Returning to Milan for the first time since 1999

The first time I went to Milan was in the early 90s with St Martin’s. We travelled out as a group and met some of the most famous designers at the time, including Enzo Mari and Achille Castiglioni, along with a number of other well-known studios. Interestingly, we went the week before the Milan Furniture Fair, which always felt a bit odd, but it meant we got something more valuable. We had the chance to spend proper time with these designers in their studios and workshops.

It was the first time I saw real designers in action. It all felt slightly mythical and had a massive personal impact on me. We visited six or seven studios, maybe more, and every one of them was highly respected. Italy is the cornerstone of modern contemporary design and everything really comes from Milan. In design terms, these people are hugely influential and what they create filters through the entire industry.

One of the defining moments of that trip was visiting the Alessi shop. It completely opened my eyes to where I wanted to be as a designer. Stainless steel products combined with bright plastics, quirky objects that made you smile, beautifully detailed and carefully branded. It showed me that contemporary design could be both functional and something you wanted to show off and talk about.

At that time, everything was made by hand. We visited incredible model-making factories and saw the evolution of products through their iterations, from early concepts through to pre-production. That process stuck with me, but Alessi was the real turning point.

In 1997, I was fortunate enough to show work in Milan during Salone del Mobile, although not inside the main fair. We took a space under Central Station with Tom Dixon. It was a huge, pitch-black space beneath the railway tracks, with trains passing overhead. We built a full installation there, working at a much larger scale than we were used to. I created a 50-metre-long vase and a large suspended chandelier, all in soft white and pastel tones.

Every time a train came in, the ceiling would shudder and black soot would fall over the work, covering everything in tiny speckles. It was chaotic, and we were working in it the whole time, but it was an incredible experience. At one point, Castiglioni visited the show and congratulated us. He simply said “Bellissimo,” which meant a lot. It was a real honour to meet him again.

The show was a real eye-opener and I loved Milan. I wanted to come back and do more, but it is a complex place to exhibit. There is a huge amount of competition and standing out is not easy, especially as the event has grown over the years.

We returned in 1999, showing with Ron Arad at Galerie Krizia, where we launched the Memo chair alongside a range of prototypes. It was an honour to be exhibiting with people at the top of their game. That year was full of energy. We were still bootstrapping, sleeping on floors to make it work, but it was great fun. Milan during the fair brings everyone together and, being part of that show with Ron, meant that everyone came through our space.

Not long after that, my work shifted away from products and furniture towards exhibition design and events. In a way, that is what brings us back now.

This year we are returning to Milan, collaborating with a company (soon to be revealed). We are co-creating a space using one of our AirClad XPO10 structures, located outside the Milano Porta Garibaldi station. The structure captures the space with a full 360-degree view, as if the product has just landed in the middle of Milan.

The project is being coordinated by Be It Events, who have been fantastic throughout.

It feels good to be back in the thick of Milan again. This is a different kind of show for us, but we are planning to return with more product-led work in the future. The Memo chair is now back on sale, and we are currently designing a new range of Inflate products, planned for launch in 2027.

Watch this space.