by Welcome to Fashion Week, bazaaran at-a-glance guide to what the industry is talking about.
For this week, we’re focusing on Salone del Mobile Milano (AKA Milan Design Week), which runs from April 16th – April 21st.
Bottega will not be put in a Box
At the Bottega Veneta Winter ’24 show, creative director Matthieu Blazy explained the runway set design in his show notes, saying, “I was visiting and thinking about Southern Italy, Calabria and the cactus. It’s an idea of resilience – the cactus grows when nothing else can. I want the floor to be seen as this landscape; the show might have a sense of introspection, but one with resilience and a sense of hope.”
In an attempt to show resilience, Blazy filled the venue with Le Corbusier’s Cabanon LC14 stools, a legendary piece of furniture that first came about when Le Corbusier found a whiskey box and decided to reuse it.
Now, months after attendees sat on special editions of these stools—which were a collaboration between Bottega Veneta and Cassina (the seller of the tabourets)—some of the pieces became hot items when they were shown during Milan Design Week, where they were exhibited. also available for purchase.
Moncler Go Mobile
For the Salone del Mobile Milano, the Italian fashion house transformed the Milano Centrale train station into one of the largest public galleries in the world, where they held an immersive exhibition entitled “An Invitation To Dream”.
“Moncler and I have been driven by dreams since day one, because we never stop dreaming about what is possible, and how we can inspire and motivate others around the world,” said the CEO and Chairman Remo Ruffini. “It’s always the aim
not just to do new, but to do better.”
Curated by Jefferson Hack and filmed and photographed by Jack Davison, the exhibition united creative forces such as Daniel Arsham, Laila Gohar, Jeremy O. Harris, Francesca Hayward, Rina Sawayama, and more for an event that took one of the buzziest hubs in the. city.
As part of the exhibition, the entire screen throughout the station was rewired to create “dreams” and visitors could appreciate Davison’s hand-printed lithographic prints on display.
Loewe Lights Up Milan
Apart from being known for artistic fashion, Loewe is slowly creeping into the design space, offering everything from eye-catching pillows to tastefully crafted candles that spruce up any space. So, it was no surprise when the Spanish fashion house debuted a stunning collection at Milan Design Week, which explored a new aspect of the home design world: lamps.
The brand commissioned 24 different artists to design lights for the presentation, including creators like Anne Low, Kazunori Hamana, and Alvaro Barrington. The collection ranged from minimal bright walnut boxes to leather and paper hanging designs.
“Light is the central medium in each work on display and its properties have been embraced and manipulated by each of the 24 commissioned artists, guided by their own individual practice,” explained a press release.
Gucci Honors Design Icons
At Gucci’s flagship store on Via Monte Napoleone, creative director Sabato De Sarno decided to honor “five icons of Italian design” with a special exhibition for Milan Design Week, called “Gucci Design Ancora”.
Michela Pelizzari, co-founder of the creative agency P:S (who was co-curator of the project), said, “Through Design Ancora, Gucci does not just celebrate old icons, it creates new ones. The aura that emanates from the brand represents five pieces by Italian masters that are perfect in design but little known to the public.”
The tri-line that connected all these redesigns was the color: Rosso Ancora. De Sarno made all the pieces in this shade to mark Gucci’s next chapter as a brand, adding a rich, cohesive dimension to the entire exhibition.
Alaïa wants to open the “Dialogue”.
At Maison Alaïa, creative director Pieter Mulier is introducing a new series of cultural projects, which he calls “Dialogue.”
“I always wanted Alaïa to represent more than just clothes,” says Mulier. “And this is how Azsedine looked at Alaïa. He was so visionary, that he envisioned Alaïa as a whole from the beginning. As a space where fashion opens up to art and beauty. And this vision remains today. Because I believe that fashion only makes sense if it has something to do with its time. With the world.”
Dialogue 1 took place at Crazy Horse Paris, a cabaret where Azedine Alaïa was used to create stage costumes for dancers in the late 70s. On the venue’s stage, Sam Rock photographed eleven dancers wearing a rainbow of iconic Alaïa dresses with matching Teckel bags to complete the look. With this photography project, Mulier wanted to celebrate the fusion of fashion and dance, in this space that is significant for the history of the brand.
JW Anderson Finds Meaning in Things
As part of a new collection titled “DAYS,” JW Anderson used his eponymous brand to explore “how one derives meaning from materials.” Through this presentation, Anderson aimed to “thematize the work of art and study,” exploring what it means when we learn from those who have made art before us.
For the exhibition, Anderson collaborated with artist Patrick Carroll, who specializes in stretch textiles and uses scavenged yarn from other shops that liquidate industry waste. Carroll’s works were framed and hung throughout the space, with words like “shame,” “defeat,” and “minimalism,” displayed, inviting viewers to dig into their emotions and process what it is what gives life to art.
Louis Vuitton changes Home House
At a 7-story townhouse off Park Avenue, the Louis Vuitton team has transformed the space into an “immersive savoir-faire experience,” where visitors can book a private appointment and view the most extraordinary offerings of celebrate the brand.
Through May 5, the exhibition, titled “Crafting Dreams,” explores the best the brand has to offer, and marks the most extensive display of savoir-faire presented by Louis Vuitton in New City- York ever.
Everything from trunks to fine jewelry to watches will be on display, and visitors will also have the opportunity to create personalized pieces with on-site artisans. Meanwhile, guests will also have the chance to debut some brand new pieces, including the Millionaires Speedy 40 by men’s creative director Pharrell Williams.
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