We’ve been taking part in Fuorisalone during Milan Design Week for years now, and every time we return home with our minds full of ideas, inspirations, and creative sparks. It’s become a must-attend event—one we simply can’t miss. Because during that week, Milan comes alive: design, art, fashion, and technology blend together, the city is buzzing, filled with people from all over the world, events happening everywhere, and an energy in the air that’s absolutely contagious.
We love diving into it completely: from early morning until late at night, hopping from one installation to another, moving through aperitifs and parties, trying not to miss a single spark of inspiration. Because that spirit of creative competition among brands—that drive to amaze each year with something new—gives us the perfect energy boost to go back to work with our eyes a little more open.
This year, too, we brought home some unforgettable moments. Some of them truly surprising.
Among our favorites, we can’t help but mention “Second Skin” by Aesop, set up in the sacristy of the Church of Carmine. An immersive, meditative, almost sacred experience. Inside, time slows down, the senses awaken, and everything—from sound to light, from scent to space—is designed to make you feel fully present.
In stark contrast, yet equally memorable, was “Checkered Future: Frequency Manifest” by Vans at the Triennale. It wasn’t part of our original plan—we ended up there almost by chance, drawn in by the viral videos circulating on social media. And it left us speechless. A mind-blowing experience that’s hard to put into words: lights, sounds, moving mirrors, distorted perceptions. You lie down and get taken on an almost psychedelic journey. Intense, unsettling, brilliant.
Last—but by no means least—we have to mention “Making the Invisible Visible” by Google. The long lines outside Garage 21 (up to two hours!) made us hesitate… but in the end, it was absolutely worth it. Artist Lachlan Turczan truly worked magic: he made the intangible tangible. He gave form to a physical presence capable of defining the surrounding space. It was another one of those jaw-dropping experiences—within those walls, it truly felt like you could touch light, even shape it. An installation that goes beyond design, art, or technology—this was pure physics. Evocative, poetic, almost surreal.
As always, the spaces themselves amazed us, striking the perfect balance between content and container. Milan opens the doors to some of its most stunning buildings—Palazzo Litta, Donizetti, Serbelloni—but also to abandoned or forgotten places. Like the former public baths of the Cozzi swimming pool, where 6:AM Glassworks presented “Two Fold Silence”, a collection of design objects set in an atmosphere suspended between past and present. The result? Pure magic. And that’s where you truly realize how much the setting matters—how it can elevate or diminish a project.
But, as every year, there were also moments that gave us pause for thought.
The official theme of Fuorisalone 2025 was Connected Worlds. It promised a focus on technology and artificial intelligence… but in the end, there wasn’t much that truly stood out. One clear exception was the “Design You Can Feel” installation by Asus, created in collaboration with Studio INI: an interactive, poetic, and intelligent space where AI becomes a means of expression—not an end in itself. It was an experience that truly left a mark.
And then, there’s the question of inclusivity.
Fuorisalone has always been seen as Milan’s “open” event—unlike Fashion Week, which is far more exclusive and selective. But this year, something felt different. There was a sense of confusion, too many events loosely connected to actual design, endless queues, and a flood of “gadget hunters” driven by social media trends. The risk? That those who truly work in the field end up feeling more like spectators than protagonists.
That said, the overall impression remains positive. Once again, Fuorisalone gave us so much—ideas, emotions, visions. And it reminded us why we love what we do.
Until next year—we’re already counting down.
