“Being Project” is the theme of Fuorisalone 2026, bringing life to Milano Design Week 2026. It is an invitation to rethink design not as a finished form, but as an ever-evolving process: an ethical and poetic act where thought and matter meet, listening precedes form, and responsibility guides every choice.
Milani transformed this invitation into the title of its presence in the city: MILANI PLACES: Living the Project. Not just a simple product exhibition, but the narrative of a corporate identity in evolution, from the founder’s tailoring roots to the contemporary and sustainable design leadership of the Milani Sisters, embracing the project as a way of being.
Comfort and Softness at the Heart of Design
From April 20 to 24, at the Gabriel Fabrics showroom in the heart of the Brera Design District, Milani presents a selection of new collections from the PLACES catalog, published at the end of 2025 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the company, curated by dogtrot and Margherita Rui, in direct dialogue with the theme of Fuorisalone 2026.
Soft seating, armchairs, and tables with gentle shapes highlight tailored details and comfort, responding to the widespread desire to feel at home everywhere: in living spaces as well as in contract environments.
The installation tells the story of the evolution of the Venetian brand which, after fifty years of history, expands its furniture universe through new collaborations with Italian designers and a vision increasingly oriented towards projects and contemporary living spaces.
Gabriel Showroom: a Stage for Material Research
The choice of the Gabriel Fabrics showroom in the Brera Design District is no coincidence. The space becomes an integral part of the narrative: here, fabrics, surfaces, and materials interact with the seating, creating a coherent and narrative environment.
On the occasion of Fuorisalone, Gabriel introduces new finishes developed specifically, which enter into direct dialogue with the Milani products on display. Gabriel represents advanced and sustainable textile research, perfect for highlighting Milani’s new approach, where upholstery quality and attention to detail are central to the project. The synergy between the two brands becomes a metaphor for the Fuorisalone theme: a project born from encounters and dialogue between different materials and visions.
Cura Loop: the Fabric that Tells Circularity
At the center of the exhibition path emerges the theme of sustainability, expressed through the collaboration between Milani and Gabriel.
The Folda seating by Alessandro Stabile and Hibi by Margherita Rui, both developed according to principles of circularity and disassemblability, are presented in a new version, upholstered with Cura Loop fabric: entirely made from textile waste through a fabric-to-fabric recycling process and fully recyclable.
The material combines aesthetics and responsibility: matte surface, delicate mélange effect, and visual softness convey warmth and naturalness, showing how formal research and circular approach can coexist without compromising design.
The disassemblability of the furniture completes the virtuous cycle, reducing waste and extending its lifespan. In this combination durable form, renewing material one of the deepest aspects of the theme “Being Project” is realized: design as a responsible act toward the future.
Designers and Collections: New Collaborations and Established Projects
The path showcases both new collaborations and already established projects, confirming Milani’s hybrid vocation, able to adapt to different spaces—residential, work, hospitality, and public—without losing identity or comfort.
Each collaboration results from an authentic dialogue between the brand and the designer, where the idea takes shape through mutual listening: process before product.
Among the protagonists:
- Alessandro Stabile with the Folda lounge, designed for public and residential spaces
- Meneghello Paolelli with the Dada armchair and sofa series
- Skrivo with the Hull collection and Matteo Zorzenoni with Astrid and the Frida armchair
- Margherita Rui with the Hibi seat, an expression of comfort and personalization
- Alessandro Crosera with the Njuta chair and Type One tables
- Giovanni Ingignoli with MI Wood, evolution of the wooden MI Chair
- Basaglia + Rota Nodari with new metal furniture for the SpazioMILANI collection: Castore coffee table, Infinito lounge, and Polluce and Lunapiena lamps.
Each collaboration is the result of an authentic dialogue between the brand and the designers: a shared process where the idea takes shape through listening and research.
An Immersive Journey Between Craftsmanship and Innovation
Curated by Matilde Sessolo of Mask Design Studio, the installation unfolds across seven spaces that trace the history and evolution of the company: from the founder’s tailoring roots to the contemporary and sustainable leadership of the Milani Sisters, a path that is itself a project in progress.
At the entrance, a sculptural sewing machine introduces visitors, symbolizing the brand’s artisanal origins, while spools of thread serve as a visual and tactile connecting thread between past and present.
Each space highlights attention to detail, high-quality upholstery, and personalization, emphasizing the virtuous lifecycle of the products.
The narrative of the installation is, ultimately, what the Fuorisalone theme invites one to experience: not a product to admire, but a project to live in.
From Fuorisalone to May: an Experience that Continues
Although debuting during the busiest week of Design Week, the installation continues until May 22, 2026, offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy the experience at leisure, exploring the intersection of comfort, innovative materials, and contemporary design.
The space remains open to clients, architects, and designers, becoming a place of encounter and dialogue on contemporary design. An appointment that confirms that MILANI PLACES: Living the Project is not just an exhibition, but an open project, exactly as “Being Project” invites one to be.