Wonders of Milan - Salone Special City Guide
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— Jonah & Erin
It goes without saying that we care a ton about design here at Blackbird Spyplane. Yesterday’s sletter was about the decades-spanning war between Ornament and Utility, and what it has to tell us about the state of Cool Clothes today.
As it happens, hordes of design wizards, experts, swag lords and hangers-on descended on Milan last week for the annual, increasingly buzzy Salone del Mobile furniture fair.
We were not present among these hordes. But Erin used to hit up the Salone every spring when she worked with Apple’s Industrial Design team. Over the past few years she’s been amazed to see it steadily transform from a bustling industry trade show to what we’ve called the Coachella of Chairs.
It’s still a bustling trade show… but interwoven with an ever-expanding maze of mind-numbing see-and-be-seen “content opportunities.” Luxury brands fly out an internazionale cabal of clout demons. You can’t throw an 🤌 Alessi cucchiaio 🤌 without hitting a torched “activation.”
Amid it all, though? The Salone remains powerful, and features a ton of cool stuff, and as a result, many people we love and admire show up.
Last year, Erin asked 5 of our favorite industrial designers to share the best things they saw.
This year, MillerKnoll creative director and Big Homie Spyfriend Kelsey Keith (pictured in the rooftop garden below left) kindly offered to bless us with an Intel-Rich, Real Ones-certified Insider’s Report on Cool Things to See, Do & Eat in Milan — and not just during the design fair, but any time you visit.
Kelsey, who writes the design newsletter Ground Condition, came through with a wealth of tips. This Milan guide is an exclusive for our Classified-Tier Subscribers.
Enjoy!
For ease of use:
A 🍝 indicates a great food spot
A 🍸 indicates a great bar
A 💶 indicates a great shop
A 🎨 indicates a great museum or gallery