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Fashion Takes Center Stage at Milan Design Week

The surge signals a tilt toward brand showcases over trade-first launches.

Overview

  • More than 30 fashion brands activated across Salone del Mobile and the citywide Fuorisalone, making style labels a driving force at this year’s design week.
  • NIKE hosted its Air Lab with Dropcity, filling five former rail arches to trace the Air story and preview apparel concepts that channel airflow to cool the body.
  • Several houses leaned on archives and brand theater, with Gucci showing 12 storytelling tapestries and Fendi reviving the Baguette alongside a Fendi Casa rollout and a new design prize.
  • Bottega Veneta commissioned a light installation by Kwangho Lee that worked leather for the first time, while Prada’s Frames symposium explored how images shape culture inside Santa Maria delle Grazie.
  • Mid-market and beauty names such as H&M Home with Kelly Wearstler, Arket with Laila Gohar, Byredo and Aesop joined luxury players, fueling a debate over whether the week now serves marketing more than professional design.