Milan Design Week and its headline event, Salone del Mobile, are more than a furniture showcase — they have become a barometer for where design, fashion and luxury are headed next.
Every April, Milan transforms into a hub for creativity, attracting designers, luxury houses and tech innovators from around the world. And as the lines between fashion, interiors and experience-driven retail continue to blur, brands are using Milan Design Week to deepen consumer engagement, test new product categories and reinforce their luxury credentials.
The 63rd edition of Milan Design Week, running from 7 to 13 April, will feature high-stakes collaborations between heritage houses and design leaders, as well as a continued push towards sustainable innovation, experimentation with artificial intelligence, and a convergence of digital and physical experiences. As usual, furniture trade fair Salone del Mobile will take place in the Fiera Milano exhibition centre on the outskirts of the city from 8 to 13 April, while decentralised event Fuorisalone will take over Milan’s design districts with exhibitions, installations and events throughout the week. As part of the latter, Alcova — the platform for emerging designers — will run across four sites: Villa Borsani, Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, the former SNIA Factory and the Pasino Glasshouses.
On 9 to 11 April, Vogue Italia will host ‘Shopology: A brief history of fashion retail’, an exhibition and talk series exploring the relationship between shopping and design.
At Salone, there will be installations and special projects by renowned artists such as theatre director and visual artist Robert Wilson, film director and screenwriter Paolo Sorrentino, artist and stage designer Es Devlin (who has worked with the likes of Dior on fashion week show sets) and architect Pierre-Yves Rochon. Additionally, 2025 will see the debut of a two-day event called Euroluce International Lighting Forum, which will include masterclasses and roundtables about lighting design.
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The inclusion of the ‘Villa Héritage’ installation by Rochon — who is behind some of the world’s most exclusive hospitality projects, including the Waldorf Astoria in New York — indicates an “effort to redefine luxury beyond living spaces”, according to Elisabetta Caprotti, news and lifestyle editor at Vogue Italia.
“This edition is particularly exciting,” says Maria Porro, who has been president of Salone since 2020. “The fair continues to evolve, embracing an increasingly immersive and experiential format.”
Luxury brands will be out in force
For luxury brands, Milan Design Week is as much about influence as it is about interiors. While other global design weeks are gaining ground — Paris’s Maison Objet is strengthening its luxury positioning, Dubai Design Week is emerging as a hub for ultra-high-net-worth clients and Design Miami’s influence is expanding beyond the US — Milan’s arguably remains the most prestigious.
“Salone and Fuorisalone are an ideal stage for luxury brands to express values such as artisanal excellence, innovation and attention to detail,” says Caprotti. “Participating means positioning themselves in a context of high creativity, where design is a universal language. The intersection between fashion, architecture and design offers unique opportunities to experiment with new collaborations and present collections that go beyond textiles, embracing furniture, lighting and accessories. Luxury, today more than ever, is a question of experience, and these events allow the creation of immersive narratives that involve the public on an emotional and sensorial level.”
Accompanying the official Milan Design Week programme is Milano Moda Design, which highlights the homeware collections presented by fashion brands. This edition, the calendar features 34 brands, including debuts from the likes of Brioni, Jil Sander, Jimmy Choo, Kiton, Louis Vuitton, MSGM and Santoni.
Louis Vuitton is planning two events: it will showcase its Objets Nomades collection in an ultra-exclusive showroom experience, where top-tier clients can commission bespoke versions of the pieces; and it will celebrate the opening of its Via Monte Napoleone store. Italian footwear brand Santoni will also celebrate the launch of its boutique on Via Monte Napoleone, designed by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola.
Gucci is unveiling an exhibition titled ‘Bamboo Encounters’, inspired by the brand’s craftsmanship in the mid 1940s, when it began to use bamboo for the handles of handbags, notably the Gucci Bamboo 1947. (In the following decades, bamboo became one of Gucci’s most celebrated codes.)
Among the many other brand activations planned, Prada will present the fourth edition of its annual symposium ‘Prada Frames’, exploring the relationship between environment and design, with a focus on the impact of digital revolutions and global distribution networks on everyday life. Etro will introduce ‘Five threads, 40 years’, an exhibition celebrating 40 years of its signature arnica fabric. Jimmy Choo will unveil an installation with Harry Nuriev, founder and creative director of New York and Paris-based architecture and design firm Crosby Studios. Tod’s will celebrate the craftsmanship behind its iconic Gommino shoe with the launch of a book titled Italian Hands. And Jil Sander will host a talk to explore the thinking behind its latest fragrance collection.
Loewe will present a collection of teapots by 25 internationally renowned artists, designers and architects. “It will be the house’s ninth presentation at the international furniture fair, which enables the brand to venture into creative experiments with artists, expanding on generations of design and craft knowledge,” Loewe said in a release. Miu Miu’s literary club will return after its debut last year, taking place at the Circolo Filologico Milanese between 9 and 10 April.
Dolce Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Armani, Hermès, Rimowa, Missoni, Roberto Cavalli and Fendi are among the other brands hosting events and activations this year. Meanwhile, British jewellery brand Completedworks will launch its first foray into furniture, with a stool, chair, table and coffee table designed by founder Anna Jewsbury.
A shifting landscape
While the ultra-high-net-worth segment remains resilient, the broader luxury market is seeing a slowdown, particularly in Europe and China, which could impact investment in large-scale furniture and homeware collections. Meanwhile, inflationary pressures on raw materials (wood, marble, metals) and higher energy costs in manufacturing hubs (particularly in Italy) are squeezing margins for both heritage furniture makers and fashion brands entering the homeware space.
Brands showing at or alongside Salone will need to emphasise timeless, investment-worthy pieces and flexible, modular designs that respond to evolving consumer needs. Expect more high-margin, collectible, or made-to-order pieces that justify a premium price point.
Gen Zs and younger millennials, those shaping the future of luxury consumption, are engaging with design differently — prioritising storytelling, digital experiences and modular, multi-functional pieces. Younger audiences are less focused on owning static luxury pieces and more interested in designs that enhance lifestyle experiences (such as adaptable spaces and rental-friendly modular furniture). Brands will likely experiment with new engagement formats — think pop-up exhibitions, NFT-based design collectibles or interactive retail concepts that merge physical and digital experiences.
“Despite challenges such as shifting consumer priorities and global economic fluctuations, high-end design continues to demonstrate its ability to adapt and innovate,” says Porro. “The key now is to focus on the next generation. To shape the future of luxury, we must listen, understand and anticipate emerging trends — while also interpreting the values of those who see the world through a different lens.”
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