Milan Design Week 2025: Where Design Becomes Experience
A meditation on beauty, materiality, and the enduring power of good design. From immersive performances to botanical sanctuaries, the week invited visitors into worlds where craftsmanship and concept walked hand in hand. Below, we reflect on two distinct expressions of this vision. From theatrical exhibitions to serene indoor gardens and the ever-growing role of tech and conceptual contrast, with the most memorable presentations created full-body experiences.
1. The Theatre of Design: Performative Immersions
This year's design week in Milan confirmed what many already sensed: we are living in an age where design is not only about objects, but about atmospheres, sensory immersion, and even ideological storytelling.
Cassina x Formafantasma – Staging Modernity
At the Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber, Cassina and design studio Formafantasma transformed the stage into a multi-layered design narrative. Their installation wasn't just an exhibition — it was a performance, inviting visitors to view modern design from both the audience and actor's perspective. With “animals”, live performers and iconic pieces by Le Corbusier and other greats, the space blurred boundaries between history and futurism, art and function.
Loro Piana – La Prima Notte di Quiete
Loro Piana, in collaboration with Dimorestudio, presented a cinematic dream. Visitors walked through a dimly lit sequence of rooms, each echoing with soundtracks and lit like a 1970s film set. Inspired by the movie La Prima Notte di Quiete, this installation used theatrical storytelling to highlight the tactile beauty and quality of Loro Piana’s materials: wool, cashmere, silk transformed into luxurious objects and surfaces and to present some new decor pieces, each meticulously positioned in the set as if it had belonged to it for years.
Range Rover – Futurespective: Connected Worlds
Range Rover took a deep dive into its design DNA using a multi-sensory narrative, lighting and tactile materials to connect mobility and mood. A journey created with California design studio NUOVA. The installation traveled through time from 1970 to 2025, framed by cinematic projections, bespoke furniture, sounds, and even fragrances. The overall impression was one of sleek, refined innovation a brand shaped by history, yet always looking ahead.
2. A Return to Nature: Gardens in Design Spaces
Designers leaned into biophilia, not just by adding greenery but by shaping it into the core concept of their spaces.
Paola Lenti – A Living Atmosphere
Paola Lenti’s new collections were unveiled in a complete oasis, from blooming trees in the courtyard to bamboo screens and woven textures inside, the experience was immersive, serene, and grounded in a sense of crafted calm. Both indoor and outdoor spaces were overflowing with greenery — not just a backdrop, but an intentional and curated landscape. Trees, shrubs, and potted plants framed her bold-colored, textural furniture pieces. A celebration of tactility, colour, and longevity.
Missoni – Indoor Jungle Under Glass
Missoni's showroom was a lush interior greenhouse, saturated in colour and filtered natural light. Beneath the showroom’s glass roof, plants and textiles intertwined in harmony. Soft furnishings in vibrant hues were arranged beside sculptural, minimalist plant pots — objects that were as thoughtfully designed as the textiles themselves. The entire space pulsed with energy, offering a quiet escape into a more poetic, human scale of design.
The Essence of Timelessness
While these installations spanned different disciplines — from automotive to fashion to interiors — what united them was a respect for materials, storytelling, and lasting beauty. These designs are not about trends but about presence, longevity, and emotional resonance. They’re built to last — and to be felt.
