Milan Design Week 2026: Our Highlights of Craft, Innovative Design & Artistic Thoughts.
MDW once again affirmed its position as one of the most important moments in the global design calendar.
For Rock & Soar, attending the week is an annual commitment, and each year it continues to expand, both in scale and in the diversity of experiences it offers across the city.
With this growth comes an evolving dynamic between industry and public audiences. The increasing accessibility of exhibitions has created a vibrant, inclusive atmosphere, with a genuine sense of excitement around design. At times, however, this popularity can make navigating the city a slightly more difficult process for professionals working to tight schedules. A structure that balances trade-focused access earlier in the week, followed by public days (similar to Salone del Mobile) could help maintain this openness while supporting industry engagement.
This year also saw the absence of Euroluce, typically a key destination for lighting-focused product research and insight. While helpful to understand market research, it is not the sole focus of our visits, with the districts being more of an interesting opportunity to explore a broader range of installations and emerging designers across the city, encouraging a wider perspective on materials, craft, and conceptual thinking. A great contribution was from 6:AM Glass that exposed varied skill-sets in textured glass and large mould-blown forms, as well as Marcin Rusak’s beautiful and diverse use of encapsulating natural matter of flowers and leaves in resins to create sculpture and furniture.
However, a highlight of this year’s Salone Del Mobile fair was the introduction of “Salone Raritas”, a new initiative celebrating collectible design, limited editions, and exceptional craftsmanship. The space offered a more intimate viewing experience, showcasing refined, tactile works. Designers such as Sabine Marcelis presented pieces that balanced material innovation in viscosity with a strong sculptural presence, while nature-inspired objects, featuring delicate compositions of organic forms, explored the relationship between decay, light, and longevity such as Japanese designer Thomas Takada, represented by Side Gallery.
Elsewhere, brands embraced immersive storytelling. Moooi created a series of striking lighting installations for their exhibit ‘Promising’ at Superstudio in Tortona, with tree-like structures and celestial arrangements that evoked a sense of wonder and escapism. Alongside this, a thoughtful talk reflecting on the brand’s 25-year journey offered insights into creative risk-taking, longevity, and the importance of passion - values that strongly resonate with Rock & Soar’s own approach. Another incredibly enjoyable event that we went to was AGORA by Marset x Mesura: How light and architecture shape each other. This was an evening talk and cocktails where Partner Architect, Benjamin Wicksteed from Mesura, gave a refreshing light-hearted presentation on the fundamentals of synergy in light and build, both natural and artificial.
Moooi 25 and Promising Panel Discussion.
Moderated by Dezeen's editorial director Max Fraser, a panel of speakers including Moooi co-founder Marcel Wanders, Fuseproject founder Yves Béhar, trend forecaster Li Edelkoort and Studio Job founder Job Smeets
Balancing a live work schedule with exhibitions (and a well-earned visit to Bar Basso), we were pleased to connect with artisans, designers, and long-standing industry peers. Highlights included Mosca Partners’ “Variations” event at Palazzo Litta, where LCD textiles added drama and texture to the historic interiors, as well as Liberty’s collaboration with Lorenza Bozzoli showcasing “Soft Architecture.”
Overall, Milan Design Week 2026 was both inspiring and insightful - a valuable opportunity to reflect on where Rock & Soar sits within an ever-evolving design landscape, and to continue shaping a distinct and considered voice within it.
