A Personal Reflection from Milano Design Week 2026
A Thought That Returned
“Color is my obsession, my joy, and what torments me all day.” — Claude Monet
After visiting YAMAHA’s installation “Prezzemolo” during Milano Design Week 2026, these words returned to me again and again.
In the midst of one of the world’s most influential design events—where innovation, material, and concept intersect—I found myself drawn inward, reflecting not on design as a whole, but on something more intimate: ornamentation.
What Ornamentation Means to Me
As a jewellery designer, and as a flutist—an instrument whose sound lingers like an ornament within an orchestra—I began to consider what ornamentation truly means to me.
Both music and jewellery might be regarded as adornments, as non-essential. We can alive without them, of course.
And yet, without it, something feels incomplete.
Between Necessity and Desire
This realization stayed with me as I moved through the installation. There is a quiet but persistent desire to live beautifully—not in excess, but in awareness.
Perhaps this is where ornamentation finds its place.
Not as decoration alone, but as expression.
Not as necessity, but as meaning.
Perfection may never be attainable, whether in design, craftsmanship, or life itself. But the desire to to live with a sense of beauty can, in some way, be fulfilled through ornamentation.
Simply put, my heart cannot live without it.
A Moment to Keep
Moments like this remind me why I am drawn to jewellery design—why craftsmanship, detail, and the subtle language of materials continue to matter.
I am grateful for this opportunity to reflect during Milano Design Week 2026, a place that continually inspires new ways of seeing.
During my visit, at Superstudio Più I encountered many innovations in new materials, such as INFINITY-BIO—a freestanding bathtub made from the sustainable material CRISTALPLANT®. I experienced also One Earth – House of the Heart by Toyo Ito, where children’s sincere imagination unfolds freely within architecture.
By chance, I also had the opportunity to meet Mr. Toyo Ito and exchange a few words with him—something I could hardly believe.
I also carry a personal memory from that day when exhibitors from Japan kindly spoke to my daughter in Japanese. What seemed like a simple exchange was a pleasant surprise for her and became something truly special.
