Brands responded to digital overload, global uncertainty and the pace of modern life by creating moments that prioritise presence, connection and everyday humanity, and products that elevate everyday rituals and routines.

Throughout the week, uplifting, expressive design and whimsical installations offered a sense of escapism from the wider context of geopolitical, environmental and social instability. Inflated, oversized forms, bold colour and enticing textures featured across new collections, while brands leaned into nostalgia and play with serotonin-boosting experiences.

Curated styling and cultural depth defined some of Milan’s most talked-about (and queued-for) exhibitions, where domestic installations turned atmosphere, history and intimacy into powerful storytelling devices – with brands embracing the lived-in home as the new marker of taste, authenticity and relevance.

In a week often defined by novelty and spectacle (with tenuous links to design aplenty), many installations chose to foreground creative legacies, where brand heritage and craft narratives serve as markers of authority, expertise and devotion to making.

Offering myriad photo opportunities for appreciative crowds, sun-soaked Milan was alive with immersive botanical landscapes and nature-inspired sculptural installations. Creative depictions of the natural world inspired a wealth of product design and CMF (colour, material and finish), with organic floral and plant motifs seen across tableware, furniture, lighting and bathrooms.