MILAN, Italy (eTN) – When Milan designer stores are open until late at night with hundreds of colorfully-dressed people queuing up late in the evening in order to get in – then you know it is time of Salone del Mobile (Milano Design Week’s International Furniture Fair).
This is the time when hotels around Milan are fully booked, even as far as 70 kilometers away to Lugano, the biggest city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. It is at this time when people are willing to pay astronomic sums for accommodation in the city center, even on a private basis and even for just a sleep in bath tub.
It is also the time when Milan turns into a vibrant hype for designers from all over the world with leading designer stores throwing big parties where people continuously squash themselves in and where there is hardly any room to even hold a glass steady in your hands.
The 54th edition of the Salone del Mobile, held from April 14-19, saw 2,106 exhibitors, with the event closing on Sunday after welcoming 310,840 visitors through its doors.
The presence of Russian operators was reassuring in spite of a recession, and China proved to be the leading the market, while 69 percent of the high-profile operators came from other countries with a renewed sectoral optimism.
This edition saw high numbers of visitors from the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Egypt in particular. Visitor numbers from the US, UK and India were also up.
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“The data confirms the importance and attractiveness of an event that showcases the very best of Italian and international furnishings” said Salone del Mobile’s President, Roberto Snaidero. “The companies are delighted with the quality of attendees and the solid business results achieved over the six days of the fair, thanks to their own commitment and dedication to tackling and overcoming the tough financial situation of the last few years. The Salone, therefore, constitutes the first signal of the forecast recovery.”
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi referred to this recovery during his visit on the first day of the Salone. Visits by several ministers and representatives of all the political parties were testament to the extraordinarily high quality of the sector and the importance of the event.
The biennial exhibition, Euro Luce, workplace and design fair has beaten all previous shows and saw an enormous increase of visitors.
The theme of the 18th edition of Salone Satellite was a contribution to “Life Planet” in which 700 young designers under the age of 35 came from all over the world to take part in dedicating to the expo theme, “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” which proved to be extremely popular.
The Salone del Mobile Milano was the biggest show prior to the Expo Milano which starts on May 1, and surprisingly the expo stands inside the fair grounds trying to sell expo tickets in advance, were pretty much left alone, while thousands of foreign buyers and visitors went rushing through the halls.
But it is not only the Italian lifestyle which attracted such large numbers. Hästens, a Swedish company with 160 years of heritage for a good night’s sleep with its hand-made beds, greeted visitors from its origins in the Swedish forest. The small family-owned company (in 36 countries) brought their craftsmen to stitch mattresses at the event. Bespoke hand-made mattress are priceless, and it takes over a month to finish just a single one. You might want to switch out your Mercedes for a mattress, as the most costly one can reach 70,000 euros (US$75,000).
Supported by the Salone del Mobile, the design event of the world, the greatest Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Exhibition ever held in Italy opened on April 15 at Milan’s Palazzo Reale.
Curated by Pietro C. Marani and Teresa Florio – both prominent Renaissance historians – and promoted by the Municipality of Milan, along with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism in collaboration with Veneranda Bibilioteca Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in the most important exhibition ever devoted to Leonardo da Vinci, showcased a significant collection of Leonardo’s masterpieces, including some of his original codices and over a hundred of his autographed drawings along with a large number of works.
Attilio Stocchi’s installation/event, “FAVILLA. To Every Light a Voice,” which took place in Milan’s Piazza San Fedele, attracted more than 10,000 visitors in just a few days.
The Rho Milan Fairgrounds pavilions also contained Michele De Lucchi’s huge installation, “The Walk,” a circular path through the labyrinth meanderings of the workplace, as well as architect Dario Curatolo’s installation, “IN ITALY,” involving 64 Italian companies and a select group of designers, planners, and architects. The installation became an app for exploring five interiors – in Lecce, Milan, Rome, Venice, and the Val d’Orcia (the Sienese hillside) – in five different styles.
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- The theme of the 18th edition of Salone Satellite was a contribution to “Life Planet” in which 700 young designers under the age of 35 came from all over the world to take part in dedicating to the expo theme, “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” which proved to be extremely popular.
- The Salone del Mobile Milano was the biggest show prior to the Expo Milano which starts on May 1, and surprisingly the expo stands inside the fair grounds trying to sell expo tickets in advance, were pretty much left alone, while thousands of foreign buyers and visitors went rushing through the halls.
- It is also the time when Milan turns into a vibrant hype for designers from all over the world with leading designer stores throwing big parties where people continuously squash themselves in and where there is hardly any room to even hold a glass steady in your hands.
