Vogue: Salone draws fashion brands

Milan Design Week has become a second runway for luxury houses, with more than 30 fashion brands on this year’s schedule around Salone del Mobile. (europesays.com) (salonemilano.it) Salone del Mobile, the official fair at Fiera Milano Rho, ran from April 21 to 26 for its 64th edition. Organizers said the event was sold out, with more than 1,900 exhibitors across over 169,000 square meters of exhibition space. (salonemilano.it) That scale helps explain the rush from fashion. WWD reported that brands used the week for collaborations, product launches and installations as Milan became the “epicenter” of design and luxury traffic. (wwd.com) The shift is not only about selling sofas. Wallpaper wrote that fashion labels in Milan increasingly used immersive environments to “propose an experience,” turning design week into a place to stage a whole brand world. (wallpaper.com) Louis Vuitton used Palazzo Serbelloni to show new Objets Nomades pieces, trunks and Pierre Legrain re-editions from April 21 to 26. LVMH said the exhibition paired Art Deco references with contemporary design. (lvmh.com) (us.louisvuitton.com) Hermès presented its latest home collection at La Pelota from April 22 to 26, centered on furniture, objects and textiles in a scenography by Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis Fabry. (hermes.com) (fuorisalone.it) Gucci staged “Gucci Memoria” at the Chiostri di San Simpliciano from April 21 to 26. Gucci said Demna curated the exhibition as a retelling of the house’s 105-year history through immersive installations and tapestries. (gucci.com) (fuorisalone.it) Bottega Veneta, under creative director Louise Trotter, made its first Salone del Mobile project with Korean artist Kwangho Lee. WWD said the “Lightful” installation at the brand’s Via Sant’Andrea store used woven leather strips to make light sculptures. (wwd.com) The growth has also brought criticism. Caroline Issa of Tank told Vogue that some fashion activations can feel gimmicky, while Margherita Maccapani Missoni described a split between the professional furniture fair and a “mega-marketing moment.” (europesays.com) Salone itself is growing into that tension. Alongside EuroCucina and the International Bathroom Exhibition, organizers launched Salone Raritas in 2026 and said Salone Contract will debut in 2027. (salonemilano.it) What Milan now offers luxury brands is a concentrated week where interiors, fashion, art and hospitality buyers are already in one city. That makes Salone less a furniture fair alone and more a marketplace for the full luxury lifestyle pitch. (salonemilano.it) (wallpaper.com)