20 Independent Designers You Need to Know From Milan Design Week

It’s been a month since Milan Design Week, and we’ve been taking time to process everything we saw, read reactions, and review our notes. We realized the best way to counter the feeling that the event is now dominated by brands is to showcase the work of independent designers who presented their creations outside of the large, elaborate displays.

We explored Milan Design Week, taking tons of photos, and now we’re excited to share 20 up-and-coming independent designers you should definitely check out. You can thank us later!

Jesse Butterfield

I’ve been keeping an eye on Jesse, a designer and researcher based in London, for a while now – his work is really interesting because he’s always exploring and focuses a lot on how things are made. He also started this cool collective called Computer Room with Andu Masebo and Charlie Humble-Thomas last year, and they’re all about design research.

@jesse__butterfield

Jane Wright

Jane Wright’s artistry opened our eyes to possibilities we hadn’t considered, like leather rugs and bespoke lace curtains. Alongside Jesse Butterfield at Alcova, she showcased her unique blend of modern designs and time-honored textile techniques.

@wright_jane_

MA-MA

MA-MA is a design firm founded in 2018 by sisters Sanam, Laylee, and Safura Salek. Based in New York and Los Angeles, the team brings together expertise from leading architecture firms like OMA and BIG. They specialize in innovative furniture, such as this chaise lounge that cleverly converts into a day bed.

@ma.ma.nyc

304.Cage

Based in Rotterdam, studio Cage launched in 2023, founded by Bram Schlangen. We were particularly drawn to their large square daybed. While it initially appears stark and somewhat aggressive in its design, the piece is surprisingly comfortable – a soft, black cushion featuring patterns created with artist Chun.

@304.cage

Théophile Blandet

Théophile Blandet is a French designer and artist based in the Netherlands. Like many graduates of the Design Academy Eindhoven, his work is driven by ideas rather than simple function, creating pieces that are hard to define. A good example is his ‘Fluid’ lamp, which is surprisingly turned on using an injection mechanism.

@theophileblandet

Teo Rhe

Teo Rhe is a designer from Korea who currently lives and works in the Netherlands. He showcased his own designs, as well as the work of others, through his platform, Bureau Parso, this year. He blends contemporary and traditional methods to create unique furniture and lighting, drawing on his diverse cultural background.

@teo.rhe

Sheyang Li

Sheyang Li and Teo Rhe co-run Bureau Parso. Sheyang’s work is sculptural and relies on hands-on techniques, informed by his engineering background and a constant exploration of materials. He’s known for his distinctive approach to metalwork, creating surprising and textured pieces that stand apart from the typical sleek, polished steel designs, thanks to his layering and combination techniques.

@_sheyang_

CWR Studio

Christoph Wimmer-Ruelland creates art from found objects, but his skill is so impressive that you might not immediately realize they’re assembled from separate pieces. Instead of using glue or screws, he learned to tie knots to hold everything together. Surprisingly, his research led him to online communities focused on survivalism, where he discovered specialized knots that created incredibly strong, yet easily disassembled, connections.

@wimmrue

Soft Baroque

We’ve long admired the imaginative designs of Soft Baroque, so we were thrilled to see them showcase their work in Milan this year. In a presentation created with Belgian gallery Uppercut, the studio – a collaboration between Saša Štucin and Nicholas Gardner – transformed a downstairs gallery space into a miniature apartment, complete with furniture and a uniquely designed kitchen.

@soft_baroque

Serim Kwack

Curator Valentina Ciuffi compared the captivating glass sculptures of Serim Kwack to paintings, featuring them in her exhibition, “Romance of Fragility” Delvis (Un)Limited. Kwack creates his art using discarded industrial glass, subtly imprinting it with the shapes of ordinary objects. This process feels like a celebration of the beauty found in everyday life.

@serim_kwack

Akiyama Ryota

Ryota Akiyama’s show was a highlight of our visit to Milan. Akiyama, who is based in Mashiko, Japan, presented a collection called “Looping” inspired by how Japanese stonemasons bundle items with rope. He created entire furniture pieces finished with rope, wrapping it around each item to create a striking outline effect.

@ryotaakiyama01

Studio Booboon

Studio Booboon is a design firm created by designers Jisu Yun from Korea and Richard Bone from Britain. The name ‘Booboon’ comes from the Korean word for ‘detail’ or ‘part’. At a recent show in Milan, they presented furniture made from leftover materials, skillfully crafted using a technique they call ‘3D marquetry’.

@studiobooboon

Niels Raoul Boone

This beautiful blue sink is exactly what we’ve been hoping for, and it’s typical of the incredible work by Niels Raoul Boone. He’s a designer who skillfully carves playful designs into metal furniture, often creating pieces that are detailed and ornate. He truly works magic with metal!

@nielsraoulboone_

Rumba Bor

Thailand-based Rumba Bor studio finds beauty in ordinary, everyday objects. Founded by Rumpa Paweenpongpat, the studio reimagines mass-produced or discarded items – like their popular Choei stool, which was originally made using an old factory mold – by giving them new life with different materials and packaging.

@rumba.bor

Patrice Lortz

This candle is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Created by French designer Patrice Lortz, it’s designed to blend the line between a real object and a digital creation. Its shape draws inspiration from birthday cakes, candle holders, and flower arrangements.

@patricelortz

Lucie Gholam

Lucie Gholam is a French-Lebanese designer who combines traditional crafting methods with modern design. She’s committed to sustainability and frequently uses recycled construction waste in her work. This practice encourages us to rethink how we build and how we relate to the objects and spaces around us.

@luciegholam

LS Gomma

LS Gomma, also known as Joel Muggleton, is a popular artist known for his unique work with rubber. From his studio in Paris, he hand-creates everything using polyurethane rubber and metal mesh. Each piece features handcrafted rubber panels that function as a kind of three-dimensional painting – it’s become his signature style. His work was recently featured at both Salone Raritas and a solo exhibition at Uppercut.

@ls.gomma

Napalosa

We discovered the unique work of Napalosa when their lamps, covered in fur, showed up in our system. We’ve been following the studio’s increasing success ever since. It was founded in 2021 by Nelly Bellegarde and is located in Antwerp, Belgium.

@Napalosa

Electric Architects

Milan Fashion Week suggested a surprising trend: smoking appears to be making a comeback. Designers seemed inspired by this, with several projects referencing it. Electric Architects, for example, created a collection of smoking accessories called “The Vice,” and our favorite piece was a large, multi-armed ashtray called “The Vice Sentinel.”

@electricarchitects

Joshi / Greene

Joshi / Greene showcased their Rail System at the Convey exhibition, demonstrating how a basic idea can become a striking architectural feature. The rail stretches across the room and is meant to hold different items – like mirrors, shelves, chairs, clocks, vases, and coat hangers – allowing the space to be easily customized and changed with each addition.

@joshi_greene

2026-05-19 20:26