Design Week Diary: From Overproduced Perfection to Grounding Discoveries in Milan

During Milan's Salone del Mobile, a journalist navigates the overwhelming commercial spectacle of corporate showcases, including automotive brands and kitchen appliance makers, seeking authenticity. At the Alcova exhibition in a former military prison, Berlin-based designer Maxi Hoffmann presents Hap Ceramics, featuring porous ceramic side tables and lampshapes with expressive forms. Austrian designer Christoph Wimmer-Ruelland exhibits objects referencing prepper culture, assembled from bound items like saucers and hooks. In Vicenza, the Serafini showroom hosts new furniture by Johannes Budde of Budde, including a sculptural washbasin and modular tables. The relocated Convey exhibition features a chair by Rotterdam collective Sudden Object, created from recycled 1950s brasserie chair backs and aluminum strips. Pro Helvetia showcases Swiss design, including IIode's disassemblable LED bulb made from recycled materials. Bottega Veneta, under creative director Louise Trotter, collaborates with Korean artist Kwangho Lee on an installation with leather-woven objects and chairs with chain-like, licorice-glazed surfaces. The experience moves from disillusionment with overproduced events to appreciation for innovative, grounded design presentations across various venues.