10 highlights from Milan Design Week

Loewe Lamps

Loewe’s creative forays in Milan have done much to spotlight – and elevate – artisanship in recent years. This show, set within a cavernous underground space at Palazzo Citterio, finds Loewe in full show-off mode.

A set of lamps developed by 24 artists, who have utilised different mediums and techniques – from long tasselled leather designs hanging like jellyfish suspended in water, to Genta Ishizuka’s Light Membrane, an organic form finished with layers of glossy lacquer – make for a glorious spectacle. The collection intermingles with new iterations of bags and homewares. Bamboo artist Hafu Matsumoto has reimagined the brand’s Puzzle and Hammock; Chikuunsai Tanabe IV has turned his weaving skills to calfskin leather to produce baskets.

Ceramicist Ann Van Hoey has created a series of bowls made from surplus nappa lambskin, and Takarabako artist Kay Sekimachi has reimagined the Puzzle Fold tote in two sizes, alongside a new bucket bag design, both in a jacquard textile. Many of the pieces are available to buy at the venue or Loewe’s nearby Montenapoleone store.

Gucci Design Ancora

Gucci’s new creative director Sabato De Sarno signals a clear message with his first design collection: eclectic maximalism is replaced by clean refinement. Shown in a concealed room at Gucci’s Monte Napoleone store, the five-piece ensemble is finished in Rosso Ancora, a deep shade of red used to signify the brand’s “new creative chapter”, but presented in an immersive space akin to a green room on a film set.

The pieces represent a “golden age of Italian design” and only 100 of each are being made available online. Standouts include the reimagining of the 1972 Le Mura sofa by Mario Bellini for Tacchini, finished in a glossy leather (€20,400) and a ravishing re-edition of the Parola table lamp by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni for FontanaArte (€1,400).

Saint Laurent x Salone del Mobile

A collaboration between Saint Laurent Rive Droite, the Gio Ponti archives and the Anala and Armando Planchart Foundation, this exhibition curated by Anthony Vaccarello at Chiostri di San Simpliciano on San Marco shows 12 reissues of original plates from the Villa Planchart Segnaposto collection designed by Ponti in 1957, and made by Ginori 1735.

A limited-edition selection will be available for purchase at the Saint Laurent store on Via Monte Napoleone.

Alcova

This year, the showcase of experimental design is split between two residences, Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, both architectural gems worthy of the trek from the city centre. Head straight to Villa Borsani – hands-down the standout of Alcova, if not of Design Week. The curation is exquisite from the moment you enter the modernist house, where nestled in its foyer (featuring a Murano glass-lined staircase and wave-pattern marble floor) is Atelier de Troupe’s Transatlantique collection of furniture by designer ​​Anthony Guerrée, including a rug designed in collaboration with CC-Tapis.

Turn into the adjacent living room and the mood turns carnivalesque. London’s LAMB gallery and Lucia Echavarría of Magnetic Midnight have decked out the space with a survey of Colombian craft encompassing the work of more than 80 artisans. Every room here reveals another facet of invention: from the metal furniture of Linde Freya Tangelder’s Antwerp-based Destroyers/Builders conjuring a retrofuturistic library space to Natalia Criado’s handmade gem-embellished silverware.

At Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, a 10-minute walk along the road, the mood is more experimental with some beautiful (and very liveable) wall finishes and lighting. The eye is drawn to the geometric wall decors of Terraformæ, juxtaposed against the home’s crumbling interiors. Look for the sculptural columns of Aurélien Veyrat, transforming discarded bricks into column-like sculpture. Upstairs, the tiles of De Marchi Verona ripple like water against mirrored surfaces. Next door, take the time to view the lighting creations of Former Matter (info@formermatter.com) – the pieces simple but striking in materials such as alabaster.

