In Milan, Dolce & Gabbana Creates a Career Runway for Up-and-Coming Designers
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Above: Thabisa Mjo with her work for Gen D: Dynamic Tension
While much of Milan Design Week is spent viewing the collections of design juggernauts, one of the most exciting aspects of the globe’s biggest design get-together is discovering the up-and-coming talents who are fresh on the scene. One of the best showcases of emerging creatives is from Dolce & Gabbana, which this year unveiled its second edition of Gen D, an exhibition consisting of 11 promising designers under the age of 40.
This year’s edition of Gen D is once again curated by Federica Sala (a separate show she curated last year sparked controversy during Milan Design Week; she has since apologized) and includes designers from around the world. Each experimented with materials and craftsmanship—a prevailing theme of the show—even collaborating with Italian artisans to create something wholly unique.
Perhaps the best example of this thesis statement is in the work of Thabisa Mjo and Mingyu Xu. Both chose to incorporate craftsmanship elements from their native countries—South Africa and China, respectively, as well as from Italy, in their work. Mjo’s Dynamic Tension, a pair of chairs, reflects on the opposing forces within all of us, with intricate embroideries reminiscent of Dolce’s couture. Xu’s series of colorful lighting and accessories, Wonderland, combines Chinese bamboo weaving and Sicilian glass techniques to create a joyful, vibrant final piece.
Other notable moments come via artists like Hannah Lim, an English designer who reinterprets the traditional Italian cassapanca chest into a maximalist Chest of Flames. The piece draws inspiration from Dolce’s bold patterns, while also incorporating pieces of Lim’s own design language via hanging chains and bulbs made by the legendary glassblowers of Murano.
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