Design Week 2026: Milan, capital of design - with an eye on yachting

The April 2026 edition of Milan Design Week delivered record-breaking numbers. Despite an unstable global backdrop marked by geopolitical tensions, wars and continuously evolving markets, the city was vibrant with energy, both across the various Fuorisalone districts and throughout the halls of Salone del Mobile. At the Rho Fiera exhibition centre alone, 316,342 visitors were recorded, up 4.5% compared to 2025, representing 167 countries. An estimated 500,000 people also visited events across the city, with more than 1,300 happenings and immersive installations created by architects, designers and furnishing brands. According to the Confcommercio Milano Research Centre, Design Week generated an economic impact of €255 million, marking a 14.7% increase over 2025.

Milan therefore continues to consolidate its role as a global capital of design, a place where trends, ideas and cross-disciplinary influences converge. Increasingly, the event has also become an essential appointment for the yachting industry, and this year the maritime presence was particularly evident.

One of the key moments of the Fuorisalone was the “Nautica & Lifestyle” talk held at the Trussardi showroom, where the collaboration between the fashion and interior design brand and Confindustria Nautica was officially announced. “In this showroom there is a design sensibility very close to our world,” said Piero Formenti. “An elegance that is never excessive, together with great attention to the relationship between design, spaces and quality of living.”

During the event, the seventh edition of the Design Innovation Award was also presented. The award, held during the Genoa International Boat Show, has promoted excellence and innovation in yachting since 2020 while supporting exhibitors’ international visibility. The connection between the furniture industry and yachting had already been highlighted in the previous edition, when Marina Porro chaired the jury of the award, underlining the relationship between the two sectors.

Further emphasizing this dialogue between yachting and interior design, Massimo Lorusso, Brand Manager of Trussardi Casa, noted: “The home is entering yachts, transforming them into spaces increasingly connected to the concept of living.”

Indeed, many brands exhibiting at Salone del Mobile, particularly within the Italian manufacturing sector, have long established relationships with yacht designers, naval architects and shipyards, bringing furniture and interior solutions aboard some of the world’s most prestigious yachts.

At the same time, several design companies are increasingly involving yacht designers in the development of domestic living concepts. At the fair, for example, Cadorin presented MON, a new wood cladding system developed together with Studio Zuccon International Project. The company also showcased two additional finishes created by yacht designers Christian Grande and Cristiano Gatto.

Collaborations between furniture and yachting brands were another recurring theme throughout the week. At its Via Turati showroom, Exteta unveiled Exteta x Riva, a co-branded outdoor furniture collection designed for residential spaces, hospitality environments and yacht decks. The installation was accompanied by a Riva Iseo Super provided by dealer Riva Casarola.

Another notable nautical presence appeared at Superstudio Maxi, where Invictus Yacht displayed the T460 Shell Edition featuring interiors designed by architect Fabio Rotella in his first collaboration within the marine sector. The project translated the atmosphere of a floating home into a medium-sized yacht.

At the historic 18th-century courtyard of the University of Milan, Sanlorenzo returned to Milan Design Week with UN_Material, an installation designed by Piero Lissoni and presented within the INTERNI MATERIAE exhibition. “We worked on the concept of transparency, starting from this boat, SHE, and dematerialising it,” explained Lissoni, Art Director of Sanlorenzo and founder of Lissoni & Partners. The installation reconstructed the yacht’s full-scale volume through a sequence of transversal sections, inviting visitors to physically experience its spatial logic.

Also within the University’s Courtyard of Honour, Navim Group presented “Racconti d’aMare”, a collective exhibition dedicated to the sea, combining photography, materials and immersive installations focused on the forms, functions and hidden poetry of naval and mechanical objects.

In Brera, FIM – Fabbrica Italiana Motoscafi participated through the installation De / Sign, hosted at the Robertaebasta gallery. Developed together with lighting specialist Rimani and leather craftsmanship company Alberto Olivero Design, the project explored the emotional dimension of sea travel through illuminated surfaces evoking boat wakes and handcrafted leather travel objects.

At the Ferrari Flagship Store in central Milan, the unveiling of the Ferrari Hypersail livery brought another nautical element into Design Week. The 100-foot flying ocean-going monohull highlighted the growing interaction between automotive design, aerodynamics and advanced naval engineering.

Cross-fertilisation between automotive and marine sectors also emerged at Superstudio Più in Tortona, where Lexus presented Space, a co-creation project developed with emerging talents from “Discover Together 2026”. Among the installations was the concept of a catamaran designed as a large open-space interior environment.

Finally, Design Week also provided opportunities for networking and private events connected to the marine industry. One example was the evening organised by Kora Marine, Azimut’s exclusive dealer for North-West Italy, hosted at the m2atelier studio, which collaborated with Azimut on the interiors of the Grande range and the new Grande 44M flagship, scheduled for its world premiere at the next Cannes Yachting Festival.

Désirée Sormani

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