American brands will be out in force during Milan design week. US editor Dan Howarth lists who he's most looking forward to seeing at the event, taking place from 17 to 22 April 2018.
For its installation this year, fashion brand COS has tapped Californian artist Phillip K Smith III to create a sculpture inside the 16th-century Palazzo Isimbardi. He will continue his famed use of mirrors for Open Sky, using reflective panels to highlight the geometry and architecture of the historic space.
New York architect David Rockwell is teaming up with Surface Magazine and design studio 2x4 for an installation called The Diner – a pop-up restaurant packed full of American design. Split into four themed areas representing different parts of the USA, the space at Ventura Centrale will host programming through the week.
New York studio Apparatus will present a series of new furniture, lighting and objects at its space in the 5Vie area of the city. Unsurprisingly, Act III follows two previous full collections by the brand, which started with lighting but more recently expanded its offering.
Calico Wallpaper x Lindsey Adelman
Another collaboration this year will see New York studios Calico Wallpaper and Lindsey Adelman set up a joint exhibition – Adelman's first in Milan – exploring chemical reactions between salt and various surfaces. Titled Beyond the Deep, the multi-room presentation will include new murals by Calico and lighting designs by Adelman, all with a subaqueous appearance of "alchemy and decay".
Natasha Baradaran
Androgyny is the theme of Los Angeles designer Natasha Baradaran's furniture collection, to be shown at the Tearose boutique. Named Andro, the set aims to break down the gender stereotypes traditionally associated with certain materials and shapes.
Antique and modern furniture dealer 1stdibs' debut exhibition will include work by New York-based Fernando Mastrangelo. His navy bookcase, made using his signature technique of casting sand and glass in resin, will be among a selection new and custom pieces by almost 30 artists and designers – including fellow New Yorkers Bec Brittain and Egg Collective – for the show titled A New Breed.
Matter Made
American brand Matter Made will present new pieces by designers including Philippe Malouin, Luca Nichetto, Objects of Common Interest, Matter Made Studio and Faye Toogood. The brand has also reinterpreted a concrete planter based on a 1955 design by Brazilian architect Sergio Rodrigues, and expanded its range of stackable stools by New York studio Visibility.
Gabriel Scott
New York designer Gabriel Scott has created a collection in partnership with Bar Basso – the notorious late-night hotspot during Salone. The designer has produced a series of lighting fixtures based on a negroni glass, one of which will be hung in a window of the bar and others suspended through its interior.
Drawings, watercolours, furniture and sculpture by American architect Steven Holl will be brought together for an exhibition titled One Two Five at Galleria Jannone. Curated by Marco Sammicheli, the showcase will open during the design week and remain on view until 3 June 2018.