salone del mobile to launch formafantasma-designed platform for collectible design

November 12, 2025

2

salone del mobile.milano introduces collectible design platform

At the 64th edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano in April 2026, a curatorial space titled Salone Raritas is set to debut, showcasing how the fair engages with collectible design and high-end manufacturing. Conceived as a meeting ground between galleries and architects, interior designers, developers, and contractors, the initiative creates a direct interface between the world of special editions, antiques, and craftsmanship and the commercial design ecosystem. Curated by Annalisa Rosso, editorial director and cultural events advisor of the Salone del Mobile, and designed by Formafantasma, the exhibition will occupy pavilions 9–11 at Fiera Milano, Rho, from April 21st–26th, 2026.

Salone Raritas offers a curated selection of unique pieces, limited editions, and ‘outsider’ objects. The project is built on the premise that one-of-a-kind works, long seen as the preserve of galleries and private collectors, are increasingly shaping the identity of high-end hotels, residences, and public spaces. Salone Raritas brings these works into the heart of the fair and responds to a growing demand from the professional market for authenticity.

images ©Formafantasma, unless stated otherwise

formafantasma creates a permeable architectural landscape

The exhibition design by Formafantasma, the studio of Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, transforms the fairground into what the duo describe as ‘a legible and permeable architectural landscape, a lantern that puts light and rhythm at the service of the pieces.’ The concept envisions a porous, material environment where the display of each gallery remains distinct yet part of a unified whole. Using a defined color and material palette, Formafantasma’s scenography keeps the space coherent and recognizable while allowing each gallery to express its own identity.

For Rosso, the project extends the Salone’s cultural role while introducing a new market dynamic. ‘We have worked to build a new design, cultural, and commercial ecosystem that constitutes a concrete and valuable opportunity for both exhibitors and visitors, generating new connections and market opportunities,’ she notes. ‘Salone Raritas heralds a new chapter for the collectible design segment, which is evolving and expanding its characteristics and range of possibilities.’

showcasing how the fair engages with collectible design and high-end manufacturing

salone raritas embraces the collectible

Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, underscores the strategic and ethical dimension of this expansion. ‘Salone Raritas was born of an awareness that is also a responsibility, which is to read the evolution of the international market and provide a response consistent with the identity of the Salone del Mobile.Milano. Our role has always been to stay ahead of the curve: today we are doing so by throwing open a new chapter devoted to authorial design, research and antiques — an extraordinarily fertile territory — which interacts directly with the professional design system,’ she shares.

Salone Raritas reframes the collectible as an essential component of contemporary design practice, where rarity and craftsmanship indicate cultural depth and material intelligence. The initiative also leverages the broader Salone ecosystem, a platform attracting more than 300,000 visitors and over 5,000 journalists each year, to amplify the visibility of a sector that conventionally operates on a smaller scale. The exhibition creates a dedicated environment for galleries, curators, and makers to connect directly with the B2B world as both a commercial and cultural infrastructure.

during Milan Design Week 2025, Formafantasma presented Prada Frames: In Transit