UNIQLO: a place to pause by Desalto

Italian design and Japanese fashion come together at UNIQLO’s store in Piazza Cordusio, Milan. To mark the launch of a new edition of LifeWear Magazine, the Japanese brand has chosen Desalto to furnish a first-floor area where customers can browse the publication and take a break from shopping. The collaboration brings together two distinct creative worlds through a shared appreciation of quality, research and attention to detail.

The setting features Unlimited, the seating system designed by Francesco Rota, alongside Mini Clay, a side table by Marc Krusin. Two pieces with distinct identities, they share a restrained design language that sits naturally within the store’s architecture. Unlimited’s welcoming, linear forms lend the area a sense of comfort, while Mini Clay introduces a discreet presence, balancing functionality with visual lightness. Together, they help shape an environment that invites visitors to slow down and enjoy a moment of reading.

The project also represents an interesting context for Desalto’s upholstered furniture, a relatively recent area of development for the company. Placing Unlimited within a fashion-led environment demonstrates the collection’s ability to engage with different settings and visual languages while retaining its distinctive character. Rather than simply furnishing a space, the pieces contribute to an experience in which design becomes part of the everyday retail journey.

Materials and finishes play an equally important role in defining the atmosphere. Much like putting together an outfit, creating a space involves combining shapes, colours, textures and materials. Desalto’s wide range of customisation options, including different fabrics and finishes, allows for varied combinations and individual expressions of style. Here, the contrast between metal and neutral tones creates a distinctive material interplay, in keeping with UNIQLO’s understated Japanese aesthetic.

The collaboration brings Italian design and Japanese fashion together through a shared vision of quality, versatility and attention to detail, demonstrating how thoughtfully designed furniture can adapt to different contexts.