Milan design week might have reached peak brandification this year, but there were still plenty of outstanding independent exhibitions to be found in the margins. Below, the Dezeen team shares nine of its favourites. More about Dezeen's pick of the best grassroots shows from Milan design week
British designer Bethan Laura Wood has created a modular version of a 175-year-old crystal-glass chandelier, described as "somewhere between a science-fiction wormhole and the interlacing of Elizabethan garters". More about Bethan Laura Wood reinvents Baccarat chandelier as modular "vortex" of jewelled flowers
Architects Amanda Levete and Ole Scheeren, alongside interior designers Wu Bin and Zoe Lowres, have joined the judging panel for Dezeen Awards 2026. More about Amanda Levete and Ole Scheeren revealed as Dezeen Awards 2026 judges
Door handles made from human hair, soap and climbing grips featured in a nomadic Milan design week exhibition curated by Zaccaria Slater as an affordable platform for emerging design talent. More about Eclectic door knobs feature in guerrilla Milan design week exhibition
Dezeen Showroom: US brand PoliLam has developed an ultra-thin countertop panel collection equipped with coordinated edges for visual seamlessness. More about Capri Performance Tops by PoliLam
Arizona-based studio Benjamin Hall Design completed an addition to a Phoenix house that hides in the landscaping to create a treehouse-like effect. More about Benjamin Hall expands Phoenix home with treehouse-like addition
Dezeen Showroom: available in walnut or oak, British brand Nôsa has released a vanity unit for the bathroom with an integrated stone basin. More about Capri vanity unit by Nôsa
Designers at automotive brands GM and Cadillac have created a cast-bronze trophy that combines the form of a golf swing and the curves of a vehicle for the 2026 Cadillac Championship golf tournament in Miami. More about GM Industrial Design "communicates gesture of the swing" for golf tournament trophy
Dezeen School Shows: a checkered glass stand influenced by chessboard aesthetics is among the projects from Häme University of Applied Sciences. More about Chessboard-informed glassware among projects from Häme University of Applied Sciences
Dezeen Showroom: furniture brand Paola Lenti worked with Antwerp-based industrial design practice Bertrand Lejoli on a sofa durable enough for life outdoors. More about Plissé sofa by Bertrand Lejoli for Paola Lenti
Arched openings punctuate the contemporary entrance of Angers Cathedral in France, recently completed by the studio of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. More about Kengo Kuma adds arched entrance to Angers Cathedral in France
Global studio SOM has renewed Corso Italia 23, a 1960s office complex in Milan, retrofitting its modernist structure and fractured interiors to align with modern standards. More about SOM "preserves the soul" of 1960s modernist office complex in Milan
Architecture studio KSS has designed a stadium for the women's team at Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club in England, which would be the first of its kind in Europe if built. More about Brighton reveals plans for Europe's first purpose-built women's football stadium
Dezeen Showroom: US brand Knoll has reissued Andrew Morrison and Bruce Hannah's 1973 task chair, known for its friendly approach to design for the workplace. More about Morrison Hannah chair by Andrew Morrison and Bruce Hannah for Knoll
Textiles composed like music and vessels made with the help of a sensitive robot feature in our round-up of the most exciting emerging designers and studios from Salone Satellite – Milan's annual showcase for under-35s. More about Ten young designers and studios to watch from Salone Satellite 2026
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma is best known as a pioneer of wooden architecture, but his latest book, Substance, showcases his expertise in a broad range of materials. In this roundup, he picks six projects made from everything from paper to bamboo. More about Six projects that showcase Kengo Kuma's "humane and beautiful" use of materials
Samsung chief design officer Mauro Porcini has called for a shift away from technology-led innovation towards "love" and human values in this talk hosted by Dezeen during Milan design week. More about Technology should "free you from technology" says Samsung design chief
During Milan design week, sports brand Nike unveiled a permanent laboratory where anyone can experiment with its Air technology over the coming years. More about Nike opens permanent Air Lab in Milan with "industrial-grade robots for anyone to use"
Promotion: the Shinnoki wood panel collection by interior wood specialist Descopan has been utilised for the interiors of French watchmaker Yema's flagship boutique. More about Paris watchmaker boutique reflects mechanical heritage with Shinnoki's wood panels
The latest edition of our Dezeen Debate newsletter features a collaboration between Kasing Lung's Labubu character and USM Haller at Milan design week. Subscribe to Dezeen Debate now. More about Dezeen Debate features "cure for our bland building pandemic"