Introducing Wallpaper* May 2023: Milan Preview

Welcome to the May issue, where we celebrate the return of Salone del Mobile to its traditional April position as the focal point of the global design calendar – back in full force for spring to showcase the very best in international design. The fair is celebrating 61 years, and is destined to be the epic comeback we have anticipated. We are delighted to mark the occasion with our cover featuring a joyful offering of Colomba and Sottsass coffee.

The issue is a bountiful 268 pages and includes a design icon feature with the ever brilliant Gaetano Pesce in his NYC studio, celebrating his ongoing collaboration with Bottega Veneta, plus there’s an exclusive look at his new bag design. We take a tour of Edoardo Gellner’s Villaggio Eni, a visionary 1950s holiday resort in the Italian Dolomites, which is being repurposed as an artists’ retreat; highlight some eye-popping watches; and showcase the best outdoor furniture launches, which we photographed at the home of Italian design, Milan’s Triennale. 

We also visit Ronan Bouroullec in his Paris studio to see his fabrics designed for Kvadrat; catch up with Tom Dixon and his lockdown sculptures at home; check in with every architect’s favourite photographer, Hélène Binet, ahead of her exhibition at Salone, which will celebrate light; and hear about BD Barcelona’s exciting new chapter, which, in the true spirit of the brand, has been taken over by a new collective who are keen to have fun with furniture – from reissuing Gaudí and Dalí to commissioning contemporary creatives such as Max Lamb and Philippe Malouin. We then travel to Marrakech for our take on summer menswear amid the souks. 

Finally, we have a return of our own, the relaunch of the WallpaperSTORE* this month. We’re keeping it simple, offering a curated selection of objects, handpicked by Wallpaper* and available directly from Wallpaper.com. 

On a more personal note, I am also returning to Wallpaper* after my maternity leave, so I kindly thank acting editor-in-chief Bill Prince and the rest of the Wallpaper* team for managing the brand so artfully in my absence, and I look forward to reconnecting with you, our readers, friends and the wider design community, both in Milan, and over the coming months. I hope you enjoy the issue!

Sarah Douglas
Editor-in-Chief

The May 2023 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print from 13 April, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

On the cover: ‘Principles’ table, by OMA, for UniFor, unifor.it. ‘Gli Specchi di Dioniso’ mirror, by Ettore Sottsass, for Glas Italia, glasitalia.com. ‘Squiggle’ key ring, by Roksanda, roksanda.com. ‘Serratura’ tray by Fornasetti, fornasetti.com. Colomba Classica, by Sant Ambroeus, santambroeus.com. ‘Nude’ coffee cups and saucers by Matteo Thun, for Illy, illy.co. Espresso pot, by Ettore Sottsass, for Lagostina (vintage). ‘Circo’ napkin, by Abask, abask.com. Byram wallcovering in 0461, by Kvadrat/Raf Simons, kvadrat.dk