Nilufar: Time Traveler

Stop by the Via della Spiga gallery for a whistlestop tour of some of the most creative minds of the moment. This year’s solo shows include Draga & Aurel, which is unveiling new furniture in tinted hues of epoxy resin and Lucite. Maarten de Ceulaer takes glass to ingenious new levels with his colour-splattered Stained Glass Lights that sit alongside a chunky Superquadric-series sideboard in solid walnut and oak. I loved Joe Armitage’s gigantic pendant lamp in solid walnut and brass with shades made from recycled PET, and Arthur Duff’s use of glass – which is twisted and contorted to create neon light sculptures – is absolutely jaw-dropping.

Israeli architect and designer Gal Gaon transmutes ideas about energy and forms in nature into exceptional pieces. His Pebble tables and sinuous sofa, more sculpture than seating, are also must-sees. And stop by the wall light installation of artist and designer Gunilla Zamboni of Gupica – the lights with brushed stainless steel petals appear as wall flowers.

Hermès The Collections for the Home

Spotlighted in the darkness at La Pelota, you’ll find new designs shown in tandem with pieces from Hermès’ heritage, such as jewellery and jockey silks, that are a source of inspiration for the collection.

The Diapason d’Hermès lounge chair, crafted with a hammered aluminium frame and a seat in unlined bridle leather is a standout; as is its Derby basket in Epsom calfskin, reminiscent of its leather bracelets; and the colourful Hippique bedspread, lined in cashmere broadcloth.

Fendi Casa Collections

Fendi Casa’s immaculate detailing and craftsmanship is on show at its airy flagship in Piazza della Scala, which is exemplified by its new Fendi F-Affair, a modular sofa by Controvento. Look closely and you’ll see the seating is made up of interlocking “Fs” (from the brand’s logo), comprising a corner piece, a central piece, an ottoman and a chaise longue that can be combined to create seating to fit any space.

The fabrics are of different textures – some Fs shaggier than others. More playfulness is injected via the aptly named Fun Fendi modular sofa by Atelier Oï - now joined by a gigantic bed with “peekaboo” features. Atelier Oï has also created a huge rectangular version of its Marble Arches table, a monolith made from a single block of marble.

Molteni&C Dada Collections

The Italian design house is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a book: Molteni Mondo, charting the history of the brand, which has long collaborated with design legends, swuch as Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Aldo Rossi and Gio Ponti. Ponti fans will find two new Gio Ponti re-editions unveiled, but there are also brand-new concepts from Vincent Van Duysen (who has been somewhat prolific this year).

Look out for his Logos design, a living-room wall unit system; the sweeping Augusto modular sofa and armchair; and the Lucio sofa and armchair, which has a generously curved open backrest.

Michael Anastassiades’ black oak Card bookcase is another head-turner: its delicate profiles are intersected with satin brass joints – a masterclass in simplicity.

Ralph Lauren Modern Driver Collection

Ralph Lauren opens the doors to its Via San Barnaba palazzo for Design Week, which is rather like gliding through a film set, traversing marble floors under the twinkle of chandeliers.

Here, you can also admire the brand’s new Modern Driver Collection, an extensive ensemble inspired by Lauren’s love of classic cars, featuring furniture in burr and mahogany wood, polished stainless steel, and carbon fibre.

Alessi Myth Makes Belief

When you are first confronted with a giant egg sitting in the courtyard of the 18th-century Palazzo Borromeo dAdda in Via Manzoni, you might find yourself questioning whether you’re in the right place.

But then you notice the discreet pedestals at each end of the installation, created by Los Angeles based PlayLab, Inc. Each showcases four “historiated sculptures” encased in glass. Menhir – a sculptural espresso coffee maker by Michael Anastassiades, with a delicate twist in the handle, is simple but striking. Toru is an electric kettle by Nendo, the first element of a collection of stainless-steel appliances designed by the Japanese studio for Alessi.

You will also see exceptionally fine Eugenia glassware and Itsumo porcelain tableware sets by Naoto Fukasawa. The tableware includes a decorated version named Itsumo -Yunoki ware, which is embellished with a pattern by the centenary artist Samiro Yunoki.