They came, they saw, they conferred, and, by common consent, Milan Design Week 2024 – this year’s global gathering of design-led industries, hosted each April – was one of the liveliest ever, with a reputed 1,300 events taking place across the city in the space of a scant seven days. And you can call us biased (spoiler alert: we’re not), but one of the week’s standout moments was the return of Wallpaper* as both participant and exhibitor, hosting a showcase of young designers whose path to the global stage we were able to facilitate, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Wallpaper* team, led by Rosa Bertoli and Olly Mason, with the support of the American Hardwood Export Council and grown-diamond specialist SNOW.
The Wallpaper* ‘Class of ’24‘ exhibition, which took place at the Triennale in Milan, during Milan Design Week 2024
You can see the fruits of those labours in the July issue (subscribe here) and our ‘Class of ’24’ exhibition story, where you’ll find a visual testament to the sheer breadth of creativity we were able to bring to the Triennale in Milan: a small slice – granted – but an important one nonetheless. For, while we are all allies in the sort of community-building at which the Design Week excels, exposure remains crucial to young artists embarking on their careers, a journey in which Wallpaper* – as the global forum for such endeavours – is delighted to assist.
But as befits our annual Design Directory, we haven’t stopped there. We have collated the highlights from Salone del Mobile and beyond, encompassing the best in furniture, lighting, kitchens, bathrooms and a tidy number of just-so solutions to our nagging desire to elevate our surroundings, whether that’s a Visionnaire swing, a re-edition of Mario Bellini’s 1972 ‘Le Mura’ sofa by Tacchini x Gucci, or a ceramic vessel by Brooklyn-based creator Devin Wilde, whose own surroundings suggest something close to the life well lived.
Elsewhere, we pay our respects to France as it plays host to this year’s Summer Olympics by visiting the new Paris headquarters of LVMH Métiers d’Art; check out the freshly expanded Fondation Maeght, the private art institution sat high above the hilltop village of Saint-Paul de Vence; and sneak a peek at the Grand Paris Express, a new transport system allowing commuters to cross the city without passing through the centre, due for completion in 2030.
From the future to the past, to the always-on present, I trust you’ll enjoy the issue.
Bill Prince
Editor-in-Chief
The July 2024 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print on newsstands from 6 June, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
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Extreme Cashmere reimagines retail with its new Amsterdam store: ‘You want to take your shoes off and stay’Wallpaper* takes a tour of Extreme Cashmere’s new Amsterdam store, a space which reflects the label’s famed hospitality and unconventional approach to knitwear
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Titanium watches are strong, light and enduring: here are some of the bestBrands including Bremont, Christopher Ward and Grand Seiko are exploring the possibilities of titanium watches
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Warp Records announces its first event in over a decade at the Barbican‘A Warp Happening,' landing 14 June, is guaranteed to be an epic day out
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Delvis (Un)Limited turns a Brera shopfront into a live-in design installationWhat 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
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Naoto Fukasawa sparks children’s imaginations with play sculpturesThe Japanese designer creates an intuitive series of bold play sculptures, designed to spark children’s desire to play without thinking
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Inside the Shakti Design Residency, taking Indian craftsmanship to Alcova 2025The 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
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Faye Toogood comes up roses at Milan Design Week 2025Japanese ceramics specialist Noritake’s design collection blossoms with a bold floral series by Faye Toogood
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6:AM create a spellbinding Murano glass showcase in Milan’s abandoned public shower stallsWith its first solo exhibition, ‘Two-Fold Silence’, 6:AM unveils an enchanting Murano glass installation beneath Piscina Cozzi
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Dimoremilano and Loro Piana channel 1970s cinema in decadent Milan displayAt Milan Design Week 2025, Dimorestudio has directed and staged an immersive, film-inspired installation to present new furniture and decor for Loro Piana
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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
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The making of PAN and Nike’s euphoric, club-inspired collaboration at Milan Design WeekAlongside 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
