Salone del Mobile: A Journey Through the History of Made in Italy Design
Salone del Mobile: A Journey Through the History of Made in Italy Design
Every spring for the past 64 years, the internationally renowned Salone del Mobile has brought the city of Milan to life, turning it into the global capital of design.
The Salone del Mobile was born from the entrepreneurial spirit of a group of Italian furniture makers, including Tito Armellini, who, after visiting the Cologne Furniture Fair, realized the enormous impact that a similar event focused on Made in Italy design could have.Since its first edition in 1961, the Salone has grown from 10,000 to over 400,000 annual visitors, coming from more than 180 countries. Starting in the 1990s, the fair began promoting exhibitions on design and the work of great masters such as Achille Castiglioni, Gio Ponti, Bruno Munari, Ettore Sottsass, Vico Magistretti, and many others. During the same period, design culture spread beyond the exhibition halls, flowing into the city streets with events, installations, and performances. This gave birth to the Fuorisalone, an event within the event—or more accurately, outside of it—an autonomous movement sparked by the cultural and artistic energy of the Salone, now globally recognized as Milano Design Week.
Reflections by Architect Fabrizio Forniti After Milano Design Week 2025
Young Talents and the Artisanal Spirit
What I truly appreciate about the Fuorisalone is the opportunity to wander through Milan in search of lesser-known venues, where young designers from all over the world gather and have the chance to showcase their work, thanks to what has become the most important design platform globally.
You may stumble upon young artists from Singapore or Japan, or from small towns in Italy, who present their handcrafted works—sometimes almost naïve in style—but filled with vibrant energy that sets them apart from the glossy, grandiose creations of well-known designers and brands. You might also discover a small business from Southern Italy that has built its identity around reclaiming and recycling manufacturing waste to create sustainable, uniquely designed products.
“Connected Worlds”: The 2025 Theme and the Power of Installations
Milano Design Week is the highlight of the year not only for industry professionals like us but also for design lovers. It is one of the best opportunities to network and connect with architects and designers, especially emerging ones.
I found the development of this year’s theme, Connected Worlds, truly fascinating. It was inspiring to admire the various installations and the creative ideas brought to life by different brands through the genius of world-renowned artists. It was, as always, moving to observe how people reacted and engaged with these works.
Some installations were simply brilliant. One that stands out is "Library of Light" by artist Es Devlin - not just an installation, but a real immersive space created within the stunning setting of the Pinacoteca di Brera, where visitors could interact with the artwork by reading and exchanging books, or staying into the evening to listen to literary readings by the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch.
This represents one of the finest visions of architecture and design: one that makes people and space part of a single, harmonious, and enveloping experience.
Design and Architecture as Shared Experiences
The 2025 edition of Milano Design Week once again demonstrated how architecture and design can come together to create sensorial, social, and cultural experiences. It is not just a commercial showcase, but a dynamic laboratory of ideas, creative exchange, and forward-thinking visions of how we live.
For professionals like us at FAD Studio, it’s an unmissable event—an inspiring moment of connection where excellence meets experimentation, and design becomes a universal language.
