The Italian brand is preparing to open a shop in Milan dedicated to its homeware range, which continues to grow, notably with a line of outdoor furniture and through a number of real estate projects.

In Milan, Karl Lagerfeld unveiled his second home collection, Thom Browne launched a textile line with Italian manufacturer Frette and luxury outlet Fidenza Village teamed up with artist Cyril Lancelin.

On April 18, with Milan Design Week in full swing, Swarovski inaugurated its Milanese flagship store, the first of its kind in Italy, adding to the flagships opened last autumn in New York and Seoul.

Hermès and Giorgio Armani have taken centre-stage at Milan Design Week with their sophisticated installations, showcasing the affinities between their furniture and fashion collections.

Well-known for its perfumes and candles, Diptyque has opened a store on rue Duphot in Paris, displaying its collections and offering customisation and workshops. This premium concept is about to be launched in London.

The two luxury brands, along with the Italian retailer, are making a name for themselves at this year's Milan Design Week with some particularly original and environmentally-friendly projects.

These esteemed fashion houses are collaborating with Gio Ponti, Cini Boeri, Gae Aulenti, Portaluppi, and Le Corbusier, to reinterpret their classic designs in luxurious new forms at the Milan Furniture Fair.

On the first day of Milan Design Week, FashionNetwork.com met Massimiliano Ferrari, CEO of Corporate Brand Maison, who talked about the new initiatives and ambitious projects of Elie Saab’s home interiors line.

The new Fendi Casa project, launched in 2021, is starting to bear fruit. In 2023, the Roman luxury label's furniture line doubled its revenue, and is now commercialised via over 50 retailers worldwide.

While Easter remains a major shopping event on the retail calendar, this year’s four-day holiday (29 March-1 April) was a particularly strong one, given cost of living restraints. 

Many labels don’t know which way to turn, forced to choose between the Venice Biennale, scheduled on April 17-19, and Milan Design Week, set to welcome 300,000 visitors on April 15-21.

Since French Connection was taken over a little over two years ago, the company has focused on its recovery, taking each development slowly and steadily. And this week it has announced a new deal with Next for Home.

Known for simple, monotone stationary, apparel and home goods, Muji is betting that there’s just as much demand for no-frills homes and hotels, with plans to ramp up the number of Muji-style accommodations.

​It’s not just third-party fashion brands M&S is developing. The retail giant is backing up its impressive rebound by signing a new agreement with its financial partner HSBC UK to beef up experiences for M&S customers.

Just how problematic were the White Company’s recent logistical delivery woes? Enough for its CEO to make a grand apology to its customers on social media.

Japanese clothing and home goods retailer Muji has become the latest victim of the tough retail environment, calling in administrators for its European operations.