What I’m Excited to See at Salone del Mobile 2026
I have a former client in the design industry who told me years ago: you have to go to Milan for Salone. I finally listened.
I just arrived, and it was immediately clear she was right. Salone del Mobile is unlike anything I have experienced — a full city transformed into the world's most concentrated conversation about art, architecture, interior design and the culture. As the founder of a PR agency that works at the intersection of all of these worlds, I am so excited to finally be here.
Here is what is on my radar this week (along with my exact target itinerary for my time in Milan).
My Salone 2026 Picks: A Design PR Perspective
In the City: Fuorisalone
This is where brand storytelling, spatial design, and cultural communications become inseparable — and where I am spending most of my time.
Louis Vuitton's "Objets Nomades" at Palazzo Serbelloni is a masterclass in heritage brand narrative. Hermès at La Pelota sets the annual benchmark for what intentional luxury brand activation looks like. Kelly Wearstler's debut collection for H&M Home at Palazzo Acerbi is a remarkably well-constructed cultural entrance — three firsts in one activation. And a personal highlight: visiting the Ralph Lauren Palazzo at Via San Barnaba 27, where the brand's world-building approach to retail is always a masterclass in immersive storytelling.
Lina Ghotmeh's "Metamorphosis in Motion" labyrinth at Palazzo Litta (pictured above) and Snøhetta x USM's "Renaissance of the Real" at Fondazione Luigi Rovati are the architectural installations I am most looking forward to as someone deeply invested in design and architecture communications. Aesop's "Factory of Light" at Chiesa del Carmine in Brera — scaffolding printed with Milanese building facades as backdrop for their first-ever lighting launch — is exactly the kind of bold, site-specific brand storytelling I admire and draw from in my own work with clients.
Two more that deserve a mention: Miu Miu Literary Club at Circolo Filologico Milanese, Via Clerici 10 — the fourth edition of their salon exploring literature, sexuality, and desire, open today until 7 PM — is exactly the kind of unexpected fashion-meets-culture crossover that makes Milan Design Week unlike any other event on the calendar. And Laila Gohar for Arket at Giardino delle Arti, where an antique carousel had its horses replaced by oversized sculptural fruits and vegetables, was one of the most talked-about installations of the week — pure joy, and a reminder that the best design does not take itself too seriously.
Rounding it out: Veuve Clicquot x Yinka Ilori "Chasing the Sun" at Mediateca Santa Teresa, Alcova at the Baggio Military Hospital (where one of my friends from Mexico City will be speaking on a panel!) and Villa Pestarini for the best emerging design talent in the city, and "When Apricots Blossom" at Palazzo Citterio — an exhibition exploring craft and cultural memory through collaboration between international designers and Uzbek artisans that feels like one of the most meaningful things happening this week.
And one that carries nostalgia around Che PR’s origin story: the Eames Houses exhibition at Triennale Milano. One of my first clients when I launched Che PR first clients was a Herman Miller (now MillerKnoll) dealer, and the Eames legacy was woven into our work in a very real way. Charles and Ray are foundational to everything I believe about the intersection of great design and everyday life — the idea that beautiful, rigorously considered objects should not be reserved for the few. Seeing their architectural vision celebrated at the Triennale feels like a full-circle moment, and one I am particularly glad to experience on this first trip to Milan.
At the Fair: Rho Fiera
The 64th edition brings over 1,900 exhibitors across 169,000 square meters — an almost overwhelming scale until you find your footing. I am prioritizing EuroCucina and FTK, which explores the kitchen as a space for AI integration and biophilic design, and the International Bathroom Exhibition, focused on home spa concepts and restorative living — both hugely relevant to the interior design and architecture clients I represent.
The debut I am most curious about is Salone Raritas, the fair's first dedicated platform for collectible design, curated by Annalisa Rosso and designed by Formafantasma, with 25 international galleries including Nilufar. As someone working in art and design PR, I see this as a significant moment for the collectible design market.
And I will not miss SaloneSatellite. With 700 designers under 35 centered on craftsmanship as cultural act, I expect this to be a masterclass in the best emerging talent in design, full stop.
Why This Week Changes Everything
Milan Design Week is where the cultural agenda for the design and architecture world gets set. It’s where editorial narratives form, where brand strategies sharpen and where the work of connecting creative practitioners to their audiences feels most alive.
At Che PR, we specialize in building cultural presence for brands in art, interior design, architecture and culinary culture. Being here for the first time, I already understand why this week is non-negotiable.
Follow along on Instagram as I share what I am seeing in real time — the installations, the conversations and everything in between. DMs are open if you’re here too & would like to connect!
My Salone week at a glance:
Thursday, April 23
Ralph Lauren Palazzo, Via San Barnaba 27
Alcova, Baggio Military Hospital
Louis Vuitton “Objets Nomades” at Palazzo Serbelloni & Snøhetta x USM “Renaissance of the Real” at Fondazione Luigi Rovati
Friday, April 24
Kelly Wearstler x H&M Home at Palazzo Acerbi, Corso di Porta Romana 3
Lina Ghotmeh “Metamorphosis in Motion” at Palazzo Litta, Corso Magenta 24
Salone Raritas, EuroCucina/FTK & International Bathroom Exhibition at Rho Fiera
Saturday, April 25
Aesop “Factory of Light” at Chiesa del Carmine
Veuve Clicquot x Yinka Ilori “Chasing the Sun” at Mediateca Santa Teresa
Hermès at La Pelota
Nilufar Grand Hotel, Viale Lancetti 34
Sunday, April 26
SaloneSatellite at Rho Fiera
"When Apricots Blossom” at Palazzo Citterio, Via Brera 12
Eames Houses exhibition at Triennale Milano, Viale Alemagna 6
…now let’s see if I can hit all these spots :)
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