Milan Design Week 2018

From Salone Del Mobile and its many VIP events, through to collaborations and installations to be found in every corner of the city both large and small, the buzz is unmistakable as Milan takes on an almost festival-like atmosphere amidst the beautiful architectural backdrop of Italy’s most industrious capital.

apaiser was there too, wandering the streets of Milan – Here are just a few of our favourite things.

Our ‘festival’ began with  Wellness + Wonder, Wallpaper Magazine’s Handmade exhibition held at Mediateca Santa Teresa Via Della Moscova, 28., where guests could explore the curated collection of specially designed products – collaborations between designers and makers, with an emphasis on handmade, artisanship and craftsmanship. apaiser was proud to unveil an innovative design as part of an installation reflecting our continuing collaboration with WOHAbeing, the cleverly functional but equally fabulous SAMPAN shower bath.

Days then spent wandering around Salone Del Mobile and the Brera and Tortona design districts, were a sensory overload. It seems impossible that you will discover all there is to see, and marvel at the constant moments of delight and wonder.

ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR NEW DIRECTIONS, THE MOST INSPIRING REVELATION WAS A DISTINCT LACK OF ONE DEFINITE ‘TREND’, WHICH PERHAPS IS A TREND OR MOVEMENT ALL OF ITS OWN.

Unquestionably we see the increasing shift away from mass production towards greater appreciation for craftsmanship celebrating artisanal skills and original, handmade objects. An emphasis on sustainable design was an important direction, and materiality a consistent theme – with stone, marble, metal and timber being a common thread throughout. Bold colour and the clash of pattern was juxtaposed against the purity and simplicity of white on white, and immersive experiences provided memorable stages to showcase it all.

Exhausted, but inspired, we cannot wait to do it all again next year!

Left to right; WELLNESS + WONDER: WALLPAPER Magazine presents HANDMADE – Mediateca Santa Teresa Via Della Moscova, 28 ; Atelier Biagetti provides a punchy and playful environment for the WallpaperSTORE*, a pop-up retail concept taking inspiration from the iconic Brillo prints by the prince of pop-art, Andy Warhol ;  ‘Disco’ Gufram’s avant-garde take on ‘a night at Salone’ where apaiser’s SAMPAN shower bath created in collaboration with WOHAbeing was showcased.

A sculptural tower of chairs by NERI&HU (left) dominated a wall at the Stellar Works showcase in Tortona. Meanwhile, Perfettammente imperfetto (Perfectly imperfect) became an experiential journey of the latest designs from DIMORESTUDIO (right), cheekily hidden on the second floor of via Solferino 11 in the Brera district.

Designers including Patricia Urquiola, Marcel Wanders and Fernando Campana joined forces to present Louis Vuitton’s impressive Objets Nomades elegant homewares collection.

TEATRO GEROLAMO, a puppet theatre built in 1868, became the perfect backdrop for Lasvit’s Monster Cabaret, a concept which went on to win the Milano Design Award for best installation.

Charlotte Macau Perelman and Alexis Fabry created an inspiring installation for Hermes Maison featuring a mini-village of seven pavilions clad in over 150,000 brightly coloured zellige tiles imported from Morocco.