First, there was the panel, a varied and expert bunch whose Australian over-representation reflected the fact that this event was an especial highlight for the design community from Down Under who had travelled to Italy this year. Just as in 2023, the V-ZUG x Habitus event is a focal point for the Australian design community to come together in a new land.
The 2024 panel, hosted by Habitus Living Editor, Timothy Alouani-Roby, comprised Charlotte Wilson, Senior Associate and Head of Interiors at SJB Sydney; Jo Lawless, interior designer and Director at Lawless & Meyerson; Andrea Lucena-Orr, Dulux Colour and Communications Manager; and – providing a continental presence – Martin von Freeden, Head of Corporate Design at V-ZUG. The event, meanwhile, was introduced by V-ZUG’s Nic Naes and Sally Lukey.
Second, there was the venue. Milan Design Week presents an embarrassment of riches in terms of historic, architecturally rich settings – but we’re really not exaggerating when we say that the panel talk was an absolute standout. The centuries-old Pinacoteca di Brera, today a public art gallery and previously the Palazzo Brera, provided the backdrop both for our event and V-ZUG’s series of prestigious dinner events during the week. In particular, our panellists and audience gathered in the Sala di lettura, or Reading Room, a stunning series of old library spaces complete with historic tomes.
Guests arrived by making their way up a grand staircase before reaching the intimate discussion space. An adjacent library space also then hosted breakfast following the discussion.
The event took place on the Thursday morning, just past halfway for Milan Design Week. As such, it provided an opportunity for panellists to reflect on what they had already seen in the city and what lessons they might take back with them.
Related: Ramdane Touhami at Milan Design Week
The discussion itself revolved around the topic of technology in design, drawing attention on one hand to the gravity of Milan’s historic settings while, on the other, considering what the future might hold. An intriguing part of the discussion came as the predominantly Australia-based panel were invited to reflect on questions of designing with Country in relation to a foreign setting. Is there a risk that, in travelling to prestigious European events, designers might return to Australia and simply repeat the past mistakes of heavy-handedly transplanting Eurocentric things into a postcolonial setting?
Meanwhile, Martin von Freeden drew attention to the sustainability emphasis in V-ZUG’s manufacturing and design processes, while Andrea Lucena-Orr took us through some of the more colour-specific themes of Milan Design Week 2024.
A special thank you, once again, to our panellists, to the Pinacoteca di Brera, to V-ZUG and, above all, to the guests who took time out of their busy Milan schedules to join us. We look forward to similar gatherings in the future.
