As mentioned in last week’s roundup, Milan Design Week 2023 felt more robust than it had in years, leaving us dazzled by the extraordinary creativity on full display across the city. Among the many inspiring projects we saw, four international brands stood out from the crowd. Scroll on as we applaud them for taking their vision to the next level.

The Creator's Journey, presented by Kohler

Kohler turns 150 this year! To mark the occasion, the iconic Wisconsin-based manufacturer made a splash at this year’s Milan Design Week with The Creator’s Journey, an immersive installation of new artist-designed collections presented in the grand courtyard of Baroque-era Palazzo del Senato and accompanied by a vibrant, aerial sculpture by acclaimed American sculptor Janet Echelman. Through its Arts/Industry residency program and Artist Edition collections, Kohler has been collaborating with and supporting contemporary creatives for decades. The Creator’s Journey showcased the latest fruits of this ongoing commitment to arts patronage, spotlighting four contemporary female artists from four countries, including Brazilian muralist Ananda Nahú, Chinese painter Ziling Wang, Indian painter Pushpa Kumari, and American graffiti artist Elle.

USM x THE SKATEROOM presents the artist Claudia Comte

USM Modular Furniture joined hands with THE SKATESHOP to create an exciting collaboration, highlighting artist Claudia Comte and benefiting an important humanitarian cause. Comte worked alongside the two organizations to craft both furniture and skateboard decks, all featuring her signature patterns that breathe sentiments of constant motion and the passage of time. Proceeds from the unique collection will help to provide educational programs (and skateboards!) for underprivileged children in Seven Hills, Jordan.

House of Progress, presented by Audi

Audi returned to Milan Design Week with House of Progress, the iconic German car company’s roving platform dedicated to the future of automotive design. For this iteration, Audi took over the epic, 16th-century courtyard of the newly opened Portrait Milano Hotel, presenting its fully electric Skysphere concept car surrounded by 22 massive, mirrored-steel monoliths designed by Gabriele Chiave of multidisciplinary collective Controvento. The project celebrated the importance of circular design thinking while demonstrating Audi’s commitment to conserving energy, minimizing waste, mitigating carbon emissions, and extending the lifespan of its vehicles.

GenD, presented by Dolce&Gabbana

Last year, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana of dynamic Italian fashion house Dolce&Gabbana announced an exciting, new initiative called GenD, aimed at supporting both emerging international design talent as well as heritage Italian craftsmanship through residency programs and special commissions. At this year’s Milan Design Week, we got to see the first, fantastic results. Presented at Dolce&Gabbana Casa and curated by Milan-based Federica Sala, the exhibition unveiled new collections by ten outstanding craft-driven studios—Antonio Aricò, Bradley Bowers, Rio Kobayashi, Ahryun Lee, Malacou Lefebvre, Lucia Massari, Sara Ricciardi, Chris Wolston, and duo Sayar & Garibeh—created in collaboration Italian artisans across a range of media.