The reputation of Milan's Salone del Mobile rests on its ability to attract designers from every sphere, all eager to experience the latest trends in product design. This is a relatively fast-moving industry, one that apes fashion to the extent that dominant themes, colours, materials and innovations tend to be imitated and disseminated, translated from high-end products to mass-market ones in short market cycles.
See more of the car brands' offerings at the 'Auto Milano' show
Car designers look with envy at the speed of the process. With car making locked into a 10-15 year cycle, governed by the enormous complexity of manufacturing and technological development, one would imagine that the worlds of furniture design and automotive design would be content to eye each other with aloof suspicion. In fact, the past few years has seen several major manufacturers muscle in on Milan.
Last year the effect was pronounced, and the motoring sideshow persisted in 2014, with new installations, design competitions and the appearance of the odd concept car all conspiring to share the limelight with the big furniture brands. Jaguar's participation at Wallpaper* Handmade showed one approach, while other companies blew their budgets on massive interactive installations. Above, we take you on a tour of the action at the fast-growing Auto Milano show.
-
Kat Milne is the designer behind fashion’s most intriguing retail spacesInfused with elements of the surreal, Kat Milne has designed stores for the likes of Marc Jacobs, Sandy Liang and A24. ‘People are looking for a more tactile experience,’ she tells Wallpaper*
-
A refreshed 1950s apartment in East London allows for moments of discoveryWith this 1950s apartment redesign, London-based architects Studio Naama wanted to create a residence which reflects the fun and individual nature of the clients
-
Poon’s returns in majestic form at Somerset HouseHome-style Chinese cooking refined through generations of the Poon family craft
-
‘Locally anchored and globally conversant’: Salone del Mobile debuts in Saudi ArabiaSalone del Mobile lands in Riyadh (26-28 November 2025), bringing its creative and manufacturing know-how to one of the world’s fastest-growing markets and setting the stage for Italo-Saudi design relations
-
Alcova 2026 locations include a Rationalist gem and an abandoned churchAlcova returns for an 11th edition in 2026 (20-26 April), once again opening up two exclusive Milanese locations, the Baggio Military Hospital and Franco Albini's Villa Pestarini
-
Salone del Mobile 2026 will embrace collectible design with Salone RaritasSalone del Mobile has Salone Raritas, a new exhibition space at the fair (21-26 April 2026), curated by Annalisa Rosso and designed by Formafantasma
-
O Milano! Design's epic annual spectacle in photosCall us biased, but we believe that Milan Design Week is, at this moment in time, the greatest show on earth
-
For its 24th edition, Triennale Milano's International Exhibition examines the theme of ‘Inequality’The design institution shines a light on events such as the Grenfell disaster, climate crises and the Israel-Hamas war through architecture, art, products, technology and data
-
‘Romantic brutalism’ rethinks Polish craftAn exhibition in Warsaw gives local makers their due, looking inside the burgeoning world of Polish design
-
Eight designers to know from Rossana Orlandi Gallery’s Milan Design Week 2025 exhibitionWallpaper’s highlights from the mega-exhibition at Rossana Orlandi Gallery include some of the most compelling names in design today
-
Bentley’s new home collections bring the ‘potency’ of its cars to Milan Design WeekNew furniture, accessories and picnic pieces from Bentley Home take cues from the bold lines and smooth curves of Bentley Motors
