For this year’s Milan Design Week, Design Miami was thrilled to present a special, curated tour highlighting exceptional projects throughout the Italian design capital. Hosted by April Magen, Design Miami’s VP of Global Partnerships, the event kicked off at the stunning Baroque palace, Palazzo Del Senato, in the heart of the city, before traveling on to six inspiring events at the intersection of design, fashion, and architecture.

The tour focused on the spirit of collaboration on display this year as designers, curators, and brands from around the globe joined forces to create extraordinary design moments. Given how integral the value of cooperation is to the Design Miami universe, the focus felt quite natural. As Magen observes: “The future of brand partnerships hinges on collaboration: relationships fostering solutions for current and future challenges across the spectrum of diversity, economics, and inspired vision.”

DESIGN MIAMI TOUR ITINERARY

10am / Kickoff at the Palazzo Del Senato

Welcome design lovers!

Our first stop of the day: Palazzo Reale and the exhibition From the heart to the hands: Dolce&Gabbana, a celebration of both the revered brand’s creative universe as well as Italian culture. The creations of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are placed in dialogue with several immersive installations and specially commissioned digital artworks that offer a journey through the different facets of Dolce&Gabbana’s style, from visual arts to architecture, music to Italian traditions, and from theater to the Dolce Vita.

Next up, we visit Palazzo San Fedele, where Bottega Veneta teamed up with Cassina and Fondation Le Corbusier to present On the Rocks, an installation spotlighting the LC14 Tabouret Cabanon, an iconic work by Le Corbusier that demonstrates the expertise of Cassina’s carpentry workshop. The piece was originally designed for the famed designer’s own cabin (or Cabanon) at Roquebrune Cap Martin on the Côte d'Azur, and inspired by a wooden whiskey box he found washed up on the beach. New wooden editions, first seen on Bottega Veneta’s Winter 24 show set, were freshly joined in Milan by a new limited edition in the brand’s signature leatherwork.

At Via Broggi 19, the latest edition of Dolce&Gabbana’s Gen D project took center stage. Rooted in the fashion house’s commitment to nurturing emerging talents, the project invites 11 outstanding talents under the age of 40 to engage in meaningful dialogues with both the brand and some of Italy’s finest artisans, resulting in objects in a wide range of materials that honor age-old craft traditions while infusing them with contemporary perspectives. The project is curated by Federica Sala.

1pm / Lunch & Aperitivo at Cova Milano

We made a midday stop for a delicious meal at Cova, Milan’s historic patisserie and cafe. Elegant interiors and incredible flavors are beautifully matched at this international destination—offering the perfect opportunity for our group to recharge before a dynamic afternoon.

At B&B Italia Design Studio, we take in B&B Italia’s latest offerings, including the launch of the brand’s new Outdoor furniture and the debut of The Collection, an installation of new pieces that draw on the B&B Italia’s design anthology, presented in a range of living, dining, and sleeping vignettes. In parallel, Maxalto presents Art of the Unique, a collection of sophisticated furnishings designed by Antonio Citterio.

Back at Palazzo del Senato, we get a close-up look at the latest collaborations between Kohler and artist-designer Samuel Ross—including the immersive Terminal 02 installation, composed of a maze-like network of industrial pipes, as well as the new Formation 02 smart toilet, which draws inspiration from the power of water in nature, juxtaposing natural elements with bold industrial engineering.

4pm / Ciao til next time!

Thanks to all for a fantastic day!