Milan Design Week 2026 broke records again with over 316,000 visitors and 1,900 brands . But beneath the surface, unrest is brewing. While luxury brands and fast-food chains are taking over the city with multi-million dollar budgets, professionals in the interior design industry are seriously concerned. "It is no longer a design week; it has become a Brand Week," is the critical voice coming from the interior design sector.
© The Interior Club
Mark Timo, founder of De Interieur Club, drew a sharp conclusion after a week in the Italian design capital. Although the aesthetics and the presence of top designers such as Sabine Marcelis and Patricia Urquiola remain unparalleled, many believe the balance has definitively tipped towards commercial spectacle.
McDonald's and tobacco marketing
The biggest annoyance of this year centered on the presence of brands unrelated to the interior. For instance, McDonald's debuted a ball pit inspired by Damien Hirst, and tobacco giant British American Tobacco (via the Glo brand) was even the main sponsor of the entire Fuorisalone platform.
"It is not the people who feed the design industry, but they do derive prestige from it," states design journalist Jasmin Jouhar. According to critics, the bill is being paid by the real designers, who are literally being pushed out of the city by the exploded prices for locations. A prime location that cost 35,000 euros in 2018 will sell for 125,000 euros in 2026; an amount that only tech giants and fashion brands can afford.
The vanished chair and falling export figures
While the city was filled with 'immersive experiences' and 'activations', the hard figures from the industry paint a different picture. Walter Mariotti (editorial director of Domus) points out a painful paradox: Italian furniture exports fell by 13.1 percent in January 2026, while exports to the US and China plummeted by as much as 28.5 and 46.6 percent respectively.
Yet, in the streets of Milan, the conversation was hardly about furniture. "Never was the word 'mobile' (furniture) so absent," said Mariotti. The conversation has shifted from product development to 'limited editions' and 'capsule collections' for show.
Bright spots: The Salone regains its footing
Despite criticism regarding the uncontrolled proliferation in the city (Fuorisalone), the fair organisers themselves are demonstrating a desire to regain control of the content:
- Salone Raritas: A new platform featuring 28 galleries from 12 countries, focusing on pure design without commercial clutter.
- Salone Contract: A strategic master plan by Rem Koolhaas (OMA) for 2027, intended to expand the fair into the commercial project market (hotels, offices)—a sector worth 68 billion euros globally.
- Alcova & SaloneSatellite: Spaces where young talent and the Design Academy Eindhoven are still given room for experimentation and craftsmanship.
The call for reinvention
The industry's conclusion is clear: Milan is irreplaceable, but must protect itself against 'craft-washing'; brands that claim craftsmanship for marketing purposes but leave the real makers invisible. There is an urgent need for stricter curation and financial support for emerging designers to prevent the world's most important design week from turning into an unreachable showcase for the highest bidder.
The question occupying the industry for 2027: do we continue to contribute to the spectacle, or do we reclaim Design Week for the designers and manufacturers?
Source: Mark Timo (De Interieur Club)
