Luigi Lanaro is a famed concierge at a 5-Star hotel in Milan, Italy. He has been a Clefs d’Or Concierge World Association member since 2013. Living in Milan, he is the life style consultant and referent for the trends and life in Italy. Luigi writes for Milan Concierge Information and In Arte Periodico di Arte e Cultura. Educated at the Hotel College and Art College, he is passionate about cooking, art and tourism.
Milano Design Week
Milan Design Week is the biggest design event in the world. The entire city revolves around the prestigious event, where visitors feel immersed in an interactive design exhibit everywhere they go in Milan.
The first edition of the Milan International Furniture Fair dates back to 1961. A small group of furniture makers thought that a gathering at a single event to exhibit would be the ideal way to promote their creative designs as Italy’s economic boom was underway.
At the first edition, its 328 exhibitors were visited by over 12,000 people. Given the success of the show, the organizing committee decided to repeat the event every other year until 1991, when it became annual. It has grown to nearly 2,500 companies that exhibit over an area exceeding 55 acres in size. In 2019, the Milan Design Week had 386,000 visitors, but the record number was in 2018, with an astounding 434,509 visitors during the six-day exhibition.
Today, the concept of design is applied to everything that is creative in every imaginable product category. The exhibition venue of the Design Show is only part of its appeal, with other spaces in Milan for other events, such as galleries, showrooms and shops, as well as outdoor spaces including parks, streets and courtyards. When in Milan during the week, it is impossible to miss the newest in the vast array of creations. The city is awash in the newest designs and innovations and it is by no means limited to furniture. There are more than 800 events called fuorisalone that include fashion, food, cars, boats and even everyday household items; from the eminently practical to the avant-garde. Although Milan Design Week usually takes place in April, this year’s event was held in September.
Major events were held at historic courtyards of the Università Statale, the cloisters of the Università degli Studi and the Brera Botanical Garden, as well as the timeless spaces of other location in Milan, such as the Navigli, Lambrate, Central Station and the Bovisa area.
The Tortona area presented Superdesign Show 2021 with exhibits pointing an eye towards the future of cars and smart homes. Some exhibits did not present wares for sale, but simply placed opposing elements together. The courtyard of Palazzo Litta was transformed into “A Beach in the Baroque,” a playful juxtaposition of a leisurely beach set within the elaborate courtyard of the palace.
The Isola district had numerous exhibits, including four devoted to and inspired by the iconic Campari bottle. While in Porta Romana, 80 women artists redesigned one of the most classic of everyday objects, the tea cup.
Some exhibits even dealt with more mundane innovations. The Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology hosted a unique show featuring a TrashFormation Village and Hall of Waste displaying the newest methods of dealing with refuse.
The next edition of Milan Design Week is scheduled from April 5 to April 10, 2022 and will surely be another outstanding event. So if you are planning a trip to Milan for the spring, be sure to keep the dates in mind.
