Milan Design Week is a key destination for contemporary design.

However, it is not just homeware brands and architects who flock to this event, but a range of other brands and retailers from fashion to beauty.

We have found brands creating art installations, pop-up bookshops, musical events and even a special tram. Many of the installations and activations also take place in Milanese historical buildings, showcasing the city’s architecture and heritage.

Here are some of the most interesting pop-ups we found for Milan Design Week in 2025.

Image credit – Muji

Muji Muji 5.5, Brera

Muji collaborated with degrowth design collective Studio 5.5 to create a pop-up called Manifesto House, which was open from 8-13 April.

The co-founders of Studio 5.5, Claire Renard and Jean-Sébastien Blanc, were influenced by architecture in Japan when designing the installation, which was located in a secret garden in the Brera district. 

Manifesto House was a modular micro-architecture structure with sustainable design, including building insulation made from recycled clothing and a sloped roof for collecting rainwater.

The house featured 12 products which were created from previous Muji items, including a birdhouse, a box lamp and a Japanese planter. Visitors could choose to make their own versions of the products by following the designs created by Studio 5.5.

Image credit – Apartamento

Apartamento Bookshop, Commerce

Interiors magazine Apartamento launched a pop-up bookshop from 7-11 April.

Located in the existing bookshop Commerce, the pop-up featured artist Peter Shire, known for his founding of the Memphis Group, a postmodern design group. Peter has recently released a new book documenting the Memphis Group through his own photography.

The pop-up included a special signing by Peter alongside an exhibition of photography and works from the Memphis Group. The brand also collaborated with Almond Rocks to create striped socks, reflecting Peter Shire’s striped designs.

The bookshop included a curated collection of Apartamento books, including architectural photography and Italian cookery.

Image credit – Swarovski

Swarovski Tram

A pop-up tram was created by iconic crystal company Swarovski to celebrate Milan Design Week.

The bright green tram was designed to resemble a traditional Italian tram and incorporated both a Swarovski brand colour and embellishments from the recently launched Idyllia range. This new collection encompasses homeware and jewellery with natural wildlife and floral designs.

Visitors were able to book a ride on the tram, as well as take part in events, such as a workshop to create bouquets. There were also refreshments available on board.

Image credit – Gucci

Gucci: Bamboo Encounters, Chiostri di San Simpliciano

From 8-13 April to celebrate Fuorisalone and Gucci’s heritage of bamboo, the luxury brand created an exhibition dedicated to the material.

The exhibition was located within a monastery and included the work of seven artists such as Dima Srouji, Nathalie Du Pasquier and Anton Alvarez, exploring bamboo through different themes.

The exhibits include ‘Hybrid Exhalations’, a basket created with bamboo and hand-blown glass, ‘Scaffolding’, with bamboo encased in dark blue resin and ‘1802251226’, a bamboo like structure in blue rising from the water.

Stone Island x Friendly Pressure, Capsule Plaza

A collaboration between luxury Italian brand Stone Island and London speaker designer Friendly Pressure resulted in an exhibition called Friendly Pressure: Studio One.

The exhibition involved creating a specially designed studio for Stone Island and its new music project. The pop-up featured a week of music events and live DJ sets spanning a range of musical genres.

This included sets by Bianca Intensa and NINAFTERDARK, as well as a daily morning show called A Loose Ting, where host Errol Anderson discussed music and sound with sound engineers and producers. The exhibition was designed to evoke nostalgia and connection, allowing visitors to explore music via decks and speakers.

Image credit – Aesop

Aesop, The Second Skin, Chiesa del Carmine

At the Chiesa del Carmine, beauty brand Aesop designed an installation around the skin.

The Second Skin was an exhibition that allowed visitors to explore the functions of the skin, as well as navigate a historical building, to celebrate the brand’s Eleos collection.

Visitors were greeted with a series of panels using Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm to resemble dewy skin. Another room was an audio and scent experience, with the sound of a drop of water, while a separate hidden room contained a film featuring dancers representing bathing.

A collection of basins allowed visitors to take part in a hand cleansing ritual and meditation, and the church’s courtyard contained a table for a period of reflection. Finally, some guests were able to visit the Capsule of Respite for an arm massage.

TRACEY SNELLING X SELETTI, Hotel Voyeur, Corso Garibaldi

Design brand Seletti has collaborated with American artist Tracey Snelling to create Hotel Voyeur, which was open from 8-12 April.

The installation was a table lamp that displayed the exterior of a hotel over the façade of the Seletti flagship store. The windows included a selection of short videos of the inside of hotel rooms, with the help of technology from Samsung.

Visitors were able to take part in the video by going inside the store and interacting with the artwork and equipment. Personalised versions of the Tracey Snelling table lamp were also available to order in-store.