Photo by Khai Islam
For seven days I wandered through the streets, studios, palazzos and the halls of Salone del Mobile, camera in hand. This year I chose to fully immerse myself in Milan Design Week. A full week still isn’t enough to see everything, but it’s enough to start noticing patterns. And that’s exactly what I set out to do: walking, observing, capturing with an open gaze and a critical eye.
What stood out? A week filled with bold statements and quiet presences. Red was everywhere. Blood red, tomato red, fiery depths that covered walls, furniture and fabrics. But precisely against that intensity, something else emerged: soft butter yellow, cool blue, serene green and white. White, airy rooms without embellishment. Colours that created space rather than occupying it. Not shouting, but whispering.
The exhibitions built around the theme of Romantic Brutalism moved me most. Because they offered something between rawness and fragility. Because concrete could become lace. And weight could become light.
What follows is not a complete overview. Milan is far too vast for that. But it is a personal and sharply observed selection of what lingered. Of what whispered, and could not be ignored.
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This is the foreword to my Milan Design Week 2025 Report – a richly illustrated trend publication of 66 pages, filled with colour, materials, textures and design directions that will shape the coming seasons.
What makes this report different from what we’ve already seen online? It’s not a string of snapshots or a list of separate presentations. It’s a layered analysis. I’ve traced connections, noted repetitions, and brought together visuals on pages where they reinforce each other. It’s not just about what was shown – but about what it started to say collectively.
Here’s what to expect:
ABOUT COLOUR
A deep dive into Milan’s dominant colour directions – from fiery reds to serene greens, cooling pastels and quiet white bases. Colour as atmosphere, as signal, as space to breathe.
ABOUT MATERIAL
A layered view on materiality, with tactility at its core. From heavy to light. From industrial to poetic.
ABOUT SURFACE
On surfaces that stimulate the senses – from geometric woven textiles to reflective finishes, inky stains and voluminous fibres.
ABOUT DESIGN
Furniture as sculpture. Themes such as Brutal Romance, botanical beings and the rediscovery of corners.
This report is an inspiration source for designers, buyers and stylists looking for a clear and considered summary of Milan Design Week 2025.
Interested? Order THe report here:
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