📍 Palazzo Serbelloni, Corso Venezia 16, Milan
There are moments during Milan Design Week 2025 when design stops being an object and becomes an atmosphere—something you step into rather than observe. The presentation of Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades does precisely that, unfolding inside the historic setting of Palazzo Serbelloni, Corso Venezia 16, Milan with a quiet confidence that feels both playful and impeccably controlled.
From the very first room, the narrative is clear: this is not a conventional exhibition, but a curated sequence of experiences where travel, craftsmanship, and imagination intersect. The scenography moves between intimacy and spectacle—each piece given space to breathe, yet always part of a larger composition that feels cinematic in its pacing.
One of the most captivating moments emerges around the reinterpretation of leisure itself—a foosball table transformed into a collectible object. Upholstered in soft turquoise tones with sculptural detailing, it balances irony and refinement. The figures, almost surreal in their stylisation, turn a familiar game into a design statement. It’s a gesture that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Objets Nomades: elevating the everyday into something unexpected, without losing its sense of joy.
This dialogue between playfulness and precision continues throughout the exhibition. The iconic suspended cocoon seats—designed by Fernando Campana and Humberto Campana—hover like inhabitable sculptures, their intricate surfaces filtering light into soft, organic shadows. Nearby, works by Patricia Urquiola and India Mahdavi introduce a more chromatic sensibility, where colour becomes both structure and emotion.
What makes this year’s presentation particularly compelling is the tension between the historic architecture of the palazzo and the contemporary language of the pieces. Ornate ceilings, frescoes, and grand chandeliers frame objects that feel almost futuristic in their materiality. Rather than competing, the two layers amplify one another—heritage lending depth, while design injects a sense of immediacy.
The famous Louis Vuitton trunks, displayed in sculptural compositions, serve as a subtle anchor throughout the journey. They remind you that this entire universe—no matter how experimental—remains rooted in travel. Not as movement from one place to another, but as a mindset: curiosity, transformation, and the desire to explore.
Even the quieter moments—the carefully styled tables, the interplay of textures, the precise choreography of lighting—feel intentional, almost meditative. Nothing is overstated. Every detail contributes to an atmosphere that is both luxurious and disarmingly human.
Walking through the exhibition, I had the sense that Objets Nomades is less about objects and more about possibilities. About how design can reshape rituals, redefine comfort, and introduce a layer of poetry into the most functional aspects of life.
And perhaps that is its most enduring quality: it doesn’t ask to be admired from a distance. It invites you in—gently, elegantly—and once inside, it lingers.
Design & Lifestyle editor: ELENA L GEORGIEVA