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.
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The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports carECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
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Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary artThe luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
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Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on lifeThanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being rebonr as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
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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
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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
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‘Romantic brutalism’ rethinks Polish craftAn exhibition in Warsaw gives local makers their due, looking inside the burgeoning world of Polish design
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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
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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
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StoneX partners with Wallpaper* for material alchemy at Milan Design Week and beyondThe natural stone purveyor teams up with Wallpaper* for a three-year partnership of material adventures, starting with an exhibition at Triennale di Milano
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David Rockwell’s Milan Design Week presentation is a love letter to corkRockwell Group’s Casa Cork installation showcases this under-appreciated material, which is infinitely recyclable and sequesters carbon for decades
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Emerging galleries to discover during Milan Design WeekWallpaper’s Milan editor has the inside track on the younger design galleries coming to town
