Sneak Peek: TTE 29 - Materia Milanese
Materia Milanese tracks surface, symbol, and material from Milan Design Week. This report covers the textiles, rugs, wall coverings, marquetry, and furniture we saw across the city.
Themes
Fiori Sospesi (Suspended Florals) tracks botanicals that have moved from repeat to relief: matelassés, carved botanical surfaces, dried and pressed flower references, and off-kilter repeats with organic variation.
Fiori Sospesi is one of nine themes featured in Materia Milanese:
Color
The color section, Colori Contrasti, maps the season's dominant color stories—orange in particular, spanning bronzed camel, copper terracotta, burnished amber, pink-inflected clay, and near-fluorescent citrus. Alongside these, butter yellows, walnut browns, celadon tones, and petrol teals offer alternatives to beige-heavy neutrals, while black appears repeatedly as an all-over statement. 21 shades and palettes—including Ivory Strata, Luna Celadon, Nero Obsidian, Walnut Intarsia, Primavera Pollen, Topaz Aureo, Copper Ambra, Terra Rosa, Quartz Malva, and Magenta Scarlatto—are each accompanied by HEX codes and .ase for ease of use.
Art Deco Inspiration
Louis Vuitton's Homage Collection celebrated Italian Futurist Fortunato Depero, drawing directly from the artist's personal archives. Born in 1892, Depero worked across graphic design, textiles, furniture, interiors, and advertising, and defined the bold visual identity of Campari. Stylized birds, horses, monkeys, and other fantastical beasts give the collection a playful graphic energy, introducing a broader audience to a key creative figure of Italian Futurism.
Long Form, Exclusive Interviews
For interviews, Barnaba Fornasetti told us about Fornasetti's new collaboration with cc-tapis—a collection of hand-knotted rugs and tapestries in Himalayan wool, merino, and silk that translates iconic archival motifs into pile. We also spoke with Raffaele Fabrizio, creative director of Dedar, about Versi Liberi, his collection of intentionally placed drapery panels and upholstery compositions designed for specific furniture and windows rather than sold by the meter. And Tokyo-based weaver Aya Kawabata, who showed at SaloneSatellite, speaks about translating musical principles into jacquard work built from five yarns.
Spotlights
Kawashima Selkon Textiles at Paola Lenti (sukui-ori, hiki-haku, and built-in pleating)
Balmaceda Studio's Códices, drawing on ancient Mexican architecture and Mesoamerican symbolism
Jaipur Rugs x Kengo Kuma, translating sixteen of the architect's façades into hand-knotted pile
Rubelli x Ai Weiwei, which brought surveillance cameras, handcuffs, and the artist's middle-finger motif into richly woven silk-and-linen textiles
And more
Here’s a small preview—subscribers can access The Textile Eye 29: Materia Milanese for the full report.
Subscribers get Full Access
For the full visual research, directional palettes, and behind-the-scenes insights, explore The Textile Eye – Report 29: Materia Milanese. Subscribers get access to the complete report, featuring over 350 brands and makers from across Salone and Fuorisalone. Curious about subscribing? Reach out or head to the link in bio.
Phlox van Oppen