Weaving is no longer only part of a decorative language used with materials like rattan, grass, and textiles; it has gradually evolved into a more structural design approach. It intertwines softness with support and openness with boundaries while establishing connections that are both visual and tactile between materials. The logic of weaving is continuously expanded, becoming a means of constructing spaces and furniture.
Loro Piana’s “Studies, Chapter I: On the Plaid” explores materials and weaving techniques from a traditional perspective. Meanwhile, the Dilly lamp created by designer Jacopo Foggini for Edra presents another kind of weaving with materials—hand-crafted polycarbonate shapes light as it passes through layers and interlacing forms. At Alcova, ropes, textiles, and lightweight structures are incorporated into furniture, with a similar logic unfolding in a more experimental manner.
The different materials and approaches to weaving also reflect a renewed focus on “making.” As a craft with a strong handmade quality, it is being reactivated within an industrial context: on one hand, as a contemporary expression of traditional techniques; on the other, through integration with new materials and processes. In this process, that act of making is no longer concealed but instead becomes part of the design narrative—the structure itself is the expression.
From decoration to structure, from materials to methods, weaving at this year’s Milan Design Week takes on a more open stance. It is no longer merely about a return to a “natural” aesthetic, but a reconsideration of connections, relationships, and modes of creation.
Written in Stone
Sarah de Beaumont, Contributor, AD France
B&B Italia unveiled its new collection within a modernist setting inspired by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Villa Tugendhat, where partitions made of colored marble redefined the space with precision, playing with perspectives and materials.
At Hermès, the renowned duo Barber & Osgerby explored the same material, crafted in marquetry and subtle curves, to create a dining table with equestrian accents, blending artisanal craftsmanship with contemporary precision.
Studioutte, meanwhile, covered walls in full-height alabaster, creating large backlit panels that diffuse a soft light, which is also adapted into smaller formats as table lamps and wall sconces.
Finally, architect Hannes Peer collaborated with Margraf to envision a home entirely built around stone elements, clad in marble with touches of onyx. Here, the material transcends its smooth, colorful finish: it becomes matte, porous, and dominates every space—as a platform and on the floors and walls—transforming stone into a true architectural language, a total and immersive presence.
