City Of Light

At Salone del Mobile, design's biggest names and up-and-comers descend on every corner of Milan

- KAT HERRIMAN

Salone del Mobile, the largest design fair in the world, would stretch for miles if laid end to end. But that wouldn't even account for half of what constitutes Milan Design Week when it roars through the ancient canal city that Mussolini paved in his haste. Like an annual rainstorm that shakes the city, Design Week seems to seep into all of Milan's hidden corners. It is in these verdant tucked-away spots that one finds a wealth of transformed boutiques, artistic interventions, group showcases, and top-notch gallery shows. And while these activations are technically all part of the same phenomenon, it is impossible to find a central index for all that is on offer, as many of them are independent initiatives. That's the beauty of Milan as an axis of art, design, and fashion its residents are so immersed and comfortable in engaging at the highest level of these disciplines that they feel emboldened to participate, no matter what their own visibility is. You'll stumble upon everything from tiny pop-ups all the way to global launches at mega-brand boutiques like Loewe and Prada. And what is truly astonishing is the quality of the work you'll encounter across this spectrum. Before the festivities kick off in April, we made a list of designers whose work will be on view, but will also resonate in the streets long after the cherry blossoms fall.

This year's Salone del Mobile theme, Euroluce, places an emphasis on lighting. Meaning that the biggest names in design Knoll, Vitra, Kohler, and Molteni&C will bust out their brightest inventions and collaborations. Most of the reveals are saved for the week of, but expect major revelations by iconoclasts like Forma Fantasma, Gaetano Pesce, and Tom Dixon. The latter is expanding his dazzling Puff collection; disco is back at last.