L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS sized enterprises and emerg- ing markets. We will do this hand in hand with the indus- try supply chain, aiming to turn difficulties into oppor- tunities —together with Ital- ian and European institu- tions, from whom we expect concrete support for a sector that is strategic not only for S i s t e m a I t a l i a , b u t f o r Europe as a whole." "This year," said Claudio Feltrin, president of Feder- legnoArredo, reflecting on t h e w e e k i n M i l a n , " w e r e c o r d e d a s i g n i f i c a n t i n c r e a s e i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l operators, with especially s t r o n g a t t e n d a n c e f r o m a c r o s s E u r o p e . T h i s i s a n i m p o r t a n t s i g n a l : E u r o p e remains the primary refer- ence market for our sector, and it continues to view the Salone as an essential event for both business and profes- s i o n a l d i a l o g u e . T h i s i s where our design companies — producing nearly 100% in I t a l y — b r i n g i n n o v a t i o n , project culture, and industri- al vision. They outline the trends of tomorrow and con- firm the global leadership of Made in Italy. At Rho Fiera, people don't come to follow the market — they come to create it." Fuorisalone, the most creative and cultural dimen- sion of Milan Design Week, also proved a great success, with 1,066 events featured in t h e o f f i c i a l p r o g r a m . T h e i n f l u x o f v i s i t o r s f r o m around the world has solidi- fied Milan's role as a central hub for connection, updates, and business within the fur- niture sector, as well as for students and design enthusi- asts. From major brands to i n d e p e n d e n t i n i t i a t i v e s , d e s i g n e r s a n d c o m p a n i e s a c r o s s t h e c i t y ' s d i s t r i c t s embraced this year's theme —C o n n e c t e d W o r l d s — focusing on participatory, generative design and cele- brating interaction through both design practices and i n c r e a s i n g l y p r o m i n e n t f o r m s o f a r t i f i c i a l i n t e l l i - gence. From immersive, site-spe- c i f i c i n s t a l l a t i o n s t o n e w research in sustainability, f r o m t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f new materials to futuristic visions of home living, from e l e c t r i c m o b i l i t y t o t h e fusion of physical and digital realities — 2025's key theme was weaving connections between all aspects of our lives, bridging human expe- r i e n c e , t e c h n o l o g y , a n d nature. At the center of it all was the explosive creative energy bursting out from e v e r y c o r n e r : f r o m t h e underground former public baths at Piscina Cozzi — a 1 9 3 4 b u i l d i n g — t o t h e panoramic 16th floor of the newly renovated Torre Velasca; from the evocative cloister of Sant'Angelo to the transformed interiors of a former early-20th-century rubber factory. M o d e r n a n d a n c i e n t , sleek and baroque, luxury and minimalism, vintage, retro, contemporary, neon, pop, and hyper-tech — all coexisted in a dazzling cele- b r a t i o n o f c o n t r a s t s d e s i g n e d t o s u r p r i s e a n d enchant. Private homes, too, took on a starring role — turned into temporary sets or living showcases of the latest inte- rior design trends. Among t h e m a n y s t a n d o u t s : t h e B r e r a D e s i g n A p a r t - ment, the Appartamento by Artemest, the Appar- tamento Atelier by Osan- na Visconti, the private resi- dence of Virginie Droulers, the M u u t o A p a r t m e n t , Casa Redduo, Casa Lea by LC Atelier, Giuseppe Porcel- li's secret Garçonnière, Casa Ornella, and Casa Cabana. A total of 95,300 visitors experienced The Library of Light, the installation by Es Devlin that lit up the Cortile d'Onore at the Pina- coteca di Brera. Created for t h e y e a r o f E u r o l u c e , i t served as a luminous tribute to the value of knowledge. Meanwhile, Robert Wil- son. Mother — staged at the Museo della Pietà Ron- d a n i n i i n s i d e C a s t e l l o S f o r z e s c o — a n d L a d o l c e attesa, Oscar-winning direc- tor Paolo Sorrentino's poetic r e f l e c t i o n o n t i m e a n d uncertainty, both sold out. Back at the fairgrounds, Villa Héritage — a stun- ning interior design project entrusted to French archi- tect Pierre-Yves Rochon — sparked fresh "wonder." With exquisite sensitivity, Rochon offered a contempo- rary interpretation of tradi- t i o n a l a n d m o d e r n h i g h craftsmanship, supported by c o n t r i b u t i o n s f r o m m o r e t h a n 4 0 M a d e i n I t a l y brands. And let's not forget fash- i o n , M i l a n ' s i m p e c c a b l e hostess. Fashion played a leading role, once again con- firming its growing affinity for cross-disciplinary dia- logue — between creative languages, between brands t h a t c h o s e e x t r a o r d i n a r y venues, or transformed their boutiques into temporary stages, or collaborated with architecture firms, interior designers, artists, sculptors, and artisans. Among the fashion houses t h a t t u r n e d h o m e s a n d streets into catwalks: Loewe, Gucci, Hermès, Loro Piana, Louis Vuitton, Armani Casa, Valextra, Issey Miyake, Bul- gari, Yves Saint Laurent, just t o n a m e a f e w . S o m e l a u n c h e d n e w c o l l e c t i o n s and highlighted artisanal s a v o i r - f a i r e ; o t h e r s , l i k e Prada — with a symposium curated by Formafantasma — and Miu Miu — with a lit- erary club— engaged Design Week audiences in moments of reflection. B e t w e e n c u t t i n g - e d g e technology, curated design, a n d b o l d v i s i o n s o f t h e future, the automotive world a l s o m a d e i t s m a r k w i t h large-scale installations and immersive experiences. B e y o n d t h e s e s t r i k i n g moments, it's the closing fig- u r e s o f F u o r i s a l o n e t h a t truly show the essence of the 2 0 2 5 e d i t i o n : o v e r 5 , 0 0 0 images produced by more than 100 e.Reporters, stu- dents selected from Milan's Politecnico and Northeast- ern University in Boston. The online audience grew by 5%, with more than 660,000 unique users and over 4 mil- lion page views. Visitors to the website came from 166 countries — including Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, France, the UK, a n d S p a i n — w i t h s e a r c h traffic evenly split between locations and brands, fash- ion labels and tech names, all confirming themselves as e v e r m o r e c e n t r a l t o t h e i d e n t i t y o f M i l a n D e s i g n Week. While this year's final rev- enue figures have yet to be released, forecasts suggest they will surpass the eco- nomic impact of Salone and Fuorisalone in 2024, when t h e t o t a l r e a c h e d n e a r l y $279.3 million — up 13.7% from 2023. That year, all spending indicators were in positive territory: hospitality brought in $123.7 million (+14.2%), dining reached $87.5 million (+13.7%), and shopping generated $67.8 million (+12.7%). This year, the influx of visitors from around the world has solidified Milan's role as a central hub for connection, updates, and business within the furniture sector, as well as for stu- dents and design enthusiasts CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 The Isola Design Gallery at Isola Design Festival 2025 (Photo: Luca Santini)

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