In Milan, at the spaces of Pianca & Partners (the company is, in fact, one of those partners), the second generation of the Milani family (the firm was founded in 1975) presented new developments for the coming year: daring forms, bold choices of colors, and a long-term program of evolution based on the intuitive interpretation of an increasingly fluid and rapidly (sometimes bewilderingly) changing world.
Plot, Milani. Ph © Alberto Sinigaglia
The world is that of contract applications, which in 2020 and 2021, in spite of the absolute stoppage of the hotel industry, has rewarded those (like Milani) who have known how to seriously construct a network of professional relations, gaining credibility, while inevitably pushing aside companies lacking in a solid foundation for their strategies of production and trade.
Nicoletta, Francesca and Giuliana Milani are now at the helm of the firm founded by their father Rino and their mother Luigina, from whom they have inherited – respectively – technical know-how and a sartorial approach. Quite an achievement, but not sufficient on its own.
The breakthrough requires products that are “recognizable from a distance,” with a distinctive personality, in spite of the fact that the market in which Milani operates is already packed with offerings, at all latitudes.
What is needed is a leap forward, getting beyond traditional (though still effective) lines, to find that extra something that makes a product stand out from all the others.
The new catalogue reflects great variety, but there are undoubtedly two outstanding entries: People designed by Alessandro Crosera, and Plot, created by Margherita Rui.
Along with these two new developments, the company presents an innovative contract “house” and acoustic panels for walls and ceilings, taking on even greater character and harmoniously blended with the MI Chair and the Quiet chairs, the Beth settees, the Bakku ottomans.
Plot, Milani. Ph © Alberto Sinigaglia
Inside Milani, the refrain of sustainability is not just a marketing ploy on which to rely in sales talks or product presentations. It is a serious asset: in the area of fabrics – and this is no minor example – Reviva boasts yarn made by recycling plastic bottles (only 500 of them are needed to cover a three-seat sofa), and Seaqual® Yarn is a very strong product, 100% recycled from marine plastic debris.
These are not just facts in a narrative, but also ways of activating know-how, positioning Milani on the front lines of these issues. It is important to remember that sustainability doesn’t happen free of charge – it is the result of major structural investments, a strategic choice based on true convictions, upstream.
People Home, Milani. Ph © Alberto Sinigaglia
