347: MDW Days 3 + 4 / It's 6 AM somewhere

Plus Bauhaus blasts from the past, Ginori, and good tables.

Apr 09, 2025

Introducing Magasin’s pop-up newsletter-within-a-newsletter, where we’ll be covering shoppable observations from scenes of interest daily: Milan Design Week, Days 3 + 4.

Itinerary

Apr 7

10a Studio KO x Beni Rugs preview — inspired by found documents, imagine redacted forms and scribbled notebooks in various flat and pile weaves *LR + XD

10:30a Dedar x Anni Albers press breakfast at Torre Velasca — really moving recreations of Albers’ works, I especially loved the textiles with subliminal metallic threads that zapped alive the heady, almost moody shades *LR

11a Nilufar: Repertorio preview *XD

11a L'Appartmento by Artemest press preview — best thing I saw was this Dimarmo marble chaise *LR

11:30a Sub-Currents by Rooms Studio preview — a collection of tables that shot to the top of my wishlist from the week…all produced between Tbilisi and Milan*LR

12p Capsule Plaza press preview — where I saw a great team up between USM Modular Furniture and Pharell’s skincare brand Humanrace. They made a great green bathroom using USM’s reconfigurable pieces and Laufen fixtures in signature green. *LR

12p Pierre Marie for Yves Salomon Editions preview *XD

1:30p 6:AM Glass preview at Piscina Cozzi *LR + XD

2p Lunch with Loewe team at Pasticceria Marchesi in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele — Prada-owned bakeshop circa 1824 *LR

3p Christofle x Charlotte Chesnais preview — the $4,000 cutlery egg out-luxuries your Ikea Löftesrik set *LR

3p Dimore Studio presents “Welcome to the Blackout” / Interni Venosta takes over Phillips Auction *XD

4p Loro Piana x Dimoremilano Present: La Prima Notte Di Quiete *LR

4p Aperitivo at Camparino in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele *XD

5pm Cocktail for Emanuele Pantanella *XD

5:30p Opening cocktail for Nullus Locus, presented by Massimiliano Locatelli and Fabio Zambernardi *XD

6p Pin-Up x Valentino cocktail *XD

7p T Magazine party — with a special installation by Misha Kahn, food by Rose Chalalai Singh, and drinks by Il Pellicano at the Villa Necchi Campiglio *XD

9:30p Dinner at Osteria del Treno *XD

10p Dinner at Mamma Rossa *LR

12a Michi’s Birthday Bash at Baia Disco Club *LR

Apt 8

11a Breakfast preview at Casa Cabana — for the unveiling of “Speak, Memory,” an exhibition curated by Deborah Needleman *XD

12p Loewe teapots exhibition preview — with special-edition commercial teapots for sale among the one-of-one artist commissions *LR

12:30p Lunch at Ralph Lauren — with AD’s Madeline O’Malley and Hannah Martin *XD

1p Cassina x FormaFantasma performance *LR

5p Cocktail for Rooms Studio at Studio Frey Barth *XD

5p Neptune Papers Issue Eight launch cocktail *LR + XD

5:30p Elle Decor cocktail at Armani/Bamboo Bar *LR

7p Ralph Lauren cocktail at Ralph Lauren Palazzo *LR

7p WSJ Magazine cocktail at Villa Eugénie *XD

7:30p Loewe cocktail at Palazzo Citterio *LR

8:30p Schumacher dinner at private Piero Portaluppi-designed apartment *LR + XD

10p Liberty party at The Wilde *LR + XD

LR: Laura’s schedule, XD: Xavier’s schedule

Magasin intel

So much of the work presented at Salone is intended for exclusive, private spaces that one might only ever see in the pages of a shelter magazine, so an item that will stick with me from this week is 6AM Glass’ red exit sign light. Installed in a residential setting it would be playful and unexpected, but in general I wish we would see more designers tackling the challenge of beautifying quotidian utilities. 6AM’s lighting is gorgeous, and they also sell smaller decor items at a more accessible price point. *XD
Was super inspired by the metal desks and filing cabinets at the Dedar x Anni Albers preview, exhibition design by DWA Design Studio. The ones they sourced appear to be from Studio BBPR, a Milanese group founded in 1932, made for Olivetti. There’s a longer post to make out of this, but the furniture (and the textiles) reminded me of my grandmother, whose art I’ve shared in the past. Apparently, she attended Black Mountain with Anni and was friendly with her husband Josef, all of them members of the “new Bauhaus.” *LR
Upstairs at the 5Vie venue at Cesare Correnti, I saw a room covered in old embossed-leather wallpaper—a really soft, deep, textured application. I did some quick research and it’s not really being produced now, but someone needs to bring this back. Maybe I will! It sort of reminded me of Voutsa’s new Tramp Art wallpaper collection. *XD

Something’s going on with BAMBOO. There was the Gucci Bamboo Encounters party, where, as Sean Santiago put it, “the best bamboo spotted at the Gucci party was the Jil.” There was the Elle Decor x Armani party at Bamboo Bar (inside Armani Hotel). And not site-specific, but this week’s new Phoebe Philo arrivals include a pair of bamboo sunglasses. *LR
It’s cool to see Emanuele Pantanella’s iconic studio continuing to produce designs from the archive. Their small clutches are bewitching (and collected by several major museums). *XD
Late night the day of the Charlotte Chesnais x Christofle collaboration launch, everyone in town ended at Baia Disco Club for PS Salone founder Michela Pelizzari’s birthday. Longtime Chesnais collaborator Eleni Petaloti of Objects of Common Interest, could be seen dancing up front wearing a spoon from the collaboration strung on a chain around her neck. *LR
Benni Frowein of Schumacher hosted guests in his Piero Portaluppi-designed apartment, and served saffron risotto on the Ginori Oriente Italiano plates in multiple colorways. I think this would work well as a fun table setting. *XD
I met the great architect John Pawson at the Armani party (though I arrived just after Mr. Armani himself had left). What a flirt! The shopping hook here is that he's collaborated with a bunch of brands on accessible homewares—Tekla for bedding, Oyuna for throws, Bleo for paint—and of course a fabulous Phaidon book. *LR
Georg Jensen opened a pop-up gelateria outfitted with the studio’s ultra-chic silver and serving a killer affogato. *XD
Sarah Natkins, a central figure in the design world…knows and is known by just about everyone…only packed Martinianos on her trip—in white, red, plum, silver—all flats. This is the shoe wardrobe of someone who's walked Salone’s 20k-step days for years and knows the kind of footwear it takes. *LR