CHAPTER ZERO
PREFACE – MIXED AND INDIGESTION

Notice to mariners

Below, you will find the traditional Ufo-report dedicated to Milan Design Week and created by the UFO.ADV team for the extended family of clients and friends.

Images and reflections are a fresh spring mysticism: salone and fuori salone were walked, commented and photographed ‘on the fly’ by the agency’s varied staff, including seasoned interior design professionals (stylists and 3D artists) art directors as well as seasoned all-rounders. Everyone, young and old, made a contribution. Finally, we would like to reiterate that these are our personal and informal impressions, and we apologise for any errors, omissions or indigestible content.

CONNECTED (AND SPOILED) WORLDS

The 2025 theme for the uninitiated was “connected worlds” (in 2024 it was matter and nature).

In the most digital salon of all time, everything was spoiled in advance on social media, depriving the visitor of the pleasure of discovery and the wow effect. This is progress, but the “live” experience of the fuorisalone is impoverished. And everyone is looking more at their smartphone than at reality.

Perhaps we have turned the corner and the most important part of the audience becomes the digital one (we are talking about 660 k unique users, 4 million pages, vs. 350 k physical visitors), The return for the investments of the companies present also – or above all – comes from here.

Appartamento spagnolo

Università Statale

FUORISALONE BULIMIA

The fuorisalone census records over 1600 “events” in 10-15 different zones. Furniture, technology, fashion, automotive, food and consumer goods. Design but also shows and entertainment of various levels.

The event is mass, the city’s audience is heterogeneous: from Generation Z to pensioners. Many foreigners are design-addicted (and in love with the city). Lots of queues even in secondary locations, it is almost impossible on the classic day of the fair to go around to get an idea. For many installations, reservations are required, fixing the day and time. For the insiders, it is essential to decide what to see, plan and organise in advance, knowing that certain locations involve busy times and even bookings soon sell out.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

In the opinion of many, this year the alarm threshold in the “usability” of the fuorisalone was crossed.

In a sort of guerrilla-selfie, variegated flocks piled up in the locations indicated by the countless reels spoiling (or recycling) the must-see places, by real and improvised influencers.

Among them, a few cases of digital-flops: situations reported as “unmissable” by even authoritative sources, which after an improbable queue turned out to be unmissable, resulting in improperly wasted time.

GADGET DELIRIUM

The free gadgets triggered psychotic delirium, catalysing stadium audiences regardless of design and installations. Half a day of queuing in front of an apecar for a designer plastic jar or a chapstick. Etro’s stool is the hypo-theosis: sold-out bookings a week in advance, off to get a day’s queue for the object of desire, to be resold on vinted for 250 euros, if someone buys it. For the brand, an exaggerated hype.

Mai andare a caso

DRESS CODE

The colourful tribes of the fuorisalone express themselves through their own dress code. Oriental design-lovers in art-attack style outfits. Central Europeans in urban trekking outfits. Aspiring instagrammers of all sizes clogged the “cute” spots with repeated self-photo sessions dressed in wedding attire. Curses and giggles from the waiting crowd. Weather-defying Americans in August looks on Formentera. Casual seniors on a cultural outing (with group selfie). Architects dressed as Architects. Even kindergarteners in sponsored high-visibility waistcoats. And everywhere, hundreds of bodyguards and Qr-code girls in black, with nightlife looks and eyelids: I applaud them all for their unfailing patience and kindness.

SALON IN SHAPE WEIGHT

While the city was overflowing with enthusiasts, the Rho Show drew 300,000 people and 2100 exhibitors (68% foreign, led by China, then Germany and Spain). Compared to 2024 this is 70,000 less, but it is the year of Euroluce, which attracts less than Eurocucina, we have to compare to 2023 and we are in line.

The entrance fee with Lady Gaga concert fees and the distance from the centre keep the curious and tourists away, while preserving acceptable ways of enjoying it. If the goal is to get an idea of the trends, materials, novelties and how the industry is moving, you can do it without going crazy.

Arper

FORESEEING THE TRENDS

For the fuorisalone, the insiders – including stylists and 3D artists on our staff – suffered from the absence of those manifesto projects (Dimore, StudioPepe) that offered creative visions free from commercial constraints, much appreciated because they opened up hypotheses and perspectives on the lines of evolution of style and the concept of living.

