New collectible materials at Salone

A new materials story is taking shape at Salone del Mobile before the fair even opens: stone, leather and metal are leading two of the week’s closely watched debuts. (dezeen.com) (wallpaper.com) Designer Stefan Scholten and Stone Made Italy founder Manuela Rotta are launching Matera during Milan design week with collectible stone objects by six designers: Scholten, Ronan Bouroullec, Faye Toogood, Objects of Common Interest, Destroyers / Builders and Odd Matter. The first collection includes side tables, mirrors, shelving and vases made from marble, travertine and onyx. (dezeen.com) (salonemilano.it) At the same fair, Knoll is introducing Dozie Kanu’s first commercial furniture collection: a console, coffee table and side table with leather tops, steel rod edges and floor-length leather tassels. Knoll is presenting the line at Salone del Mobile 2026, which runs from April 21 to April 26 at Fiera Milano Rho. (wallpaper.com) (anothermag.com) (salonemilano.it) Both launches sit inside a Salone edition that is putting more weight on collectible design and craftsmanship. The 2026 fair is adding Raritas, a new platform focused on fine craftsmanship and unique objects, alongside more than 1,900 exhibitors from 32 countries. (salonemilano.it) (archiproducts.com) Matera’s pitch is that stone can move beyond kitchens and floors into small-run design pieces with named authors. Scholten told Dezeen the brand was built around “the beauty and variety of natural stone” and around production in northern Italy, where Stone Made Italy is based. (dezeen.com) (stefanscholten.com) Kanu’s tables make a different argument: that industrial furniture can carry autobiography. Wallpaper reported that the forms reference an African drum, African ceremonial dress and fringed jackets associated with Texas cowboy culture. (wallpaper.com) In an interview with Another Magazine, Kanu said the Knoll project let him put “personal history” into a mass-produced object. He described the pieces as rooted in his Nigerian and Texan background and specified two finishes, bronze and dark grey manganese. (anothermag.com) The contrast is part of the point in Milan this year. One debut turns marble, travertine and onyx into collectible objects with gallery-style authorship; the other puts leather fringe and steel into a Knoll line aimed at a wider market. (dezeen.com) (wallpaper.com) (anothermag.com) Salone opens April 21, and these two launches suggest one clear theme before the doors do: materials are being used not just for finish or function, but to signal provenance, authorship and identity. (salonemilano.it) (dezeen.com) (anothermag.com)