Fuorisalone highlights: from Stone Island's No Seasons project to H&M Home's Kelly Wearstler collection

Fuorisalone is now over, along with its whirlwind of events, long queues and the flood of people that took over Milan for a week. While the appeal of Fuorisalone is undeniable, it is worth reflecting on the quality of the events, their content and the interest they generate among fashion and design professionals. It is understandable that brands leverage this moment for visibility, as almost everyone takes a stroll through the event. A more focused evaluation, however, could help to eliminate the 'too much of everything' in favour of higher quality. That said, there were many noteworthy installations, exhibitions, collaborations and events.

Stone Island, for example, presented the new chapter of No seasons, continuing a project by Massimo Osti that originally ran from 1989 to 1994. The capsule collection is built around Stone Island's signature timelessness. It promotes an approach that deals with the evolution of things as much as their endurance, shaping new outerwear archetypes rooted in the brand's heritage and equally forward-looking.

Presented for the first time at Milan Design Week 2026, the No seasons capsule therefore sets the tone for the dedicated installation, conceived in collaboration with Milan-based interior design studio Nm3. The project is part of the broader context of Capsule Plaza, a hybrid concept halfway between a trade fair and a collective exhibition. It is internationally recognised for its strong connection to the world of design and creativity in a broad sense.

Also coinciding with Milan Design Week, the second chapter of Armani Archivio was launched at the Giorgio Armani boutique on Via Sant’Andrea.

Launched in 2025 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Giorgio Armani, the project was conceived to preserve and enhance the brand's legacy. It is an interactive platform that collects and organises historical collections, offering an experience that blends heritage and innovation.

Now, for the first time, 13 men's and women's looks from the Giorgio Armani collections from 1979 to 1994 have been faithfully reproduced for sale in the boutiques. These garments were selected for their timeless relevance. They are emblematic examples of a stylistic journey that has evolved consistently and continuously over the years.

Lifestyle brand Tènua, meanwhile, presented Scent scapes at Fuorisalone 2026.

The presentation took place within “Bubbles of time”, an immersive installation by Kaldewei, developed in collaboration with Parasite 2.0. The work was exhibited at Palazzo Crespi. Designed in the 1920s by architect Piero Portaluppi, the palace provided the backdrop for a project exploring the evolution of the bathroom as a space for wellness and design, unfolding as a layered narrative between past, present and future.

The Milanese-Japanese fragrance and home textile brand brought its vision to the forefront: beauty can also be fully integrated into the language of design. This principle is already deeply embedded in the brand's identity. For example, perfume bottles, incense holders and packaging are meticulously studied from a design perspective and are complemented by their olfactory expression. In this installation, the perception of scent became an integral part of the spatial experience, helping to build a natural and contemporary dialogue between object, atmosphere and memory.

The Florentine brand from the house of Kering presented Gucci Memoria, a new exhibition curated by Demna. The exhibition offered a symbolic reinterpretation of the maison's 105-year history, showcasing its multiple facets, evolutions and creative expressions.

Staged in the historic Chiostri di San Simpliciano, the exhibition invited the public to immerse themselves in a narrative that brings past and present into dialogue.

At the heart of Gucci Memoria was a cycle of 12 tapestries, conceived as a visual chronicle of the maison. Rooted in a craft tradition historically linked to Florence, each tapestry translated a significant moment in Gucci's history into a rich and complex composition. Starting with Guccio Gucci's formative years in London at The Savoy hotel, the series traces the founding of the first Florentine workshop, the definition of the Maison's visual identity and its establishment as an international symbol of luxury.

Subsequent scenes reflected the main creative eras, from the emergence of iconic designs like the Jackie 1961 and Bamboo 1947 bags to the distinctive visions of successive creative directors, including Tom Ford, Frida Giannini, Alessandro Michele and Sabato De Sarno.

In the small cloister, a series of custom-designed vending machines introduced an interactive dimension. Dispensing canned drinks created by Gucci Giardino, the maison's café and cocktail bar located in Piazza della Signoria in Florence, the installation was inspired by the archetypes of La Famiglia. This is a cast of characters embodying different facets of the Gucci identity. Each randomly dispensed drink corresponded to a distinct personality, including Fashion icon, Drama queen, Super incazzata and Mega pesantone.

