hand-blown glass-adorned bamboo baskets by Palestinian architect and artist Dima Srouji, to refined silk-and-bamboo panels crafted by French artist Nathalie Du Pasquier were nothing short of spectacular.
Miu Miu Hosts a Chic Book Club
Given everything going on in the world, hosting a literary club centered on A Woman’s Education feels especially prescient and the smartest way to position itself as a true cultural tastemaker. Personally overseen by Miuccia Prada and now in its second edition, this year’s Miu Miu event delved into themes of girlhood, love, and sex education through the words of two literary icons: French existentialist Simone de Beauvoir, and Fumiko Enchi, one of the most influential female voices of Japan’s Shōwa era. Live music, poetry and prose readings were the cherry on top — served, of course, with a generous helping of ultra-cool Miu Miu looks and accessories. Not design, but an intelligent event for intellectual girls and boys.
Prada Frames Gets Nostalgic
An annual symposium grounded in the idea that intellectual inquiry and cross-disciplinary dialogue can be engines of progress is the ambition behind Prada Frames. Curated by design and research studio Formafantasma, the 2025 edition, titled In Transit, offered a multifaceted look at infrastructure as a living, breathing system — one that enables, restricts, and ultimately shapes the way we move. And while Prada is often seen as the torchbearer of the avant-garde, this time it looked to the past for inspiration. Talks took place aboard the Arlecchino train — 1950s gem designed by Gio Ponti and Giulio Minoletti, lovingly restored by the Fondazione FS Italiane — as well as in the Padiglione Reale, a regal lounge in Milan’s Central Station once reserved for royalty and heads of state.
Loro Piana is All About Drama
What would it feel like to live during the 70s and 80s in the home of a wealthy woman with a sharp eye for interiors? Loro Piana and Dimoremilano offered their answer through an immersive installation that blurred the line between reality and cinematic fiction. It felt like stepping into a moody drama. A porcelain set smashed to pieces, rooms in disarray, and a wardrobe turned completely upside down — it seemed as if a screen siren had just stormed out mid-breakdown. And yet, despite the chaos, a comforting sense of home lingered in the air, brought to life through familiar sounds like a phone ringing, a piano playing, or the soft patter of rain against the windows. That quiet atmosphere was interrupted by bursts of sound and sensory input — curated by music composer and multimedia artist Nicola Guiducci — adding a delicate tension between stillness and movement. What grounds it all back in the real world? The beauty of the new furniture pieces created by the design duo for Loro Piana Interiors. Think: Quarona poufs and coffee tables where curved wooden bands wrap around cushy seats clad in Cashmere Ladakh.
Loewe is Everyone’s Cup of Tea
Tea has never tasted quite as delightful as it did in this whimsical collection of teapots, specially crafted by 25 artists, designers, and architects, and showcased at Palazzo Citterio in Milan. For its ninth Design Week presentation, Loewe brewed up a celebration of glazes, finishes, and daring textures — a true feast for the eyes. The teapot’s most iconic features — the handle and spout — took center stage, often distorted through unexpected proportions and surreal tweaks. Elongated, shrunken, or twisted just so, these pieces feel familiar at first glance until they charmingly defy every expectation. Still, it wasn’t just the art crowd swooning. Fashion lovers went wild for Loewe’s limited-edition homewares created for the Salone: handwoven leather coasters, playful tea cozies, and an exquisite array of leather botanical charms shaped like chamomile, strawberries, bergamot flowers — and yes, even tea bags. The whole thing felt like a luxurious secret garden that reminded everyone of Jonathan Anderson’s genius.
At Home With Louis Vuitton
Always the overachiever in blurring the lines between fashion and design, Louis Vuitton brought its A-game with their home collection. Spanning five categories you’ll find the iconic Objets Nomades as well as a fresh signature furniture and lighting line. Add to that stylish decor items, tableware, and even high-end gaming (because why not play backgammon in style?). The pieces are a perfect storm of meticulous craftsmanship and creative flair from a lineup of international design heavyweights including the Italian star of the Milanese scene, Patricia Urquiola as well as French designer Patrick Jouin. Urquiola unveiled a new armchair that hugs you back while Jouin’s highlight included an armchair that resembled a travel trunk, complete with a golden padlock. But the real show-stealer? A tableware tribute to Fortunato Depero, maestro of the electric Futurist movement and a graphic design trailblazer of early 20th-century Italy. This homage had art lovers swooning and turned the House into a colossal dreamcatcher where anything feels possible.
