Five standout themes from Milan Design Week 2026

Experimental silhouettes

While the popularity of organic shapes and rounded forms continued to dominate across both showrooms and exhibition stands, there was a noticeable presence of more experimental, even surrealist forms. At the first edition of Salone Raritas, rare archival items, collectibles and ‘outsider’ pieces included blown glass lighting, abstract sculptural armchairs and vibrant, deconstructed mesh furniture from 25 carefully curated suppliers including Nilufar, COLLECTIONAL, Studio Sabine Marcelis, Zaha Hadid Architects x Neutra, Salviati x Draga & Aurel and Serafini. Raritas was also home to SOFT PARADE, created by Belgian designer Job Smeets for Mouromtsev Design Editions – with Smeets himself an advocate for non-modernism, rejecting the movement’s famous mantra of ‘form follows function’ in favour of pieces defined by cartoonish humour and excessive ornamentation.