Can you believe Milan Design Week is starting on Monday?
Wohoo! It’s my absolutely favourite week of the year in Milan so I’m very much looking forward to return for the 5th time and get inspired by the hottest news from the design world.
You most likely don’t have time to read long guides at this point so I decided to make it short and sweet, giving you a general idea of what are my favourite events to visit in 2019. Each year I try to plan events by zone so that I make the most of my time in each area. It goes without saying that FUORISALONE is what I dedicate most of my time to as this is where’s the fun at for me. What about you?
As you know there are thousands of events happening during Milan Design Week and it’s hard to review and plan them all upfront. What you will find here are main points and brands of interest, my favourite locations and stores I visit. I recommend following popular hashtags on Instagram #mdw19 #fuorisalone19 to see what’s trending and update your list of favourites as you go. I will do the same here – If I come across new places/brands I love, I will add them here.
My main zones of interest include:
- Brera Design District
- 5VIE Art + Design
- Tortona
- Ventura Centrale
- Monforte
- Fair (RHO Fierra)
MY MUST-SEE SPOTS
ZONE 1 – Brera Design District
The theme of this year’s events is ‘Design your Life’, focused on sustainability and choice-conscious design, that draws inspiration from Bill Burnett and Dave Evans’ book (Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life”). It’s the most buzzing area during Fuorisalone with main events taking place in : via Brera, Via Solferino, via Palermo, via Ciovasso e via Pontaccio and Corso Garibaldi, all within walking distance.
1. House of Finn Juhl – Perfect Darkness via Solferino 11, 3d floor
2. Studio Pepe – Les Arcanistes via Garofalo 24
3. Dimore Gallery via Solferino 11
4. Boffi via Solferino 11
5. Salvatori via Solferino 11
6. Hemma via Solferino 15
7. Moooi, and Unifor (curated by Ron Gilad) Palazzo di Brera / via della Moscova 28
8. Design by Gemmini – The Pool Club (container inspird by 90s) Corso Como 1
9. Artek via Lovanio
10. Eclat Palazzo Cusani, via Brera 13
11. NLXL Wallpaper Design competition Palazzo Clerici, via Clerici 5
12. HAY Palazzo Clerici, via Clerici
13. Design Apartment – Planetario by Cristina Celestino via palermo 1 (must-see!)
14. DCW via Palermo 1
15. Maison Du Monde via Palermo 16
16. Marimekko via Palermo 16
17. Hem Corso Garibaldi 117
18. Fritz Hansen Piazza San Simpliciano
19. Visit Sweden Largo Treves 5
ZONE 2 – 5vie Art + Design
The beating heart of Milan Old Town is a new cultural and art district. Here is what I will visit:
1. Appartment by Kiki Van Eijk e Joost Van Bleiswijk via Cesare Correnti 14
2. Design Territoriale, Genius Loci Via Cesare Correnti 14
3. Masterly – The Dutch in Milano Palazzo Francesco Turati di via Meravigli 7
Special event:
DESIGN PRIDE “Seletti, in collaboration with the Paride Vitale agency, will invade the 5VIE District with its funny and original spirit, promoting the DESIGN PRIDE, the most pop event of the Design Week. For the third year a real street parade will cross the city inviting everyone to celebrate creativity and design and to join the alternative parade of floats, music, dances, performances”
ZONE 3 – Tortona
If you’ve been following me in the last years you probably noticed that my favourite zone during Fuorisalone has always been Lambrate, where the Dutch, innovative and open-minded designers presented their latest concepts. The big news this year is that Ventura Projects are moving to Tortona zona under the name Ventura Future 2019 and I’m very excited to see it! In particular:
1. BASE Milano – 3500m2 where the Ventura Future will be located, via Tortona 54 (from April 10, evening)
2. Norman Copenhagen – 20 years anniversary celebration, via Tortona 27
3. IKEA – Symfonisk, Torneria / via Tortona 32
4. Norwegian Presence Via Savona 35
5. Ex.t Flagship store Via Tortona 34
6. Nendo – Breeze of light, Tenoha Milano / Via Vigevano 18 (from April 10)
7. Superstudio – a historical spot in Tortona zone welcoming brands like Lexus and LG (if enough time I will visit it), via Forcella 13
8. Tortona Rocks – collective event, via Opificio 31
ZONE 4 – Ventura Centrale
My favourite zone in terms of location where in the the massive industrial vaults we will find variety of installations by renowned international design labels and studios.
Hosting: Maarten Baas (The Netherlands), Aria (Italy), Noroo Group (Korea), AGC (Japan), Lavazza and Gufram (Italy), Rapt Studio (US), Sky-Frame (Switzerland), Lensvelt & Modular Lighting Instruments (The Netherlands, Belgium), Weltevree (The Netherlands), FREITAG (Switzerland), TAKT PROJECT (Japan), Yamaha Corporation Design Laboratory (Japan), Cosentino (Spain), Humanscale (US), DNP (Japan), dpot modern and contemporary Brazilian furniture (Brazil).
All located in Via Ferrante Aporti 9,
ZONE 5 – Monforte
1. Flos Corso Monforte 9
2. &traditions via Giovani Raiberti
3. COS Palazzo Isimbardi, Corso Monforte 35
ZONE 6 – RHO with DDN
Last but not least is of course the fair at RHO Fierra, where also this year I will be attending BLOG SAFARI organized in collaboration with DDN magazine. Our line up will include visiting: Poliform, Flou, Boffi, Nardi and Kartell, followed by exciting event in the city.
DDN Phutura will take place in the area next to the Castello Sforzesco, from Piazza Castello, to via Beltrami, up to Piazza Cairoli: a path that will wind for about 6,000 square meters, surrounded by installations, to tell the relationship between the human being and the environment, using technology in the best possible way. Evening entertainment will feature lounge bars and food trucks by Sojasun, Bomaki and East River. Moreover, music and artistic performances inside the La Fenice greenhouses on via Beltrami. Can’t wait!
Other must-do stops:
Rossana Orlandi – a favourite gallery to visit, always inspiring and filled with the latest, carefully selected by Rossana designs and objects.
This year Google is making its Salone del Mobile debut, intertwining hardware with soft intuition in an immersive multi-room installation curated by Dutch trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort inside the multiple rooms of Rossana Orlandi’s gallery.
It looks like it’s going to be a very busy week! I will be sharing all the inspiring finds in my Instagram stories, so you can follow along.
Will I see you in Milan?
Pictures: Agata Dimmich/ Passionshake
