Brera Design District: The Creative Heart of the Fuori Salone 2023

Like every year, one of the most eagerly awaited events in Milan is the Fuorisalone: a series of exhibitions, presentations and meetings that take place in parallel with the Salone del Mobile and animate Milan's most creative and dynamic districts, such as the Brera area, the Ventura Lambrate district and the Tortona Design District.

In particular, we would like to focus on the Brera district through the following topics:

• Introduction to Fuori Salone 2023 and the Brera Design District
• The main events and installations in the Brera Design District
• Emerging design and furnishing trends
• Mason's and its relationship with design
• Furniture and design in the Mason's shop in Milan

What is Fuorisalone?

The Fuori Salone in Milan, also known as Milano Design Week, is an annual event held in the city of Milan, Italy, during the week of the Salone del Mobile, the world's largest design and furniture fair, which this year takes place from 17 to 23 April.

Find out more about the Salone del Mobile 2023.

The Fuori Salone takes place at the same time as the furniture fair and involves numerous locations throughout the city, including showrooms, galleries, exhibition spaces and museums that host events, exhibitions and product presentations related to design, architecture and contemporary art, attracting large numbers of visitors.

In particular, the Brera Design District is the fair's main point of reference for creativity and innovation in the world of furnishing: its strategic location and the presence of important artistic and cultural institutions, such as the Brera Academy of Fine Arts and the Museum of Design, make it a place of great interest for fans of the sector.

Brera Design District 2023

The Brera Design District is therefore the most important design promotion district in Italy, an international reference point and the centre of Milan's creative, commercial and cultural development. Its aim is to support the design sector, enhancing its strengths such as attention to detail, craftsmanship tradition, culture of making and design. At the same time, the district proposes a more advanced model of development and dissemination, exploiting the strategic levers of contemporary industrialisation, such as distribution, promotion, communication and connectivity.

This year, the Brera Design District offers a wide range of events and exhibitions, ranging from public art installations to exhibitions of design and furniture products. Here are some of the main events and installations not to be missed in the district:

• Brera Design Apartment: a flat in the heart of Brera transformed into a temporary exhibition space, where emerging and established designers present their latest creations.
• Interactive installations: the streets of Brera are transformed into an open-air workshop, with interactive installations inviting the public to immerse themselves in the design experience and discover new perspectives.
• The temporary exhibitions: art galleries and exhibition spaces in the district host temporary exhibitions dedicated to design and furniture, presenting the latest trends and most interesting innovations.
• The showrooms of international brands: many leading companies in the furnishing and design sector choose the Brera Design District as a location to present their new collections, offering the public a unique opportunity to discover the latest innovations.
• Meetings and workshops: the Brera Design District also becomes a place for discussion and sharing, with meetings, conferences and workshops dedicated to the themes of design, furnishing and fashion.

If you are interested, the following page lists all the unmissable events in the Brera district.

Emerging design and furniture trends at Fuori Salone 2023

The Fuori Salone is an unmissable event to discover the latest design and furniture trends. In this year's Brera Design District, a number of emerging trends can be observed that are sure to influence the future of the sector:

• Sustainability: a growing interest in sustainability and ecology is reflected in the choice of eco-friendly materials and creative recycling, with a focus on reducing environmental impact.
• Technology and connectivity: design merges with technology, with products and solutions that integrate smart functionality and connectivity to improve daily life and make domestic spaces increasingly interactive.
• Inclusive design: a growing focus on diversity and inclusion translates into furniture and design solutions designed to adapt to different needs, abilities and lifestyles, making environments accessible to all.
• Personalisation and customisation: customisation becomes a key element of design, with products and solutions that allow spaces and objects to be adapted to personal needs and tastes, to create unique, made-to-measure environments.
• The return of vintage and handmade: the fascination of the past and the importance of manual skills are making themselves felt in contemporary design, with the return of vintage styles and handmade pieces that add a touch of authenticity and warmth to environments.

The link between Design and the Mason's brand

Design is a fundamental element in both the furniture and fashion worlds. The search for innovative shapes, materials and solutions is what characterises both sectors, and Fuori Salone 2023 offers a unique opportunity to explore the latest trends and discover how they intertwine and influence each other. It is no coincidence that fashion and design are linked by the fact that both are concerned with creating objects that are beautiful, functional and meet the needs of consumers.

In particular, the Mason's brand is linked from its origins to the eternal luxury of certain historical locations, such as Renaissance villas and art objects that continually inspire its quest for elegance beyond time. The concept of luxury is thus transformed into an aesthetic experience in which art, design and innovation are combined, giving life to a new concept store, where, not without a touch of irony and lightness, the classicism of a fresco, a plaster statue revisited in a modern key, by means of a lacquer finish, and design frames formed by mirrors, which transform the hanging garments into works of art, find their place.

Design and interior decoration of Mason's flagship stores

Not far from the design district of Brera, at Corso Garibaldi 55, is one of Mason's flagship shops, whose aim is to communicate the company's style and values in an appealing and tangible way through various expedients, including customer care, furnishing, design, lightning and in-store experiences.

The shop design and décor is inspired by Mason's heritage DNA. A military chic, sophisticated and minimalist style that plays on the camouflage pattern. The camouflage and military details encapsulate the historicity and experimentation of the company and take us back to the gabardine garments with pockets and multifunctional accessories, while the floor and walls are made of tone-on-tone black camouflage ceramic. Furthermore, the union between fashion and design is also demonstrated by the fact that Mason's shops always have different design objects: right now, if you enter our shops, you will find a fibreglass statue of a gorilla decorated with a camouflage print, an eccentric and fun element that will amaze you.

Why visit the Brera Design District?

Visiting the Brera Design District is an unmissable experience for anyone interested in Italian design, art and culture because it offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a creative and vibrant environment in the heart of Milan. Taking part in the design week can also become an opportunity to discover Mason's world in person and observe with one's own eyes how fashion and furniture meet and merge in the Milanese store.