Dior Goes Big
Go big or go home, as they say. Dior clearly went big—revealing three brand-new vases designed by Sam Baron, all with show-stopping proportions. Branches, flowers, and delicate leaves—rendered in airy transparency—twist and twine around these near one-meter-tall objects of desire. They’re the perfect way to bring a touch of enchanted garden into your home. But the real gem is the shape. Set on refined pedestal-like bases, the bodies of the vases feature soft, rounded curves that echo the silhouette of the original Miss Dior perfume bottle—the iconic amphora from 1947. Haute couture, now available for your flowers.
Saint Laurent Honors Charlotte Perriand
Now picture yourself in Charlotte Perriand’s apartment — one of the great icons of 20th century design. Everything is as sophisticated and functional, with geometry working overtime to create furniture that’s as beautiful as it is useful. For this year’s Salone, Saint Laurent paid tribute to Perriand by reviving four of her exceptional furniture designs that were originally created between 1943 and 1967. Handpicked by Anthony Vaccarello, the pieces had only ever existed as sketches or prototypes until now. The brand meticulously reproduced and reissued them as limited-edition, made-to-order works of art. Some were originally designed by Perriand for her own homes around the world, as well as for a Parisian diplomat’s residence. The result is an exclusive vision of design that feels unmistakably French — chic, clever, and absolutely timeless.
Issey Miyake Explores the Poetry of Lighting
What happens when fashion meets lighting? That’s the question A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE and Swiss design studio atelier oï set out to explore.The result is TYPE-XIII, a special exhibition where a simple piece of wire meets a piece of cloth, giving rise to a whole new world of light. Born from a shared philosophy — atelier oï’s cross-disciplinary approach and A-POC ABLE’s ongoing exploration of fabric and form — the collaboration pushes the boundaries of textile into the realm of illumination. The O Series, a line of portable lights co-developed with Japanese brand Ambientec was a highlight. Inspired by the elegance of flowers, these pieces were designed to be freely arranged like floral accents in a room — shifting with the seasons, moods, or moments.
Tod’s Reflects on Its Italian Roots
Italy isn’t just pizza and Naples—it’s also Gommino loafers. And Tod’s knows that better than anyone. After all, they created the iconic pair of shoes that represent one of the purest expressions of Italian craftsmanship. Italian Hands – Artisanal Stories from Italy, a new book, pays homage to that heritage. Presented during Salone at the brand’s boutique, the book tells the story of the Bel Paese through the hands of skilled artisans—and the faces of refined, tasteful figures who collaborate with them to keep tradition alive. “This book is a tribute to those who, every day, with passion and dedication, help preserve a vital part of our cultural identity. It’s a recognition of those who elevate craftsmanship, turning it into a symbol of authentic, timeless quality—even for new generations,” says Diego Della Valle, President of the Tod’s Group. So, not just a nostalgic nod to the past, but a stylish bridge between generations, reminding us that the value of Made in Italy is not only relevant—it’s essential for the future.
Dolce & Gabbana Adds La Dolce Vita to Your Patio Furniture
Imagine your home and outdoor space getting the runway model treatment. That’s the plan from Dolce & Gabbana who dropped their latest Casa Collection during Salone. Equal parts drama, flair, and Mediterranean daydream, one standout was the Verde Maiolica motif. Consisting of a combo of crisp white and lush green inspired by Southern Italy’s iconic ceramics and the kind of foliage you’d see on a yacht off Capri, it’s now shows up on even more decorative pieces, such as cups, rugs, plates and armchairs, adding a whisper of tradition and a whole lot of sass to your interiors. Not to be outdone, the brand also introduced their first textile line. Expect duvet covers, sheets, and pillowcases with the usual Dolce attitude: Leopard print for wild nights, Zebra stripes for the bold and the boudoir, Carretto Siciliano for those who dream in technicolor, and of course, more of those irresistible ceramic-inspired motifs in Mediterranean Blue and—you guessed it—Verde Maiolica.
Also on show: the Gotham furniture line, which channels the moody glam of the 1920s and Saint Jean, their debut outdoor collection crafted with Luxury Living. Everything from luxe loungers to elegant dining tables to stylish sunbeds are dressed in iconic D&G prints, albeit made from materials tough enough to survive a Mediterranean summer.
