Milan in April has always belonged to design, but in recent years fashion brands have quietly taken over the stage. At Salone del Mobile this week, their presence felt fully realized. Rooms were furnished, tables set, walls used as surfaces for expression. Earthenware, textiles, and sculptural lighting carried familiar house codes into new territory, grounded in material, craft, and atmosphere.
The Art of the Plaid
Loro Piana approached Salone through the lens of its most iconic object: the plaid. Presented as a series of studies, the installation unfolded as a quiet exploration of texture, technique, and pattern.
Set within a warm, oak-structured scenography, each piece was suspended to reveal the depth of its weave and the precision of its construction. Botanical motifs, archival stripes, and paisley patterns emerged gradually, tracing the house’s visual language with restraint. The effect was an immersive reflection of Loro Piana’s enduring focus on material, craft, and its distinctly understated way of living.
Hermès conceived the installation as a landscape of low, architectural forms.
Textiles introduced warmth. Cashmere throws, hand-woven and resist-dyed, brought movement and depth, while leather, horsehair, and hammered metal appeared throughout, offset by their softness and tactility.
Looking Up…
Bottega Veneta turned to light through material, presenting suspended forms developed with artist Kwangho Lee.
Woven from strips of leather, the pieces took on organic shapes, their structure defined by the interplay of light and shadow. Suspended within the space, they introduced a more atmospheric dimension, extending the House’s language of craftsmanship into the air.
Dior approached lighting through the language of couture, presenting a series of lamps inspired by the Corolle silhouette.
Formed in mouth-blown glass and woven bamboo, the pieces echoed the movement of fabric—pleats, folds, and drape translated into structure. Light revealed subtle shifts in transparency and tone, with each piece carrying a quiet sense of craftsmanship and refinement.
On The Walls
Gucci approached the space through narrative, centering its installation around a series of tapestries conceived as a visual chronicle of the House.
Presented across the cloisters, the works traced key moments in Gucci’s history, from its Florentine origins to the present day, each rendered in richly composed scenes. Figures, symbols, and landscapes unfolded across the panels, with shifts in color and composition marking the passage of time. The tapestries brought depth and continuity to the space, grounding the installation in a more decorative, almost architectural way.
Ritual Objects
Prada turned inward, presenting an installation centered on ritual and the quiet significance of everyday objects.
Developed with artist Theaster Gates, the project brought together a collection of ceramic vessels, from tea bowls to sake cups, each shaped by hand and marked by subtle variations. Arranged within a pared-back, almost contemplative environment, the pieces invited a slower way of looking—one that considered use, gesture, and the passage of time. The effect was intimate and grounded, with the objects carrying a sense of memory and presence.
The Living Space
Armani approached the interior through a series of composed living environments, presenting its collection within the brand’s Milan flagship as a reflection of its own domestic universe.
Across multiple rooms, furnishings were arranged as lived-in spaces rather than display, with each setting drawing on references from Giorgio Armani’s residences. Soft textiles, lacquered wood, and muted palettes came together in a language of restraint, where balance and proportion defined the atmosphere. The effect was quiet and deeply personal, an interior shaped by continuity, simplicity, and a distinctly Armani sense of living.
At Palazzo Serbelloni, drawing on the centenary of Art Deco, Louis Vuitton presented its Objets Nomades collection across a series of rooms shaped by a dialogue between past and present.
Furniture, textiles, and objects unfolded across a series of distinct environments, moving from archival references to contemporary design. Graphic throws appeared on walls alongside iconic trunks and furniture, creating a layered interplay of pattern, color, and material. The installation formed a cohesive world shaped by travel, craft, and a distinctly decorative sensibility.