As we were saying, if you are interested in evolution in the world of furniture and design, in the end the salon is more productive, especially if you only have one day. The fuorisalone is enormously dispersive, you can count on the important showrooms and flagship stores concentrated in Brera-Durini and on a few installations in the design and furnishing sphere, being careful not to get bogged down in the sheep-tracks travelled by the flocks of insta-pecore, where you risk getting bogged down and compromising your schedule.

Of the situations seen and photographed by our team, we try to make a brief thematic summary below.

Meridiani Salone

SHAPES

In general the shapes are rounded and linear, drawing reassuring and comfortable atmospheres, in practice the brands confirm what we have seen in recent years. Characterisation comes more from colour accents.

Soft shapes for sofas and seats, rounded and bevelled corners for consoles and bookcases, sometimes a little more geometric, tables with the now classic curved and elongated shapes, but also round. The top range makes use of the best of natural and authentic materials, marble-leather-wood-fabric combining material charm, comfort and impeccable lines.

Outside the chorus, some brands offer lines that appeal to users with different tastes. A collection by Faye Toogood for Tacchini is inspired by the round shapes of bread and butter (at the show and in the store) one of the few that does not reissue something from the revered Masters.

COLOURS

Compared to 2024 there is more freedom, moving away from the dominance of neutral tones towards more varied colours and accents. As a base, one remains in the comfort-zone of light and natural tones, cream, ivory, light greige, but the palette combo becomes more characterful, adding terracotta, ochre and brown.

In fittings, characterful spaces are sometimes lit up, dominated by blue-octanium or burgundy or amaranth colours to emphasise luxury elegance or sensuality (Cassina, Elle Decor). Some fittings add softened pastel colours, light blue, powder, pink, lilac (Spanish flat).

MATERIALS

GLASS. In great prominence, especially for tables and coffee tables, with craftsmanship (Cassina, Gervasoni) for large imposing but visually light tables. Also for kitchens (Lago) opaque and screen-printed on the back and classically as a support for beds, tables and furnishings that seem to float. Glass also in the vases and complements of Hermes alla pelota.

WOOD. strictly solid, rounded and carved from solid wood for chairs and consoles and of course tables, all with textured finishes, sometimes with noticeable grooves. many lightened tones that give a hyper-natural feel, but there is also a large presence of medium or dark colours. Wood as a trendy backdrop in the exhibition layouts, in large, knotless panelling, backdrops and resting walls with an almost vintage feel, in walnut tending to red and metal finishes with edging for a 70s flavour.

Cassina store perspectives

CERAMICS. Coloured surfaces, small formats, reliefs with Seventies allusions (Casa Mutina, Casa Ornella-Quintessenza, Elle Decor). Mainstream porcelain stoneware remains out of the glamorous locations, but presides over substance in the numerous ceramic flagship stores in prestigious areas. New brands are added every year while the established ones cultivate – apparently profitably – their circle of contacts, supported by collaborations with name designers. At the fuorisalone there is no lack of appearances, partly for the sake of being there, but also hoping to catch something in the ocean of events. Spotted are suspicious marble-effect slabs at Cattelan and the Spanish flat. For foreigners, we cross paths with Mosa at the Dutch exhibition and a very mixed presence of Tiles of Spain at the Statale (somewhat funerary candles).

Lots of ceramics also for vases and ornaments (almost everywhere) confirming geometric shapes and handmade finishes.

Tableware and crockery are also on show, indeed, in the most sumptuous installations (such as Hermes and Louis Vuitton) there is an overload of tables with mise-en-place ready to astound any diner, photographed by show-cooking enthusiasts and courtesies for guests.

A bit of disappointment and owo effect (the opposite of wow) for Loewe’s collection of small handmade teapots, in a huge room conquered after a long queue, a location stormed because they were wearing a branded briefcase with shoulder strap. Worn in the Brera area, they worked diabolically as a lark’s mirror, including us.

MARBLE. Emblem of Italic craftsmanship and icon of luxury, rigorously with monobloc workmanship and satin finishes (polished is too much, for the enriched). Ever-present tables and large tables (Cassina, Molteni) matt and with the thickness in evidence to prove authenticity.

Among the protagonists of the fuorisalone were some marble-born brands: Margraf with Crash by Hannes Peer, an installation in the 5 vie area, Salvatori’s appartamentone is always a must-see in the navel of the world in Brera. Neutra Design in the sumptuous Palazzo Visconti moulds marble with high craftsmanship and original design, integrating it into equally sumptuous furnishings and sofas. Baxter expresses its luxury with sophisticated workmanship, combining leather and fine materials. Natural stone is rarer, except for garden furniture.

