The sixteen best rug shows at Milan Design Week 2024

Sixteen rug and textile events that will be part of Milan Design Week next week

While many fairs across the world have made changes since the pandemic, Milan has remained the most important innovative design event for Europe and well beyond. Yet it is a beast to navigate due to the ever-increasing number of events that are taking place all over town during the week. Here are some of the rug highlights.

Menu 1, Convento Sant’Angelo, Piazza Sant’Angelo,

COVER will host an evening at the exhibition on Thursday evening. The show organised by London-based designer Bodo Sperlein, features rugs by Edelgrund, Sperlein’s new designers for GAN and the Redoux Passager installation by Creative Matters x LOMA Studios. This will be alongside interior brands Coordonné, Weishäupl, LZF Lamps and Lobmeyr. COVER will be hosting an invitation-only drinks party on Thursday 17 April, 7-11 pm. To get on the guest list please email events@hali.com.

ABC Italia

Amini Brothers Company Italia will be hosting an in-house exhibition during Milan Design Week. The brand will be showcasing its newest Loomier and Vivace collections in its warehouse in Somaglia from 16–21 April.

Amini

Amini, sister company to ABC Italia, will debut a new collaboration with the Verner Panton archive. The collection will be on view at 10 Corso Como in Brera and at the company’s Salone stand. In addition, don’t miss the Abstract Garden installation by designer Elisa Ossino at Amini’s showroom, Via Borgogna 7.

Battilossi, Via dell’Orso

The Battilossi Textile Library in Brera on will be home to an installation of designs for the brand’s new Conversation on Techniques concept by STORAGEMILANO. The studio has created a collection aimed at showcasing the richness of weaving techniques in Battilossi’s manufacturing facilities.

Kristiina Lassus, via Soperga 18

In the Porta Venezia District, Kristiina Lassus will show rugs in her gallery alongside the textile work of Ann Kyyrö Quinn.

Alberto Levi, Via San Maurillo

The exhibition Rugged | Unwind focuses on texture and materials, with jute carpet designs—both indoor and outdoor—by Alessandro Pasinello Studio.

Nodus at EXTO, Via Terni 13, Varedo

If you head to Varedo, a 25 minute journey form the centre of Milan, you can not only see the Alcova show but also visit the showroom of EXTO to see new rugs by Abreham Brioschi and Sam Baron for Nodus.  The new Basalt rug, designed for Nodus by Studio Job, will debut in their solo exhibition organised by DILMOS gallery, Via San Marco 1.

Salone Del Mobile, Rho

This year the show will feature the intriguing sounding ‘Thinking Room’ by David Lynch. Italian rug brands include cc-tapis and Amini, plus Warli, Illulian, Sahrai and Loloey. International brands include Jan Kath and Ames from Germany, Verdi from Colombia, Spainish company nanimarquina and India’s Jaipur Rugs.

cc-tapis, Salone del Mobile and Piazza Santo Stefano, 10 

At Salone, the Milanese brand will present the cc-tapis GRAND TOUR, a new generation of handwoven rugs by India Mahdavi, Univers Uchronia, Patricia Urquiola, Chiara Andreatti, Charles-Antoine Chappuis, Doshi Levien, Mae Engelgeer and Clara von Zweigbergk. The company showroom will be dedicated to RUDE ARTS CLUB, a debut of Faye Toogood’s Rude and Cosmic collections of furniture and rugs. 

Jaipur Rugs, via Marco Minghetti 8

Not only will Jaipur be on show at Salone but the brand will also have a display titled ‘Architecture to Couture’ at its via Marco Minghetti showroom.

Daniel Costa, HandFormWerk, Via Palermo 8

Focusing on textile, wood, and glass, HandFormWerk brings together three independent craftsmen and designers from South Tyrol: Daniel Costa, Othmar Prenner, and Andreas Rier.

Brera (and Beyond)

The Brera Design District is one of the MDW highlights. Don’t miss new work by Tai Ping, Kasthall, ZigZagZurich, Stepevi, Battilossi, Lelievre and Fischbacher. Walking further east, the showrooms of Sahrai, Illullian, Nilufar, and Amini will provide even more exciting new rug collections. 

‘Fold and Crease’ – Issey Miyake and We Make Carpets, Via Bagutta 12

Dutch collective We Make Carpets collaborate with Japanese fashion brand Issey Miyake to create installations made with everyday objects.

Florence Bourel, Fondazione Rodolfo Ferrari, Via Biella 6

At LABO, Bourel will present her ‘Mexican Boudoir’, a set up of an exclusive furniture and rugs collection in collaboration with M Éditions and Toulemonde Bochart.

Paulig, ZEUS Design Store, Corso San Gottardo 21/9

The ZEUS store will blend Paulig rugs with the firm’s contemporary furniture displays, demonstrating the versatility of the rug brand’s designs. 

Rossana Orlandi, Via Matteo Bandello 14-16

This year the RO event will include a display by Liz Collins and Sunbrella and the Garden rug collection by Lidewij Edelkoort, produced by Argentinian rug company El Espartano.

As well as these there will be boundless creativity (including some rugs) found at the shows: Alcova, Isola Design Festival, Masterly (see Claudy Jongstra), Nilufar’s 2 locations, Design Variations, Superstudio Piu and Tortona Rocks.