My friend texted me when we arrived in Milan and asked, “Do they hate us there?” and my answer was I think we hate ourselves more.
Design Week is inspiring, fun, educational, delish, and overwhelming. It packs a punch that reminds me of the inner core of Italy’s economy: design. Did tariffs cast a pallor over the events, no, but it is top of mind.
I am going to stick to the highlights. I made the rounds with Berks. Our first stop, and a highlight, was seeing the Loewe teapots at Palazzo Criterio. Loewe has been a champion of creative development, so having 25 artists create a teapot for Loewe is brilliant and on-brand.
There were too many to choose from, but this one was stunning. All of these pieces are for purchase, and a few cozies made exclusively for the Loewe teapot were sold as an edition. You could only buy it there. I got the last one in front.
Jill Sander furniture reinterpreting the Thonet chairs. It’s just proving that good design lasts forever. What’s old is new again.
The Byredo kiosk was a cool way to connect with customers, aka that means a free product for emails. That was a key factor everywhere; you have to register at each event to enter.
Trattoria del Ciumbia for lunch, aka when in Milan, eat like you are in Milan. Reservations are a must during Design Week. This toasted brioche with chicken liver and dabs of berry sauce with light rice crackers is one of the best things I ate the entire week. Insanely delicious.
House of Switzerland took over a two-story building section, each room highlighting “collaboration” featuring emerging designers and brands working together. Edgy, thoughtful items that reflect the times.
Hermes was next. It is inspiring to see what old, established design brands can create, showing 21 new objects next to archival pieces. Stunning.
We wandered over to two stores in the area, which is always inspiring. These stores are excellently curated, offering cutting-edge designers alongside classic designers like Prada. These stores do not exist in NYC anymore, and I am not sure why something has not replaced Barneys at a smaller level, perhaps because the brands are so hard to break into. We went to Slam Jam, edgy streetwear but also elevated streetwear, and of course their own brand, the other was Antonio.
I left and met Fred at the Prada Foundation, Fondazione Prada location in a former 1910 gin distillery where Rem Koolhaas and his firm OMA combined the old and new. There is a cinema, a restaurant (we went later), a “haunted house,” a large room where the walls are hung to show work with a chaotic methodology to the system, like the building.
Bar Luce, designed by Wes Anderson, was inspired by Italian 1950-60’s cinema.
Dinner was at the foundation, and although the views were stunning, the room was beautiful, and the food was just meh.
Time for bed.
