Milan Design Week has a way of sharpening the senses. The city moves at a different pace: coffee shops spill onto sunlit streets, showrooms open their doors, and every corner seems to carry a conversation about materials, craft and what design can become next.
This year, our visit brought together different perspectives from across the Boss Design team. With running shoes on, rucksacks packed and an ever-growing map of exhibitions ahead, we arrived ready to absorb as much as possible.
We began at the Triennale and Museo del Design Italiano, where two exhibitions set the tone beautifully. The Eames Houses exhibition, presented with Kettal and the Charles & Ray Eames Foundation, offered a rare sense of perspective. Miniature house models, pavilion systems and a full-scale installation revealed the intelligence and playfulness behind work that still feels timeless. Stripped back and carefully proportioned, it reminded us how enduring design often begins with clarity.
Nearby, Barber Osgerby’s exhibition felt like stepping inside a working studio. Sketches, models, prototypes and finished pieces traced more than two decades of thoughtful practice, from the Portsmouth Bench to the Olympic torch, Tip Ton chair and commemorative two-pound coin. What stood out was the visible process: curiosity, testing, refinement and precision. Ideas were shown through the stages that shape them.
Outside, Fredericia’s curated pop-up brought another layer of inspiration, with Danish craftsmanship, Jasper Morrison pieces, material samples, rough models and museum drawers that invited closer looking. It offered a tactile reminder that detail still matters deeply.
The next morning began with espresso and pastry before we headed to Salone del Mobile. With the scale of the fair in front of us, we focused on the halls most relevant to our market while leaving room for discovery. The strongest stands were complete environments, not just product displays. Minotti created an immersive luxury setting with mature trees, flowing water and architectural structures, while brands including Piet Boon, Abstracta, Fantoni, Inclass, Desalto and Lammhults Group showed how lighting, tone and staging can turn presentation into storytelling.
B&B Italia was a particular highlight. Ronan Bouroullec’s Abaco table and armchair system showed subtle detailing, especially the keyhole fixture connecting the wooden legs. Richard Sapper’s folding armchair also returned in fresh colours and materials, proving that good design can evolve without losing its strength.
Across the fair, there was a clear move towards more tailored furniture, refined detailing and confident material exploration. Sustainability felt less like a headline and more like an expectation, woven into the way spaces, products and narratives were presented. The Arper showroom captured this especially well, using exposed materials, planting and calm, layered spaces to communicate a thoughtful sustainability story.
Later, Tortona offered a different energy. Student exhibitions brought fresh thinking and raw creativity, while Superdesign Show combined experimental work with established names such as Moooi and Lexus. Moooi’s oversized cut-outs of designers in their early days were a reminder that even the most recognisable creative voices begin with ambition, energy and a clear point of view.
By the end, with tote bags full of brochures, tired legs and more than 90,000 steps between us, we found ourselves beside the Milano canals. It was the perfect place to pause, unpack the days behind us and talk about the ideas that had stayed with us: material choices, immersive storytelling, timeless details and the continuing importance of design with purpose.
Milan never disappoints. Each year brings a new perspective, but the constant is inspiration, whether it comes from the detail of a joint, the ambition of a concept or the energy of the next generation.
Boss Design | April 2026
