Hydro: 100R

Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company Hydro will present the 100R exhibition, a celebration of Hydro CIRCAL 100R. This is the world’s first industrial-scale aluminium made from post-consumer scrap, which boasts a record-low carbon footprint.

Demonstrating its versatility, seven designers have each created an object using only this material. At the exhibition, visitors will witness the processes through which scrap is transformed into such pieces.

Lars Beller Fjetland, who selected the seven designers, explains, ‘We are moving toward a future where utilising materials already in circulation is imperative for sustainable living and manufacturing. Hydro CIRCAL 100R precisely facilitates that, as aluminium can be endlessly recycled without any loss of quality.’ And these designers have demonstrated the significance of what can be achieved through different approaches to a single sustainable material.

The 100R exhibition will be shown 16-21 April, Capsule Plaza, Spazio Maiocchi

MCM: Wearable Casa Collection

As part of this year’s Salone del Mobile.Milano, luxury fashion brand MCM will introduce the Wearable Casa Collection. Conceived by interior designer Atelier Biagetti and curated by historian Maria Cristina Didero, the capsule will be presented at the 17th-century Palazzo Cusani, featuring seven pieces focused on key elements of MCM’s DNA.

Within the collection, objects transcend their traditional roles, creating a new world. They combine the disruptive approach of Bauhaus functionality with the digitally nomadic spirit embraced by gen Z. It’s not incidental, then, that the brand has created a virtual experience people outside Milan can enjoy via the metaverse, the project taking place inboth physical and digital paradigms. At a turning point in the history of mankind when technologies are constantly redefining our relationships with objects, spaces, and one another, this exhibition will live on beyond Milan Design Week, making Palazzo Cusani’s rooms portals to another world, where avatars can even try on the pieces.

15 April, 2-7.30pm and 16-21 April, 10am-7.30pm at Palazzo Cusani, via Brera 13/15

RIMOWA x La Marzocco: Linea Mini espresso machine

Luxury luggage brand Rimowa and espresso machine specialist La Marzocco are unveiling a collaborative masterpiece for Milan Design Week – the Linea Mini espresso machine. Debuting on 15 April at Milan’s Caffè Rimowa pop-up inside Spazio Maiocchi, the machine fuses meticulous German and Italian craftsmanship, showcasing both Rimowa’s functional innovation and La Marzocco’s renowned espresso expertise.

Handcrafted in Florence, each piece requires 40 hours of dedicated work, integrating custom hot water taps, knobs and an anodised aluminium portafilter that features Rimowa’s signature grooved aluminium.

15-21 April at the Caffè Rimowa pop-up at Capsule Plaza, Spazio Maiocchi

Majotae x Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio: Majotae 9490

In partnership with Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio, Japanese textile brand Majotae is set to debut its first ever product line, Majotae 9490, at Milan Design Week 2024. Exhibitions at Secci Milano and Berta will showcase this bedding collection and explore the materials used.

The “9490” refers to the average number of days a person sleeps in a lifetime, and the bedding range, available in several colourways, is crafted from hemp cloth to enhance sleep quality. Hemp cloth, known for its warmth in winter, coolness in summer, and natural antibacterial properties, softens over time, promoting long-term use. Drawing from a heritage of over 10,000 years of Taima-fu natural hemp cloth from Japan, Majotae blends tradition with modern design to create truly luxurious bedding.

16-21 April 2024 at Secci Milano, Via Olmetto 1, 20123 and Berta, Via Cesare Correnti 14, 20123

Alessi: Myth Makes Belief

Meanwhile, quintessentially Italian home designs brand Alessi will present Myth Makes Belief, an exhibition consisting of three stages that progressively engross viewers. The first is The Lake, which represents Alessi’s cultural and symbolic roots. This is followed by The Mascot, embodying the brand in the form of an imaginary character come to life. Finally, The Masks invites visitors to take an active role in the still unfolding narrative.

This immersive installation was conceived by the LA creative studio PlayLab, Inc. Interspersed throughout the imaginary world, three new projects by designers Michael Anastassiades, Naoto Fukasawa in partnership with Samiro Yunoki, and Studio Nendo will also be on display.

16-21 April 2024 at Palazzo Borromeo d’Adda, Via Alessandro Manzoni 41, 20121

Giorgio Armani: Echi dal Mondo (Echoes from the World)

During the Salone del Mobile, Giorgio Armani will open the doors of Palazzo Orsini, the brand’s historic headquarters, to visitors. The new Armani/Casa collection, Echi dal Mondo (Echoes from the World), to be showcased there is inspired by the unique visual experiences the eponymous designer has had while travelling.

And in keeping with the concepts of intimacy and surprise, both of which the Armani brand prides itself in, these will be shown in settings revealed for the first time. A standout is the Venus Console table, featuring a curved top in lacquer and gold leaf beneath glass, as well as a lacquered base in pale satin gold marked by thin profiles and artisanal details.

The collection will be presented from 16-19 April, Palazzo Orsini, Via Borgonuovo 11

Zegna: Born in Oasi Zegna

Luxury menswear brand Zegna has often drawn on the boundless aesthetic inspiration offered by its home in Piedmont’s Biella Alps. At the start of the 20th century, founder Ermenegildo Zegna embarked on a reforestation programme in the mountainous area surrounding his Wool Mill, and this would connect the two sides of the mountain via the 232 Road. The project from which the nature reserve Oasi Zegna was born now boasts over half a million trees and serves as an increasingly important reminder of the need for cohesion between humans, industry and nature.

Since then, successive generations at the brand have preserved Oasi Zegna as a unique model of environmental awareness. Now, Zegna’s Via Savona headquarters in Milan’s design district have been transformed into an exhibit inspired by Oasi Zegna, made up of a series of creative spaces that pay homage to Zegna’s unique heritage. This coincides with the release of Born in Oasi Zegna, a coffee table tome celebrating over a century of the brand, its home and its values. The book will appear as part of the immersive exhibition at Zegna HQ, which has been filled with vegetation from Oasi Zegna for the occasion, from 16-21 April.

Born in Oasi Zegna, £250, is available to purchase exclusively at Zegna stores globally and online at zegna.com

Zegna Headquarters, via Savona 56A, Milan