Arket has collaborated with New York artist Laila Gohar for its first ready-to-wear collection

Nordic lifestyle brand Arket, meanwhile, has collaborated with New York artist Laila Gohar on its first ready-to-wear collection, launching for the spring/summer 2026 season. The collaboration comprises 27 pieces that translate Gohar's unique aesthetic into a rich, layered wardrobe, designed for moments that oscillate between the everyday and the exceptional.

Born in Cairo and based in New York, Laila Gohar combines spectacular food, art installations and playful design to create a delicately surreal world where there are no clear boundaries between life and beauty.

Combining Gohar's idiosyncratic interpretation of beauty with Arket's focus on functional design, the collection starts from the dynamic interplay of opposites: masculine and feminine; soft and rigid; transparent and opaque. It also draws from the personal and intuitive play between these dichotomies.

“Her work stems from a rich and varied world of inspiration, and the resulting wardrobe transcends categories like occasionwear or everyday wear, while remaining naturally wearable and rooted in daily life,” explained Ella Soccorsi, head of design and creative at Arket.

The 27 pieces range from workwear-inspired items, such as an embroidered white canvas suit; a classic jersey henley; and a smock blouse inspired by women's uniforms, to more delicate expressions. These include a bow blouse based on the shape of an apron and a matching skirt with a bra top in warm ecru silk organza. Crocheted and beaded accessories complete the collection. A distinctive, almost sculptural modular dress with a detachable skirt, made from compact cotton with silk inserts, represents one of the central expressions of the collaboration.

Bottega Veneta has collaborated with Korean artist Kwangho Lee

For Milan Design Week 2026, Bottega Veneta collaborated with Korean artist Kwangho Lee. The project included a light installation in the maison's store on Via Sant'Andrea, along with a series of activations across various locations in the city.

Titled Lightful, the installation combined a suspended woven form, a signature of Lee's practice, with new light sculptures created by weaving Bottega Veneta leather ribbons. In custom shades of black and green selected by creative director Louise Trotter, each sculpture takes on a unique, organic form, evoking the inherent possibilities of the artist's craft processes. Through the dialogue between weaving, light and shadow, Lightful expands Lee's research into combining materials, introducing the dimension of illumination as a further expressive language.

Domus Academy, an international school of excellence in design and fashion, returned to Fuorisalone with the Unfold exhibition project at the Base venue. The projects by the students involved, evaluated and selected by the Domus Academy design faculty, investigated how to transform tensions and divergences into catalysts for change.

The project's multicultural background, with the participation of 20 universities from 14 countries alongside Domus Academy students, aims to bring new perspectives and diverse viewpoints to the forefront of the exhibition. The designers were encouraged to develop creative and thought-provoking projects that confront the tensions running through society, technology and the environment. They transformed these contrasts into an opportunity for reflection and a potential driver of positive change.

Nuova accademia di belle Arti and Freitag, Swiss upcycling pioneers, have presented “The messenger is on the table”

Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA) and Freitag, Swiss upcycling pioneers, presented “The messenger is on the table”. An exhibition at the Freitag store in Milan showcased ten reinterpretations of the F11 Lassie, the iconic messenger bag originally designed in 1995, revisited by students from NABA's design and fashion design departments. The experimental works were presented within an immersive setting conceived by students from the academy's two-year specialised interior design course.

For Milan Design Week 2026, Louis Vuitton presented its new Objets Nomades collection in an exhibition celebrating Art Deco and contemporary design.

Unveiled in the heart of Palazzo Serbelloni on Corso Venezia, the new Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades collection highlighted, more than ever, the dialogue between heritage, art and contemporary creation. Following the centenary celebration of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, in which the maison participated, the Hommage collection Pierre Legrain offers a new vision of the works of the French decorator, illustrator, bookbinder and cabinetmaker, a leading figure of Art Deco.

An artistic collaborator with the maison in the 1920s, Legrain began working with Louis Vuitton as an illustrator and went on to create the maison's first piece of furniture, a lacquered ebony dressing table, which is now being reissued in a special edition. Alongside creations from the archives of Pierre Legrain and Charlotte Perriand, new contemporary pieces by Estudio Campana, Raw Edges and Franck Genser were also presented. These bold works combine unique aesthetics and techniques with Louis Vuitton's distinctive codes and craftsmanship, continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation.