FABRICS

Bouclé, even more curly and soft, is confirmed as strong. Lots of white sofas, for homes without cats, dogs or children. Other fabrics always worked, mainly plain or with light ton-sur-ton weaves. A few stripes in outdoor upholstery. Few decorated versions, at Louis Vuitton some fabrics coordinated with tableware took up futurist graphics and colours.

Dedar at the Torre Velasca reproposes archive fabrics with elaborate workmanship. Edra is distinguished by upholstery covered in brightly coloured fabrics referring to mineral applications (malachite, tiger’s eye, sapphire) in an installation played out in monochrome rooms at Palazzo Durini. At Cassina in the store one walks on soft, thick carpets with tile-like carvings (and then in Sassuolo we will make tile-like tiles).

LEATHER

Alone or accompanied by fabrics (Flexform, Vuitton) for armchairs and sofas, it is almost always in “natural” colour, sometimes woven. At Frau it also appears in chairs, decorated cushions, chests of drawers and stitched furniture, even in a collection of fitness weights, desk objects, pet-accessories. The store is a large labyrinth of frescoed rooms, secret gardens and furniture for living, dining, bedroom, office and outdoors.

LIGHTING

It is the year of Euroluce, and at the fair companies display their new proposals. In decorative lamps – which are not always meant to illuminate – a lot of glass combined with brushed steel in minimal and architectural shapes. Brass and the like have disappeared. Strip or ribbon shapes are in sharp decline. Next to the ultra-rigorous lines, some express themselves in more elaborate elements. There are numerous proposals for outdoor lights with an often freer and more playful design.

Much interest and importance is attached to the technical modules, whose task is to illuminate and are the real tools of the light designer. Groppi works on the light and not on the lamp (oneoff) it is the light that creates shapes and graphic designs. Attention is paid to the shapers that project precise geometries on the walls, see Elle Decor at Palazzo Bovara where the explanatory panels were illuminated with a shaper, but there were also luminous polygons to characterise the walls.

INSTALLATIONS

We seek the involvement of the visitor through an experience that makes the installation more meaningful and memorable: sand to walk barefoot, numbered carpets for jumping, colourful retro-videogames (Design Variations- Palazzo Litta) electronic installations to interact with without contact (Google). White rotating columns, mirrors for funny selfies and the cumbersome virtual experience with a visor (Università Statale). At the Salone, Paolo Sorrentino presented “La dolce attesa” where the visitor had to peek through a slit.

Very successful are the situations where something is continually happening: melting ice chairs (Frozen-Seiko) kites flying in a loop (Gucci) sails vibrating in the wind (Università Statale – Lissoni) a harp player (Palazzo Litta). Almost monumental structures catch the eye by integrating themselves into the location, such as the Loewe atrium and the Glo portal without caring too much to express any message.

CHARMING LOCATIONS

Needless to hide it, in many cases the choice of location makes a substantial contribution to the impact and success of the event. It is hard to imagine the same outside sumptuous palaces, spectacular secret gardens (Flexform), museum-houses (Anastassiades, Danese Foundation House) the mysterious vaults of a former bank (Boon Room) deconsecrated churches (Mondi). But to be honest, this is precisely the added value of Milan, which is unsurpassed in this continuous discovery: it’s OK, as Vasco used to say.

CONCEPT

I want to make sense of it all: among the 1,600 locations, every “installation” to be such should have a theme and perhaps express a message, sometimes very clear and developed, other times very subtle and difficult to grasp, especially when the explanatory note – usually entrusted to a long written piece – is confined to a small sign or pamphlet. It is also true that a substantial part of the masses on a mission on behalf of Instagram do not apply themselves that much to understand: they queue up, then whatsapp, then shoot and go.

There are frequent references to the great masters and historical pieces, with re-editions, birthdays and various tributes. In the absence of noble fathers, self-celebrations and self-quotations are also fine. Equally “evergreen” and good-natured is the theme of sustainability: generic exhortations to save the planet, to virtuous conduct or evidence of how eco-friendly the product is.

What did we see that was good? For those who didn’t make it to see everything, or didn’t even try, here is a gallery of situations we visited, some interesting, some special, some more ordinary. The order is rather random.

CASSINA: STAGING MODERNITY

In another category and with a logic opposite to the dominant hit-and-run, Cassina’s “performative and immersive exhibition” ‘Staging Modernity’ curated by Formafantasma. is objectively extraordinary.

