Milan Design Week 2025

This year we returned to Milan Design Week 2025 where we experienced a captivating snapshot of where design is headed — blending cutting-edge innovation with cultural relevance. From the refined showcases of Salone del Mobile to immersive brand experiences across the city’s design districts, this year’s edition highlights the intersection of product design, sustainability, AI, and its role in the human experience. It’s a vibrant convergence of ideas, materials, and disciplines that redefines how we view design today.

Our first day was spent exploring an inspiring collection of installations in and around the centre of Milan; studying the broad array of colour, material and finishes trends on display.

Showcasing across Milan, IQOS displayed  their approach to CMF - exhibiting their latest lineup of “smoke-free” devices, aimed at elevating the user experience, with high quality yet playful material choices as well as premium finishes in their sleek, satin gradient Iluma system.

Celebrating Democratic Design, the IKEA exhibition showcased how small, thoughtful decisions create ripple effects which can help change the perspectives of people towards ‘sustainability first thinking’, through their ‘Do something. Change everything.’ initiative. The space offered interactive experiences, workshops and reflected on IKEA’s holistic approach to design, integrating lifestyle, community, and environmental consciousness.

Rounding off our first day, we experienced the nostalgic design collection Superstudio had to offer - showcasing 25 years of iconic brands and visionary projects in their “Happiness: Edition 2025” exhibition.

Our second day in Milan was spent visiting the Salone del Mobile to experience the multitude of design disciplines presenting at the event.

Throughout the day we noticed many emerging themes, some continuations from previous years as well as new and diverging trends. The use of warm, earthy tones was noticeable throughout both the products and event spaces, providing a simple, calming yet elevated experience. Alongside this was the strong presence of complex traditional craftsmanship skills in the well-executed timber furniture on display. Simple, sweeping curves reminiscent of Japanese artistry - in addition to its influence on modern metal constructions as a way of elevating an often industrial application. Achieved by utilising matte finishes and established construction techniques to provide a result akin to traditional craft. Paired with these developments was the divergence from soft, pillowy shapes and instead, the use of more established, defined forms. This was particularly evident in the tightly upholstered fabrics on show which tightly followed the intentional forms of the products - preferring simplicity of eccentricity.

Apart from the wonderful furniture, lighting, and CMF on display at the Salone del Mobile, the theme of human interconnectedness was on full display, with AI being used as a tool for connecting products with human experience. Notably, Technogym presented a solution which successfully blended design, innovation, and ultimate customisation with their application of new premium, AI-assisted equipment, tailoring individual user needs with cutting-edge “Biostrength” performance. 

Following on from our time at the Salone del Mobile, we headed back to the centre of Milan to Fuorisalone, where we continued to explore how crafting the connection between physical and digital created sustainable, unique, and connected worlds in the automotive and the broader experience spaces.

The motif of connected worlds was particularly present in Lexus’s “A-Un” installation which showcased an immersive experience inspired by the Japanese concept of A-Un no Kokyū or ‘harmonious breath’; featuring artistic works such as the vast Black Butterfly-shaped screen which intuitively responded to the heartbeat of the viewer, truly showcasing Lexus and their commitment to digital-human engagement.

These truly captivating spaces continued with KIA’s two distinct installations: “Opposites United: Eclipse of Perceptions” and “Transcend Journey”, introducing an artistic interpretation of KIA’s strive for urban adaptability, sustainability and human-centric stories which use technology as an extension of human experience.

This shift towards emotional resonant design was also present in Range Rovers collaboration with NUOVA, unveiling their “Futurespective: Connected Worlds”, an interactive and cinematic experience blending tradition with innovation and their seamless combination of technology, human interaction, and sustainability.

Amidst all the installations showcased in the heart of Milan and at the Salone del Mobile, the concept of “Design is Human” shone through and generated an inspiring collection of thought-provoking experiences and products - from natural and intentional CMF to shaping the interface between AI and Humanity.

The team returned inspired and informed as always.