H&M Home debuted this year at Milan Design Week 2026 with American designer Kelly Wearstler, presenting an exclusive collaboration.

A curated selection of objects and furniture from the collection will be unveiled during Fuorisalone, marking a double debut for both H&M Home and the Los Angeles-based designer.

The exhibition offered a preview of the collaboration's items, available for purchase from next September, alongside custom-made pieces in bespoke colours and sizes. The key materials in the collection include wood, metal, ceramic, marble and textiles. This milestone marks a bold evolution for the brand, introducing large-scale furniture alongside smaller items within a designer collaboration for the first time.

The installation was unveiled at Palazzo Acerbi, a 17th-century baroque palace of almost legendary charm that has long been closed to the public. Behind its austere facade lay architectural magnificence: imposing columns and opulent frescoes create a striking contrast with the collection's contemporary and bold aesthetic.

BasicNet's brand, K-Way, was also present at the Salone del Mobile in Milan through an artistic and product collaboration developed with the trade fair.

The project involved several activations, starting with a collaboration with Bianca Felicori, a researcher, author and founder of Forgotten Architecture. Created in 2019 as a digital community dedicated to rediscovering forgotten architecture, Forgotten Architecture is now an international reference point, thanks to research that combines archives, historical documents and contemporary photography.

For K-Way, Bianca Felicori, through Forgotten Architecture, curated a selection of iconic and significant Milanese buildings, creating an urban itinerary that celebrated the vision of the great masters of architecture. The narrative took shape through a series of photographs set in five symbolic buildings of the Milanese capital: the iconic Sormani Library; the Collegio di Milano; the Casa a Tre Cilindri; the Church of San Giovanni Bono; and the building at Corso Italia 13.

The itinerary was compiled in a complimentary leaflet, available at the K-Way flagship store on Corso Garibaldi and as part of a special activation in the heart of the city. The centrepiece of the initiative was a newsstand in Piazza Sant'Eustorgio, created in collaboration with Salone del Mobile Milano. It was a space entirely customised by K-Way and Salone that, for the entire week, became a storytelling hub for the project through dedicated talks and leaflet distribution.

Apartamento and Jil Sander have hosted an intimate reading circle

Also during Fuorisalone, Apartamento and Jil Sander hosted an intimate reading circle for Reference Library, featuring Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Spanish singer Maria Arnal and Australian curator Dan Thawley, moderated by Canadian writer and director Durga Chew-Bose. The event reflected on how reading shapes ways of seeing, thinking and creating across different disciplines, with a special installation designed by studioutte.

Luciana Teixeira, an architect and designer who lives and works between Brazil and Spain, exhibited the “Saudade” collection at Fuorisalone, inspired by personal and collective memories, and the “Rio dos Cocares” rug, which pays homage to the indigenous ethnic groups and biomes of Mato Grosso do Sul.

By drawing on affective memories from childhood, valuing artisanal techniques rooted in Brazilian culture such as macramé and crochet, and adopting an environmentally respectful creative and production process, Teixeira has developed a collection rich in emotional meaning and social impact.

Produced with the expertise of Bel Metais from Santa Catarina in Southern Brazil, the “Saudade” armchair is distinguished by its precise and compact elegance. The piece is a synthesis of authorial design, craftsmanship and industrial feasibility. The macramé element, masterfully created by local artisan Tassiana Kellner with 100 percent cotton thread, is manually applied to the tubular backrest, lending it authenticity and value.

Finally, the tenth edition of Masterly The Dutch in Milan was open until yesterday, Sunday, April 26, at Palazzo Giureconsulti. Nicole Uniquole, the founder and curator, set up the 25 rooms overlooking Piazza Duomo that have hosted the event for the past four years.

Spread across the four floors of the historic palace, over 100 participants, including independent designers, historic companies, new businesses, artisans, artists and educational institutions, created individual installations and collective projects.

The participants shared a common vision: design is conceived as a strategic tool capable of inspiring and stimulating reflection that sometimes goes beyond the object itself. An example of this is the installation in the basement by Mecanoo in collaboration with Bert Plantagie. At its centre is the Macaron modular seating system, developed from an analysis of human behaviour in different contexts. The result is a flexible solution designed to respond to real needs rather than formal requirements.