Milan Design Week 2026: Highlights of the fashion world

Spring has arrived in Milan, and that can only mean one thing: The city's annual Design Week is back. Every April the design world, and nowadays also the fashion world, flocks to the Italian city for the Salone del Mobile furniture fair and the multitude of exhibitions and events held around it.

In recent years, the fashion world has become a particularly dominant presence at Milan Design Week, whether through home collections, experiential design installations, or art exhibitions in the brands' flagship stores. Here are the highlights of the fashion world at Milan Design Week 2026.

This year, Hermès chose a more minimalist approach. If in the past the company presented dramatic sets and theatrical lighting, this time the space was designed in bright and particularly luminous white.

Against this backdrop, columns of various heights were placed in an installation by designer Charlotte Macaux Perelman intended to evoke a miniature city. Colorful cashmere blankets were hung on white "skyscrapers," and among the displays, shiny palladium vessels and leather boxes decorated with meticulous marquetry work were presented. At Hermès this year, there is no doubt that the attention was in the small details.

Louis Vuitton once again presented an impressive display at the neoclassical Palazzo Serbelloni. In the center of the courtyard, a massive carpet created in collaboration with students from the Brera Academy of Fine Arts was placed, with geometric patterns inspired by Art Deco designer Pierre Legrain.

Legrain was a central inspiration in the Objets Nomades collection this year. Among the prominent items was a reproduction of the first piece of furniture commissioned in 1921 by Gaston-Louis Vuitton: A red and black omega-shaped dressing table, redesigned in lacquered wood and leather.

Alongside this were also several elements with the brand's characteristic playful touch, such as the Stella armchair made of spheres in shades of intense blue designed by the Raw Edges studio.

The Ralph Lauren showroom is considered one of the most refreshing and relaxing stops during Milan Design Week. Inside a sprawling palace with green courtyards and a cafe, two main collections were presented.

One, Saddlebrook, inspired by English country estates with mahogany wood, wool fabrics, and floral patterns. The second, Sterling Square, presented an Art Deco penthouse atmosphere with metal accessories and a dressing table in a deep black lacquer finish.

If there were a prize for the cheekiest installation of Design Week, it would probably go to Demna for the installation he designed for Gucci. In a vast space at the Chiostro di San Simpliciano monastery, a dramatic black structure was erected, inside which cocktails were distributed from vending machines inspired by characters from Demna's debut catalog.

The highlight was a series of massive tapestries that told the history of the house of Gucci, from Guccio Gucci's days at the Savoy Hotel to the eras of Tom Ford, Alessandro Michele, and Sabato De Sarno.

Prada returned this year with Prada Frames, curated by Formafantasma studio. The central theme was the power of images in the digital age, including the environmental and political effects of image production. The events took place in the impressive Renaissance structure of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

At the same time, the first Prada Home store in the city hosted the artist Theaster Gates who presented traditional tea ceremony bowls.

One of the most intriguing materials at the fair this year actually began as a byproduct. The tissue paper that passed through Issey Miyake's pleating machine caught the attention of Satoshi Kondo, the designer and artistic director of the Japanese fashion brand, who identified in its cut a kind of "rings" of a felled tree.

The result was the Paper Log: Shell and Core project presented at the Issey Miyake store in Milan. In collaboration with Ensamble Studio from Madrid, the paper sheets were turned into hardened sculptures using a special technology that preserved the pleats.

Designer Chemena Kamali decided to bring back to life the iconic Tomato Chair from the 70s, after she found it difficult to find in the vintage market. In collaboration with the Poltronova company, a new edition of the chair was produced in four natural leather types: Cream, brown, beige, and black.

The windows of the Armani Casa flagship store on Corso Venezia in Milan turned into a display of the brand's iconic furniture: Lamps, armchairs, consoles, and a bar cabinet – Each item was presented alongside its updated version under the title Origins, which marks the evolution of the brand's style over the years.

The installation was divided into three living spaces, each influenced by one of the homes of the founder Giorgio Armani himself. Together they presented a complete design concept: Floral jacquard fabrics with a cracked finish that looked as if they had just emerged from the water, blackened ash wood, and stone-washed look chenille fabrics.

The Origins collection emphasizes a design language that connects simplicity with precise elegance, with meticulous attention to every small detail – Just as is expected from the design world of Armani.

The Marni brand took over the historic Pasticceria Cucchi cafe for three months and turned it into a colorful space completely identified with the brand. The design included red and green dots and stripes, alongside live performances and special cocktails.

Dolce & Gabbana brought a particularly flamboyant show to Design Week. In one space, pasta dishes were served on tableware from the Dolce & Gabbana Casa collection, while in other halls, new furniture collections and collaborations with young designers from around the world were presented.

Many other top brands presented installations at Milan Design Week, including Balenciaga, Jil Sander, Bottega Veneta, Zara, and more.

Whether you are interested in the new home collections of the top brands or whether you are just looking to draw inspiration – There is no doubt that Milan Design Week is the place for new ideas for home design.