An erudite performance (in English) based on three texts by a philosopher, a writer and an architect-artist was replicated between dance, acting and singing, with performer and audience in inverted seats between stage and parterre. Super staging and performance.

HERMES. THE HERMES

Completely different from last year – also in the products on display – an original installation of great scenic effect. Total white space and suspended volumes with an engineering structure that is certainly not simple. Chapeau.

COR-NEUTRA-EDRA: THE COLOUR ROOMS

Dedicating each room to a colour is an impressive choice to punctuate the visit and make an impact. This year it was interpreted in different locations. (Cor, home is where heart is in Brera, Neutra-Monochrome affinity in Palazzo Visconti, Edra-Palazzo Durini)

ORNELLA HOUSE

The personal flat of designer Maria Vittoria Paggini changes its face every year, for 2025 the theme was Mediterranean – slow going. In a secluded location, you really have to go there on purpose (and book) with an audience of connoisseurs – connoisseurs. The atmosphere is homely, they offer you a smile and mocha coffee. In the lobby, you are greeted by a crate of onions. Hyper-decorated small spaces, lots of ideas. New and vintage objects, transformed in use. Every micro-corner is taken care of, down to the last can of tuna fish. The feeling is that every object has a story to tell. Perspectives and glimpses are enriched with a chorus of stories.

LOROPIANA: THE FIRST NIGHT OF STILLNESS

The Dimorestudio set-up for Loro Piana in the Silk Courtyard on Via Moscova was also memorable. Sold-out spaces of an imaginary house where the visitor was a spectator of an original story without characters, developed through spoken audio, lights, noises, wind and real rain. Rooms set up with new and classic pieces covered with Loro Piana fabrics.

DEDAR AT THE VELASCA TOWER

The charm of a location that is a symbol of 1950s-60s architecture, recently restored to its maximum splendour, enveloped Dedar’s event with a special allure. Dedar presented five iconic fabrics created by Anni Albers between 1936 and ’74, with videos, machinery, furnishings and memorabilia. Unforgettable views.

FLEXFORM AT CLOISTER S.ANGELO

Outdoor furniture and location in an enchanting fusion. Multi-level spaces offering many interesting views and vantage points. Spectacular greenery, endless compositions assembled with taste and style. In short, a satisfying journey of beauty that delighted us. To be super, you don’t always have to overdo it.

ELLEDECOR: ALCHEMICA

A must-see par excellence, Palazzo Bovara as always reveals a substantial organisational and implementation effort. This year the theme proposed by P. Urquiola is Alchemica, with a concept developed by intensely combining the phases of the alchemic process (nigredo, albedo, rubedo) with the usual route in rooms: bathroom – kitchen – living – outdoor, set up with products from numerous partner companies. Consistency with a cumbersome concept and dramatic tone perhaps weakened the exquisitely “aesthetic” part of the scenic, tough but not so pretty spaces. Compared to the Material Home of 12 months ago, there are inevitably fewer cues for colours and trends.

CASA MUTINA

A successful retrospective celebrates Mutina’s iconic products with a gallery of real and photographed perspective mini-sets in comparison. The comparison between reality and optical effect is fascinating and intriguing. Charming spaces in the central “house” in Via Cernaia, plus the adjacent garden with large basement rooms.

APPARTAMENTO SPAGNOLO

The return of the Spanish flat to the Art Nouveau spaces of the Palazzo Castiglioni does not have the wow effect of 2024. The effect is objectively a little sluggish, despite the exhibition design by a top designer like Calvi Brambilla. It is in fact an exhibition of made-in-Spain furniture, only this time it appears for what it is.

Perhaps the location also induced a somewhat lazy choice of furnishings.

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS

Miscellaneous’ exhibitions despite major investments and locations have the weakness of lack of homogeneity where products do not dialogue with each other. Dutch Masterly: Dutch products and design in the large Palazzo Giureconsulti, tone-of-voice operating more like a fair on three floors and a bar on the terrace overlooking the cathedral. In Palazzo Litta creativity and cultural contamination from 24 countries: Design Variations explores the theme “Migrations”.

Brazilian design in the portico of the state university, a pistachio mix (theme and theme of the exhibition) inside the mega-mixed fry in the university cloister.

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Thank you for taking the time and attention!

Please note that this report is a story that we share with clients and friends. UFO.ADV is a communication agency that creates images and media for companies in the fields of design, furniture and surfaces.

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