Nine standout grassroots exhibitions from Milan design week 2025
By
Dezeen team
1mo ago· 9 min readenNews
100/100
Golden Brown
Bagelometer↗
Master baker tier. Every paragraph earns its place on the tray.
Score100TypenewsSentimentneutral
Summary
Milan design week faced criticism for being dominated by flashy brand presentations ("peak brandification"), but independent and grassroots exhibitions still thrived in the margins. The Dezeen team curated a list of nine standout independent shows from the event, highlighting the ongoing tension between corporate branding and authentic independent design during the Salone del Mobile festival.
Key quotes
· 2 pulledMilan design week might have reached peak brandification this year, but there were still plenty of outstanding independent exhibitions to be found in the margins.
The citywide festival surrounding furniture fair Salone del Mobile... has faced criticism for being overrun with flashy brand presentations while independent designers are struggling to show amid rising rents and fierce competition.
Milan design week might have reached peak brandification this year, but there were still plenty of outstanding independent exhibitions to be found in the margins. Below, the Dezeen team shares nine of its favourites.
