Milan Design Week 2026: Fuorisalone

Milan Design Week 2026 proved that today's designers are going for texture, truth, and presence. Moving away from minimalist restraint, this year's exhibitions were craft-driven and made with glass, clay, and natural fibers. Saturated color was everywhere and the designers met the complexities of our current moment with eyes wide open—grounding us through raw, honest material craft.

Co-Founder of THE KINDCRAFT Lauren Lancy and Contributor Fiona Coleman were in Milan April 20-26th, took it all in, and selected their favorite exhibitors Fuorisalone, held outside of the annual Salone del Mobile furniture fair.

Alcova at Baggio Military Hospital

For at Milan Design Week 2026, Alcova Milano featured 131 exhibitors across two locations: The Baggio Military Hospital, a post WW1 era complex in the Primaticcio district, and Villa Pestarini, a home built 1938-39 that opened its doors to the public for the first time.

Highlights from the Baggio Military Hospital include 'Golden Ruins' by Greek architect Theo Galliakis, who translated the classical fluted column into a series of functional lighting, stackable stools, and a bench, and design duo Szymon Keller who presented furniture in saturated hues. Vienna-based creatives Laura Dominici and Basil Schu focused on trivial objects that seem like minor characters in a scene – ladders, towels, tiles or pool noodles – in their ‘Lazy Swim’ series as a dystopian attempt at recreational reuse – ‘Boredom in Paradise’.

'Farm to Form to Fair' was a research-based design project by the University of the Arts Bremen in Germany that traced the journey from harvesting the material, through the creative and craft-based process of basketry, to its presentation at Milan Design Week. HEITER X & DANIELE GIANNETTI showed sculptures paired with foraged greenery, and CHELEBI ROOM OF AZERBAIJAN was full of charming crafted sculptures.

Over in another building at the Baggio Military Hospital, Noritake Design Collection displayed Japanese ceramics. 'KILN' is a sculptural porcelain collection influenced by the geometry of the manufacturing relics that British Designer Faye Toogood discovered during her residency at Noritake's heritage home in Nagoya, Japan.

Alcova at Villa Pestarini

Villa Pestarini is a private residence in Milan designed by Franco Albini (1905–1977) who is known for bringing together rationalist principles and traditional craftsmanship. Haworth and Cassina presented an installation by Patricia Urquiola at the villa, and Boccamonte debuted a furniture collection celebrating the work of architect Luisa Castiglioni, a protégé of Albini.

Ceramicist Elisa Uberti's bathroom installation was a delightful surprise at Villa Pestarini, and Tokyo-based studio AtMa showcased the 'Sur+Plus' collection which used repurposed materials to make hinged chairs and benches. From the ground floor, upstairs, to the basement, and outdoor spaces, there was inspiring work on every level by Around the Studio, Basetale, ISSÉ x Sophie Dries, Playinghouse, Manon Viratelle, News & Coffee x St. Moritz, OOG Objects, Ryuichi Kozeki, Saridis of Athens, Kiki Goti x Marble Sachanas, Sema Topaloğlu Studio, Touch With Eyes, and Worn Studio.

Rossana Orlandi

Known for their impressive archive – and a delicious Prosecco-soaked aperitivo – Galleria Rossana Orlandi launched RoCollectible 2026 during Milan Design Week. Curated by Rossana Orlandi and Nicoletta Brugnoni, the contemporary design showcase wove together the work of over 70 emerging and established international voices in a journey through material research and bold experimentation. The playful shapes of the woven furniture in the courtyard by Atelier L'inconnu stood out as did glassworks by visual artist and designer Hana Hillerová.

Trend forecaster Li Edelkoort curated 'ROOM' at Rossana Orlandi with her friends Carole Baijings, Kiki van Eijk, Ina Meijer, Mariola López Mariño for El Espartano. The rug collection was themed around solace, security, and how a room takes on meaning as a sanctuary during chaotic times.

For more from Li and her colleague Philip Fimmano, check out The World Hope Forum!

Nilufar Grand Hotel

The Nilufar Grand Hotel was a moody curatorial project where Nina Yashar transformed the 1,500-square-meter Nilufar Depot into an eclectic luxury hotel that was decidedly not minimalist. This highly immersive installation used dramatic lighting, elaborate scenography, and saturated colors to present collectible design. The exhibition showcased a blend of rare vintage works by figures like George Nakashima with new commissions from designers including david/nicolas, Allegra Hicks, and Rooshad Shroff, blurring the lines between art gallery and a high-end, fictional world of hospitality. The hand-blown Murano glass lamps designed by Christian Pellizzari were a favorite at Milan Design Week this year.

When Apricots Blossom

When Apricots Blossom, an exhibition commissioned by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, was presented at Palazzo Citterio for Milan Design Week 2026. Inspired by themes of hope and resilience, the show celebrated the cultural heritage of the Aral Sea region, which has been profoundly affected by environmental change. It features commissioned works across themes of textiles, food, and shelter, where twelve international designers collaborated with Uzbek artisans, alongside a documentary film,Where The Water Ends on the resilience of the Karakalpak communities.

6:AM GLASSWORKS

6:AM presented 'OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER' at Piscina Romano, in the Porta Venezia Design District. 6:AM's project places products at the center of an immersive reflection on contemporary glass. With themes of repetition, language, process, the exhibition included lighting design and a series blown glass cubes originally created for the set design of the Bottega Veneta Summer 2026 runway show. For the first time presented in an exhibition context, the cubes were installed to form an architectural element that defines the central space of the exhibition.

Issey Miyake

The ISSEY MIYAKE installation 'The Paper Log: Shell and Core' was a collaboration between MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO and Ensamble Studio, centered on transforming the Paper Log—a dense byproduct of the house’s garment pleating process—into a versatile raw material. The exhibition contrasts two outcomes: Ensamble Studio’s delicate 'Shell' objects of memory, created by hardening peeled paper, and the in-house team’s robust 'Core' furniture prototypes, such as stools and chairs, which were treated with wax and glue to explore the material's strength.