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    Yes, it's been a month since we were there. But we've spent that time recovering, digesting our thoughts (and reading everyone else's), and sifting through our scribbled notes on the back of taxi receipts. And with all that in mind, we figured the best antidote to the "Milan Design Week has become overrun with brands" sentiment is to share the work of some of the independent designers who showed their work away from the "experiential" installations.Having scoured the city looking for them, and filling our camera rolls with pictures of their work, we bring you 20 independent designers you need to know from this year's Milan Design Week. You're welcome.Jesse ButterfieldLondon-based Jesse has been on our radar for a little while now. His work spans both design and research, and often culminates in a practice that is both inquisitive and process-driven. He also co-founded Computer Room, a research-oriented design collective, alongside fellow London-based designers Andu Masebo and Charlie Humble-Thomas in 2023.@jesse__butterfieldJane WrightWe didn't know we needed a leather rug or custom lace curtains until we saw Jane Wright's work. Presenting alongside Jesse Butterfield at Alcova, Jane brought her work with lace and textile to the party – combining contemporary motifs with traditional crafts.@wright_jane_MA-MAMade up of three sisters, MA-MA is a New York and Los Angeles-based founded by Sanam, Laylee, and Safura Salek, who together bring experience from top firms like OMA and BIG. They formed MA-MA in 2018, and went on to create furniture that is, quite literally, transformative – like this chaise longue, which satisfyingly slides out to become a day bed.@ma.ma.nyc304.Cage304.Cage is based in Rotterdam, and was founded in 2023 by Bram Schlangen. It was the studio's big square daybed that caught our attention. Intended to look "hostile" on first view thanks to its harsh-looking aesthetic, the piece is actually a squishy black cushion imprinted with patterns designed in collaboration with artist Chun.@304.cageThéophile BlandetThéophile Blandet is a French designer and artist working in the Netherlands. As you'd expect from a Design Academy Eindhoven graduate, his work is conceptually led, resulting in objects that tend to resist all efforts of categorisation, such as the "Fluid" lamp, which is turned on through an injecting device.@theophileblandetTeo RheTeo Rhe is a Korean multidisciplinary designer based in the Netherlands. This year, he showed both his own proejcts and those of others through his platform Bureau Parso. Drawing from his rich cultural experiences, he integrates modern and traditional crafting techniques to create furniture and lighting.@teo.rheSheyang LiTogether with Teo Rhe, Sheyang Li runs Bureau Parso. His sculptural, hands-on approach is bolstered by a background in engineering, with material experimentation being at the centre of much of his work. His unique way of working with metal stands out amongst a see of polished, perfect steel, given the way he layers it and combines it to create something totally unexpected from the material.@_sheyang_CWR StudioDespite Christoph Wimmer-Ruelland's work being made up of found objects, you didn't necessarily notice until you looked closer, because the execution was so impressive. Avoiding the use glue or screws, he began researching knots to hold the pieces together. Interestingly, his research took him to the forums of those interested in Doomsday prepping, and here, the communitiy taught him how to tie specific knots that would make the pieces incredibly strong and durable, while ensuring they could be dismantled without damage.@wimmrueSoft BaroqueWe've been obsessed with the fantastical approach of Soft Baroque for a long time, so it was great to see them have a solo presentation in Milan this year. Created alongside Belgian gallery Uppercut, the "Ghost Kitchen" was located in a downstairs gallery space, that the studio (made up of Saša Štucin and Nicholas Gardner) had turned into a tiny apartment, complete with furniture and a custom kitchen area.@soft_baroqueSerim KwackCurator Valentina Ciuffi described the expressive glass work of Serim Kwack as being "like a painting", having placed his work in her show "Romance of Fragility" Delvis (Un)Limited. Kwack's work uses found industrial glass panes to create subtle imprints of everyday objects, treating the material in a way that comes across as an ode to the mundanity of life.@serim_kwackAkiyama RyotaAkiyama Ryota was part of one of the best shows we saw during our time in Milan. Based in Mashiko, Japan, Akiyama showed a collection inspired by a packaging method used by Japanese stonemasons, who place objects together using nothing but rope. Named “Looping”, the project saw complete pieces of furniture finished with rope, which was wrapped around the piece to create an outline-like detail.@ryotaakiyama01Studio BooboonStudio Booboon is a multi-disciplinary design firm founded by Korean designer Jisu Yun and British designer Richard Bone. The firm takes its name from the Korean word "booboon" (부분), meaning a detail or part of something. Their collection in Milan was made from off cuts and surplus materials, which were then transformed into pieces of furniture using an approach they call “3D marquetry”.@studiobooboonNiels Raoul BooneThis blue sink is the stuff of our dreams. In fact, all of Niels Raoul Boone work is. The designer etches whimsical patterns into the surface of metal furniture, which is usually crafted to take on an elaborate, ornamental form. A true metalwork magician.@nielsraoulboone_Rumba BorThe work of Thailand-based studio Rumba Bor is inspired by the aesthetics of the mundane, everyday. Founded by Rumpa Paweenpongpat, the studio takes mass-produced or forgotten objects — such as their celebrated Choei stool, revived from an old factory mould — and re-contextualises them through new materials and packaging.@rumba.borPatrice LortzWe've literally never seen a candle as complex as this one. Made by Patrice Lortz, a French product designer and CGI artist, they are designed to blur the border between the physical object and the virtual object, making reference to the shape of a birthday cake, candle holder and flower bouquet.@patricelortzLucie GholamFrench-Lebanese designer-maker Lucie Gholam blends ancient craftsmanship techniques with contemporary design. Her sustainability focused practice often looks to the possibility of working with more circular materials, and typically reuses construction waste as a way of callenging our ways of building and our connection to objects and spaces.@luciegholamLS GommaLS Gomma's (aka Joel Muggleton) work with rubber has made him a firm favourite on our lists. Working primarily with polyurethane rubber and metal mesh from his Paris-based studio, LS Gomma fabricates everything by hand, with each handcrafted rubber panel becoming a spatial painting at the core of the practice. This material has become the studio's signature, and was on view at both Salone Raritas and a solo show hosted by Uppercut.@ls.gommaNapalosaWe first came across the work of Napalosa when her furry lamps appeared on our algorithm. Hooked ever since, we've been tracking the growing popularity of the studio, which was founded in 2021 by Nelly Bellegarde, and is based in Antwerp, Belgium.@NapalosaElectric ArchitectsIf Milan is anything to go by, you could argue that smoking is very much back. Perhaps it's the Milan vibe that inspires the designers to create smoking-related projects, but there really did seem to be a theme appearing. One of these projects came from Electric Architects, who created a series of smoking objects collectively named "The Vice". Our favourite was The Vice Sentinel is a large-scale, multi-armed ashtray.@electricarchitectsJoshi / GreeneTurning a simple concept into an architectural detail, Joshi / Greene presented their Rail System amidst the residential backdrop of the Convey exhibition. The rail that runs the length of the room is designed to accommodate corresponding accessories, including a mirror, shelves, chair, clock, vase, and coat hanger, transforming the environment one object at a time.@joshi_greene

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