Constance Guisset made her Fuorisalone debut with a scenographic design party
‘Surprise Party! Carte Blanche à Constance Guisset Studio’ marked the first Milanese solo show of the French designer

Discover Wallpaper's highlights from Salone del Mobile 2023 and Milan Design Week
In the heart of Milan, amidst the frenzy of Milan Design Week 2023, a luminous burst of colour and creativity is set to explode from the beautiful venue of the French Institute. Parisian designer Constance Guisset threw her ‘Surprise Party’ - a kaleidoscope of vibrant hues and captivating creations that beckoned its viewers to step into a world of wonder and delight.
'Surprise Party! Carte Blanche à Constance Guisset Studio'
The exhibition is a masterful scenography, a haze of warm colours and playful light that bounces and reflects in a mesmerising dance. Objects in predominantly shades of white are placed throughout, creating a delicate balance of shadow and light.
Among them are Guisset's iconic and newly launched pieces, such as the ‘Fleuron’ collection of seating for Billiani, the organic shapes of the ‘Lepida’ collection for Woak in solid wood, and the upholstered three-legged bar stool called ‘Dune’, conceived for Pierre Frey. Together, they represent the designer's relentless pursuit of balance - a delicate twirl between form and function, between the tangible and the poetic.
‘Lepida’ chair for Woak
‘Fleuron’ lounge chair for Billiani
Guisset's designs embody movement through lightness and surprise, a playful exploration of the intersection between the practical and the artistic. The completed projects on display showcase her unique creativity and artistry, revealing a window into the sensitive world that precedes the conception of her designs – a step that personally I find crucial.
Bench for Saint Eustache Church
Her ‘Surprise Party’ is a feast for the senses, an opportunity to venture into a vibrant cloud that offers a much-needed respite from the world's demands. Guisset's designs will captivate and enchant, while showcasing the meaning of balance and harmony in a world where chaos reigns supreme. It is a celebration of creativity, of the power of colour and light to transform our surroundings, and an invitation to step into a world of endless wonder and beauty.
‘Surprise Party! Carte Blanche à Constance Guisset Studio’ is on view from 17 April to 13 May 2023
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Institut Français Milano
Palazzo delle Stelline,
Corso Magenta 63, 20123 Milan
‘Francis’ table for Petite Friture
‘Vertigo’ lamp for Petite Friture
‘CG’ chair for Dior
Maria Cristina Didero is an independent design curator, consultant and author, who has contributed to many publications over the years. Didero has consulted for companies such as Vitra, Fritz Hansen, Lexus, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Valextra among others. Based in Milan, she works internationally, curating exhibitions for institutions: some of her most recent projects include Nendo: The Space in Between and The Conversation Show at the Holon Design Museum, Israel; FUN HOUSE by Snarkitecture at National Building Museum, Washington D.C.; SuperDesign a project about Italian radical design, NY; Vegan Design, or the Art of Reduction by Erez Nevi and The Fish and The Crowd by Carlo Massoud, Milan. In April 2022 she curated a Mathieu Lehanneur exhibition at the Triennale in Milan called The Inventory of Life, while in July she debuted a project at the MK&G in Hamburg titled Ask Me if I Believe in the Future, alongside a series of ongoing collaborations. She was appointed 2022 Curatorial Director of Design Miami/. She is currently preparing two projects for Milan Design Week 2023.
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
Delvis (Un)Limited turns a Brera shopfront into a live-in design installation
What happens when collectible design becomes part of a live performance? The Theatre of Things, curated by Joseph Grima and Valentina Ciuffi, invited designers to live with their work – and let the public look in
By Ali Morris
-
Naoto Fukasawa sparks children’s imaginations with play sculptures
The Japanese designer creates an intuitive series of bold play sculptures, designed to spark children’s desire to play without thinking
By Danielle Demetriou
-
Inside the Shakti Design Residency, taking Indian craftsmanship to Alcova 2025
The new initiative pairs emerging talents with some of India’s most prestigious ateliers, resulting in intricately crafted designs, as seen at Alcova 2025 in Milan
By Henrietta Thompson
-
Faye Toogood comes up roses at Milan Design Week 2025
Japanese ceramics specialist Noritake’s design collection blossoms with a bold floral series by Faye Toogood
By Danielle Demetriou
-
6:AM create a spellbinding Murano glass showcase in Milan’s abandoned public shower stalls
With its first solo exhibition, ‘Two-Fold Silence’, 6:AM unveils an enchanting Murano glass installation beneath Piscina Cozzi
By Ali Morris
-
Dimoremilano and Loro Piana channel 1970s cinema in decadent Milan display
At Milan Design Week 2025, Dimorestudio has directed and staged an immersive, film-inspired installation to present new furniture and decor for Loro Piana
By Dan Howarth
-
In Milan, MoscaPartners presents a poetic exploration of ‘migration’
Alongside immersive work by Byoung Cho, MoscaPartners’ Milan Design Week 2025 display features an accessible exhibition path designed for visually impaired visitors
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
The making of PAN and Nike’s euphoric, club-inspired collaboration at Milan Design Week
Alongside a new Air Max 180 release, ‘The Suspended Hour’ display sees Berlin record label PAN imagine the unfolding of a club night, from dusk until dawn
By Craig McLean