The latest in a series of European design show postponing or rescheduling dates, annual Milan event Salone del Mobile has changed this year’s dates from April to 7-12 June—with Milan Design Week running 6-12 June.
As the fair and associated design week that get everyone’s hearts racing, many will be pleased to see that Salone and MDW are due to go ahead in their usual formats. This year will see Salone celebrate its 60th anniversary and so to ensure a strong presence of foreign exhibitors and professionals the dates were moved. Last year the event was postponed until September and it ran as the smaller show Supersalone while in 2020 it was cancelled due to the pandemic.
‘The decision to postpone the event will enable exhibitors, visitors, journalists and the entire international furnishing and design community to make the very most of an event that promises to be packed with new things, in total safety,’ explains Salone del Mobile president Maria Porro. ‘As well as celebrating a major anniversary, the event will focus on the theme of sustainability, acting as a showcase for the progress made in this regard by creatives, designers and companies.’
To celebrate the incredible design seen during Milan Design Week every year, COVER Editor Lucy Upward chooses her 8 favourite rugs from the last 5 editions of Salone and MDW. The Nodus exhibition is always worth a visit during Milan Design Week, and in 2016 it featured the fun Thanks a bunch rug by Studio Job, featuring bananas and black tassels—a round rug with a quirky outlook. Also part of MDW 2016, Joseph Carini showed the marvellous Earthquake collection by Alessandro Mendini at the Fragile Gallery. The four rugs, which were designed within two weeks of Carini and Mendini first deciding to collaborate, reference past Mendini designs.
For Salone del Mobile 2017 Amini’s Manilo Rho’s rug series expressed the Italian abstract artist’s Bauhaus-inspired work beautifully in wool and silk.
Two major highlights of Salone del Mobile in April 2018 were rugs presented by cc-tapis: the SuperFake collection by Bethan Laura Wood and Slinkie by Patricia Urquiola, the first an exciting exploration of texture and the latter an impressive expression of colour gradation.
In 2019, GAN’s Backstitch kilim collection by London-based studio Raw-Edges debuted at Salone del Mobile. The embroidered flatweaves turn traditional weaving on its head by revealing the seemingly messy reverse side. Also in 2019, French brand Atelier Février showed the new L’Ombre collection rugs at Galleria Bolzani as part of MDW. The hand-knotted wool and silk Nautillus design— inspired by a marine mollusc—was one of the highlights of the event.
For last year’s event in September 2021, Fort Street Studio showed off the brand’s new Thai silk collection at the L’Artigianato showroom in the city, where the beautiful silk designs fitted perfectly alongside the stunning decor of the Milan apartment. I love the drama of the Brash Blues rug from the series.
