07/23/2024 • 5 min read
Stunning designs, subtle gems, and enduring trends
by Haworth, Inc.
At Milan Design Week 2024, the stunning, the surprising, and the spectacular awaited around every corner. As the city proudly proclaims, Milano is the “home of design,” and this year's event once again lived up to the hype, offering a captivating blend of creativity, nostalgia, and sustainability.
The grand nature of the event can be misleading. Amid the bustle, gems quietly glittered. The best surprises emerged on a small scale—in knots of yarn, tresses of cane, delicate patterns etched in glass.
Objects, materials, colors, and displays were oriented toward human stories. The human drama is ageless—and because great design echoes the human story, we looked for trends that were fresh takes on the timeless.
Here are the Milan trends we expect to see for the rest of this year—and for many more years to come.
The Memphis movement in the 80s was all about rebellion—against accepted forms, industry norms, and the staid limitations of the “possible.” Named for a Bob Dylan song that was playing during one of the group’s early meetings, the Memphis movement shared Dylan's refusal to accept “this is how it is, deal with it" and instead, took a joyous plunge into the unconventional.
At its best, Memphis design—and work that pays homage to it—celebrates exuberance, abundance, humanity, and joy. This joyful, human-centered ethos was abundant at Milan Design Week 2024, making it a fitting trend to kick off our list.
Optimism abounded in Milan. Alongside Memphian memories, many exhibitions, displays, and products echoed the optimistic 60s and 70s. Bright colors were paired with serene neutrals as a base, like colorful flowers emerging from a sturdy terracotta pot.
When we asked Luca Fuso, CEO of Cassina and Zanotta, which design era he’d love to go back to, he answered "the 70s," describing it as “the most creative period of the 20th century.” That creative spirit returned in Milan—brightness bloomed, optimism flourished, and the playful atmosphere of the past was infectious. Expect more of this exuberance.
Cane took the spotlight in Milan. However, it wasn’t the traditional cane or rattan we're used to seeing, with its refined yet raw natural aesthetic. Instead, we encountered pieces that were plush and welcoming. This was often achieved through painted cane—sometimes in neutrals, sometimes in bold colors—paired with thick, inviting cushions that gave the pieces a cozy feel.
The natural warmth of the cane was masterfully combined with soothing, gentle touches. Expect to see more cane and rattan, especially as softened accent pieces.
Milan celebrated the human touch. Handmade pieces were prevalent. The Cappellini space was filled with fantastical floral designs made of yarn. Bottega Veneta collaborated with Cassina to create scorched wooden crates in honor of Le Corbusier.
Milan is always a showcase for stunning glasswork, and this year was no exception; the artisanship on display was spectacular. Linde Freya Tangelder’s Wax, Stone, Light—made of Murano glass blown inside cast-iron molds by skilled artisans—was a particular highlight at the Cassina space. The lamp’s uneven surfaces evoke the motion of hand-worked wax and the timelessness of a wizened cliff face.
Designs and craftsmanship that celebrate the human touch—amid a growing distaste for uniform mass production and hyper-consumerism—will only become more prevalent in the future
A powerful color we encountered this year was a royal blue reminiscent of artist Paul Klee. Poetic and playful in turn, the use of this classic, vibrant blue in Milan was a testament to the recurring trend of designing with a fresh take on the timeless.
Paul Klee blue imbued large spaces with a comforting yet energetic welcome. We saw this in sweeping backgrounds, furniture pieces with a bold enthusiasm, and smaller objects with a quirky humor. Balancing such a versatile color takes skill—and when it works, the impact is undeniable. This blue will bring multilayered emotion to interiors and objects in the years to come.
Metal was scene-stealing in Milan. We saw it used in surprising ways, often coming across as soft, gentle, and even malleable. Mirrored objects, sometimes clouded or fogged, felt more subtle and less austere.
This transformation of the sharp into the smooth fascinates designers, drawing them to create pieces infused with a gentle welcome. The softening of harsh elements will continue to influence design.
Our Milan trends have included cane, handmade materials, and metal, so this final trend likely comes as no surprise: materials were the protagonists. Whether pieces were composed of glass, stone, yarn, brick, cane, fabric, or wood—designers celebrated each material itself, often outshining the overall design.
Sustainability was a key focus. ECAL explored “shape memory materials” with sponge-like qualities. Elham M. Ahili’s floral project for Cappellini utilized recovered waste yarn, showcasing the potential of recaptured textiles.
Giulio Cappellini’s quote—that he looks for “long sellers, not bestsellers”—is relevant for materials, too. Products made simply and thoughtfully from long-lasting, low-impact materials are here to stay.
The stunning, the surprising, the spectacular. Milan 2024 was full of fresh takes on the timeless—from stunning glasswork to a celebration of the human touch.
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