Design Connections: Milan Design Show

This year, the common thread running through all editions of the Fuorisalone, Connected Worlds, aims to enhance the synergy between design, AI, and collective participation. In this way, it proposes a vision of a future in which creativity and technology come together. The theme, therefore, is an invitation to explore how design can connect different dimensions of our existence. An opportunity to explore the potential of design in creating meaningful connections between the natural environment, technological innovations and cultural traditions.

Discover Milan Salone del Mobile

Gucci Ancora, 2024

‘Connection,’ therefore, can be seen in different ways. The connection between physical and digital worlds through AI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart devices interacting with each other to improve the quality of life in homes and cities. Different cultures influencing each other, create connections. Humans and the environment are increasingly connected, and design can help reduce the ecological impact of our world. The design of public spaces connects people and communities. Connections between spaces and people experience innovative solutions for urban mobility. Finally, design creates connections between different disciplines, sharing information and knowledge.

Read the brief history of Design Weeks

Milan Design Week 2025: Connected Worlds

Therefore, the theme of Fuorisalone 2025, Connected Worlds, will be an opportunity to deepen relationships through design. It will be possible to highlight how design, in the sense of the hybridization of skills, can transform the way we live, work and interact with the world surrounding us.

Milan Design Week 2024

Milan Design Week 2024 came back to its pre-Covid days. In the week of 14-21 April, more than 500,000 people flocked to the streets of the Fuorisalone. An increase of 17% over 2023, with a 54% increase in attendance from abroad. Milan Design Week generated an indirect revenue of nearly 261 million euros, an increase of 13% over 2023.
The Milan Design Fair (Salone del Mobile) welcomed over 361,000 visitors, up 17% on 2023 (65.8% from abroad), and the Fuorisalone.it platform recorded 1,125 events in the city. The 15 countries sending the most visitors were China (a big comeback), Germany, Spain, Brazil, France, the United States, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, India, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan and Austria.

As evidence of the media resonance of the Milan design show, the largest lifestyle event in the world, the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024 welcomed 5,552 journalists and communication operators. The share of students attending the event was also interesting: over 13,000, with around 40 per cent foreigners. (Some snapshots from Milan Design Fair in the gallery)

Discover the booths at Milan Salone del Mobile 2024

The star of Milan Design Week 2024, the thread that ideally links it to the next edition, Milan Design Week 2025, is the house. Indeed, the home was the focus of many exhibitions, including La Casa Dentro by ICA, La Casa Ovunque, IKEA 1st (First).

Fashion and design at Milan Design Week

Fashion was also a leading player in this edition, confirming that design activates connections. In fact, the contamination between fashion and design is now a feature of Milan Design Week. In 2024 we saw the collaboration between Bottega Veneta and On The Rocks. Gucci, on the other hand, made a new version of five made in Italy icons. Prada proposed the usual symposium with leading personalities in the industry, while Zegna set up an authentic oasis between its showroom and Piazza Duomo. There were also exciting contributions from Woolrich, Moon Boot, Saint Laurent, Loewe, MSGM, and Aspesi – to name but a few.