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
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
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 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
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
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"
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"
Dezeen Showroom: Italian furniture brands Molteni&C and UniFor – both part of the Molteni Group – have published a range of products on Dezeen Showroom, including those created in collaboration with eminent architecture firms Vincent Van Duysen and Herzog & de Meuron. More about Products from Molteni Group feature on Dezeen Showroom
More than 50 years later, mid-century modern design remains both relevant and fascinating. Here, author Jenna McKnight selects eight pieces that have been in production ever since they were designed in the 1950s and 60s. More about Eight iconic mid-century modern designs that never went out of production
Dezeen Showroom: Italian tile manufacturer Iris Ceramica has once again partnered with clothing brand Diesel, this time creating a new ceramic surface through their Reloaded collaboration. More about Reloaded ceramic surfaces by Diesel and Iris Ceramica
For years, sportswear brands Adidas and Nike have competed to design record-beating trainers. As Adidas wins the race to record the first official sub-two-hour marathon, Dezeen plots a brief timeline of the so-called battle of the super shoes. More about The race to create the ultimate running super shoe
Sports brand Adidas has reclaimed bragging rights in the battle of the super shoes, with athletes Sabastian Sawe and Tigst Assefa wearing its Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3s to run the London marathon in world record times. More about Adidas reclaims super shoe crown with first sub-two-hour marathon
Dezeen Showroom: Italian brand Lodes has released its first open track system, which can hold both dedicated architectural lighting modules as well as any suspension light in the brand's catalogue. More about DoubleZero7 lighting system by Lodes
A pair of apple-sized fruit bowls were built into Helsinki designer Didi Ng Wing Yin's latest coffee table, which was on display at Spazio Rosanna Orlandi during Milan design week. More about Didi Ng Wing Yin adds "humorous approach" to furniture made from construction lumber
Dezeen Showroom: British brand Skopos has launched two new voile fabrics that facilitate sheer window treatments and organic-feeling backdrops in contract projects. More about Shellen and Cove recycled voiles by Skopos
That's a wrap on Milan design week 2026. Here are six trends to know from the industry’s biggest event of the year, starring a blow-up IKEA chair and a creepy AI-powered chandelier. More about Sci-fi lamps and inflatable furniture among six trends to know from Milan design week