Delayed from April to September and cancelled in 2020, the much anticipated Salone del Mobile returns like a phoenix from the flames rebranded as Supersalone. Ready to reward pent up desire to meet in real life and experience design, the event recognises the value in continuing a hybrid of digital and physical elements to engage a larger audience but also to redirect the Salone in response ‘to the request of users [the public] who are investing in the improvement of their domestic environments’.
Curated by architect Stefano Boeri, famed for his Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) apartment building in Milan, more than 400 brands will forego traditional branded booths and instead array products on double-faced walls designed by Andrea Caputo. Another big change to this unique edition is the inclusion of B2C (business to consumer) along with the traditional B2B (business to business). In recognition of accelerated consumer desire, Boeri and his team decided Supersalone will for the first time allow professional and non-professional access to the grounds of Rho Fiera during the entire duration of Supersalone. To encourage sales, visitors can scan QR product codes to make purchases at one-off reduced prices from Supersalone’s bespoke online portal.
COVER highlights rugs featured at Supersalone and at the allied Fuorisalone which spreads across Milan in various venues:
Illulian
Two new limited edition rugs hand-knotted in wool and silk launch at Supersalone: The Cloud designed by Studio Fuksas and Veneer designed by Arik Levy. Each design features a grisaille colourway and designs that poetically capture the essence of nature through the abstract.
<em>Veneer<em> Arik Levy for Illulian 
<em>The Cloud<em> Studio Fuksas for Illulian
cc-tapis
Three new collections by Patricia Urquiola, Muller van Severen and Edoardo Piermattei will feature at Supersalone and as part of Fuorisalone at the company’s showroom on Piazza Santo Stefano.
Edelgrund
Edelgrund Forest project at Design Variations, Palazzo Litta. Created by Paolo Giordano and Ouwen Mori the ‘forest’ is a tactile and visual journey created with Edelgrund Mazandaran kilims.
Nuala Goodman
The Milan-based Irish artist presents Gandhi in Colour, a series of rugs inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt March of 1930. Hosted by Spazio Pellini, the exhibition includes jewellery by Donatella Pellini.
Jan Kath
Exhibiting at two locations—Hall 2 at Supersalone and their temporary showroom at Via San Marco, 12—Jan Kath presents the new rug collection ‘Savonnerie Surprise’. Inspired by floral designs from the Baroque period, the elaborate patterns have been interpreted in Jan Kath’s inimitable style to create a new, contemporary look that incorporates an antique finishing technique. Also on display is the Spectrum collection featuring hand-knotted rugs inspired by the natural phenomenon known as the Northern Lights.
Fort Street Studio
Fort Street Studio takes part in Fuorisalone at the L’Artigianato showroom, Piazza Castello, 11. New designs in their Thai Silk collection will be featured.
nanimarquina
FORMULA: a flexible rug collection for indoor and outdoor spaces launches at Supersalone. FORMULA is a modular system that features five designs and thirty colours that when combined create 250 combinations. Nanimarquina is also launching a contract business in response to accelerating rug requirements from professionals in architecture, interior design and hospitality.
FORMULA Nanimarquina 
FORMULA Nanimarquina
Warli
‘Handmade by nature’, Italian international brand Warli will exhibit their modern rugs that highlight the concept of beauty in nature as imperfect and impermanent. Rugs are Label STEP certified and adhere to sustainable practice. Warli rugs will be in Hall 3.
Amini
New collections—Campiture by Elisa Ossino and RD Gris by Rodolfo Dordoni—will be exhibited at Supersalone and at the Amini showroom, Borgogna 7. Campiture (‘background’) features lines with a simple intersecting pattern that continues into the irregular short ends of the rug to create an effect similar to the simplicity of timber flooring. RD Gris is an homage to Spanish painter Juan Gris. Architect Dordoni deconstructs Gris’ cubism and adapts the painter’s signature palette to create an entirely new and unexpected acknowledgment of the impact of Gris’ art.
