ONE WEEK ABOUT Milano Design Week 2026
Day 4 – Report by David Heldt
The opening party was fantastic; with so many exhibitors, there were plenty of different networks mingling. Music was provided by Studio Vocum, cocktails by Amber Huijskes and her team (thanks to Esther, Sofie, and Rosa), food by Lydia Tan and Martin Mansoor, and, as mentioned earlier, wine from Veneto.
After tidying everything up this morning, I hurried over to OASIS for Rick Tegelaar’s first solo exhibition. I was early, but coffee is never far away, and Rick has chosen a great location across from Bar Basso, where I ran into Madeleine van Lennep, former director of the BNO—what a small world! In Amsterdam, we live 300 meters apart; in Milan, we bump into each other in a bar in the morning.
Rick is an innovator who dares to create new forms that naturally emerge from the application of innovative technology: in his new design, Traces, he uses a wiring system commonly found in the automotive industry. The wiring consists of a thin, flat strip of copper that reflects beautifully. Form follows innovation. A solo expedition is truly about spreading your wings; the upgraded version of the Cam Van is the symbolic embodiment of this adventure.
Next, on to Masterly. It’s hard to imagine a more stunning location in Milan. The reception desk in the lobby gets a little bigger every year. No matter how beautiful the brands showcasing their work here are, designers with unique ideas are becoming increasingly rare. A beautiful cabinet by Erik Sloot, stunning enameled steel tables by Bart Stok, and the unique circular concept of the Infinity chair by NO-EM—a chair built to last and always eligible for buyback by the manufacturer—designed by Robert Bronwasser. Carina Riezenbos, art director at Blok Plaatmateriaal, has been setting up the booth on the veranda of this beautiful palazzo for years—a dream job in many ways. Masterly is getting ready for tonight’s drinks party hosted by De Interieur Club. Afterward, we’re heading to Bar Magenta for Anne’s birthday; if you’re not there, you haven’t been to Milan—see you tonight!
The biggest annoyance this year is the registration process at every venue—now they even make you create passwords and ask for your place of birth, gender, profession, and province. When even the hostess couldn’t get her password accepted, I was allowed in without registering. No expense is spared to optimize the brand experience, but it’s already ruined the moment you walk through the door. At a Belgian pavilion in Brera, there was no cell service, and ten people stood frustrated, hunched over their phones. Elsewhere, a man stormed off because he’d lost his patience. Can’t this be done differently? Designers, come up with a solution.
Photography: David Heldt
