Milan Design Week 2022
Milan Design week 2022. What to expect and see: Now that Covid measures are disappearing, many people are booking travel plans. Weddings and honeymoons that have been postponed, family reunions, bucket list trips, all are getting booked after a two year hiatus. I think European travel is on many American minds in their travel planning, and why not include Milan during design week?! It happens to be the 60th anniversary of the Milan Design week and is sure to inspire. Many successful designers got their starts exhibiting first at the Milan Salon and you will very likely spot some of the best and brightest in design.
Traditionally, Milan Design Week is held in April, but over the past couple of Covid years, the date has moved from spring to fall or been cancelled all together. This show was originally supposed to take place in January, but will now happen in June, which works well for overseas travellers. The theme this year is sustainability, which is very present in new product design.
What to Expect:
My first and only Milan Design Week thus far was in September 2021, when I attended a course at Instituto Marangoni. It was such a great introduction to design to be in classes during the day, and get leads on the best exhibitions to see from our instructors at night. I could not believe how much was happening around the city. You really had to pick and choose what to attend, as there simply was not enough time to do it all.
What to see:
Of course the big names do not disappoint: Edra, Hermes, Maxalto, Casa Armani. . . . Many flagship stores redesign their showrooms to showcase their new products during Milan Design Week, and all related activities and shows have very clear signage, so it’s easy to find all design related events, most of which are open to the public.
This is not the place for uncomfortable shoes! You will be walking a lot between venues on busy, cobbled streets and will definitely want to wear comfortable attire. Brera is the neighborhood where many of the events and exhibitions are held, but also closer to the Duomo, where many flagship stores are located.
Here is a map showing the main design districts in Milan:
About the Fuorisalone
In contemporary with the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2022, the Fuorisalone makes its comeback to Milan with a weeklong extravaganza. As for the previous editions, Fuorisalone 2022 features a set of events distributed in different areas of Milan that take place during the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, featuring the endorsement of Milan’s Municipality.
Conceived to turn design and some of the leading brands active in the sector into the protagonists of various areas of the city – known as design districts – the Fuorisalone event includes themed events, presentations, concerts, DJ sets and special projects related to the world of design, furniture and innovations in living solutions.
The locations
The locations for the physical events of Fuorisalone span from design districts such as Brera Design District, zona Tortona, 5Vie to historical buildings and landmarks in the city including Palazzo Litta, Palazzo Bovara, Palazzo Francesco Turati and Palazzo Serbelloni, as well as Milan’s Triennale and the ADI design museums.
All you need to know about design in Milan
Although the events are usually scattered throughout the city and the featured locations may vary from one edition to another, the Fuorisalone recognises a series of main districts, usually distinguished by the endorsement of Milan’s Municipality.
>> Learn more about must-visit design districts
>> Check all cultural insights on Milan Design Week
Cultural Note:
While in Milan, you must go see the “The Last Supper” by Leonardo Da Vinci housed in the Santa Maria delle Grazie. You definitely need to pre-book tickets to this exhibit. Even during pandemic times, tickets were hard to come by. Tickets can be purchased online here: https://cenacolovinciano.org/en/
There are many great resources to finding all the happenings about the city, places to stay, restaurants, and museums.
https://www.dezeen.com/eventsguide/2022/06/milan-design-week-2022/
