1. Il Sonno - A Supermarket Reimagined

Why do we love it?:

“Il Sonno” is a surreal supermarket installation created by OMA / AMO in collaboration with SolidNature for Designboom’s Room for Dreams during Milan Design Week 2026. The installation reimagines an everyday grocery store entirely in natural stone — from the shelving and fruit to household products and packaging — transforming the fast-paced world of consumerism into something permanent, sculptural, and almost dreamlike. Instead of encouraging consumption, the space slows visitors down and invites them to reflect on materiality, value, time, and sustainability

What makes this installation so powerful is the contrast between the ordinary and the monumental. A supermarket is normally associated with speed, disposability, and routine, yet here OMA and SolidNature elevate those familiar objects into timeless artifacts carved from marble and stone. It feels cinematic, slightly absurd, and incredibly beautiful at the same time. The project also reflects a wider shift happening across design right now — moving away from excess and toward permanence, tactility, and emotional storytelling through materials.

Personally, it inspired me from an interiors perspective — especially the idea of treating natural stone not just as a finish material, but as a storytelling medium capable of creating atmosphere, emotion, and narrative within a space. It’s a reminder that even the most functional environments can become poetic when materiality is pushed in unexpected ways.

2. Gucci Transforms Times Square

Why do we love it?

Gucci transformed Times Square into a surreal large-scale brand spectacle for its Cruise 2026 presentation under Demna. Massive synchronized billboards displayed fictional Gucci products, AI-generated campaigns, and satirical luxury advertisements across the city, turning one of the world’s busiest public spaces into a theatrical commentary on consumer culture

What made this project so impactful was how it blurred the line between fashion show, art installation, advertising campaign, and social commentary. It felt chaotic, ironic, cinematic, and incredibly self-aware — almost like stepping inside an exaggerated luxury fever dream. Rather than creating a polished aspirational campaign, Gucci leaned into absurdity and overstimulation in a way that perfectly reflected internet culture and modern consumerism.

It also feels representative of a wider shift where brands are becoming entertainment ecosystems instead of simply selling products. From a creative perspective, it’s inspiring because it proves how powerful scale, immersion, and cultural timing can be when building brand experiences today

3. The Devil Wears Prada Returns

Why do we love it?

Rumours, teaser discussions, and industry excitement around The Devil Wears Prada sequel development exploded again this month after renewed reports surrounding cast discussions, production movement, and the growing return of “fashion cinema” aesthetics across social media. The internet quickly reignited its obsession with Miranda Priestly-era fashion, publishing culture, office style, and luxury editorial nostalgia
 
What makes this cultural moment so interesting is how strongly people still emotionally connect to the visual world of The Devil Wears Prada nearly twenty years later. The film continues influencing fashion imagery, office aesthetics, creative-industry culture, and even luxury retail environments today. As conversations around the sequel resurfaced, social media became flooded with references to glossy magazine culture, cinematic wardrobes, silver accessories, dramatic office interiors, and the aspirational chaos of early 2000s fashion media.

It also reflects a broader return to highly stylized, cinematic storytelling within branding and fashion right now. Many recent campaigns — especially from luxury brands — feel heavily inspired by the same polished editorial world the film represented. Personally, it’s inspiring because it reminds us how powerful cohesive visual storytelling can be. The film wasn’t just memorable because of the fashion; it created an entire universe with its own mood, materials, attitude, and atmosphere — something many brands today are still trying to achieve.

4. What is dyslexia?

Why do we love it?

Creative studio Art&Graft released a powerful animated short film this month exploring what it actually feels like to live with dyslexia. Instead of explaining dyslexia through statistics or educational language, the film uses a hybrid animation style — combining shifting typography, fragmented visuals, motion distortion, and layered sound design — to immerse viewers directly into the experience.
 
What makes the project so impactful is that the medium itself becomes part of the message. The constantly shifting visuals, interrupted reading flow, and distorted pacing intentionally create moments of confusion and overwhelm, allowing audiences to emotionally experience dyslexia rather than simply learn about it intellectually. It’s an incredibly smart example of design being used not just for aesthetics, but for empathy and communication.

The film also resonated with me personally because I only discovered that I have dyslexia at the age of 28. After learning more about it, so many things from high school and university suddenly started to make sense — the way I processed information, struggled with certain learning methods, and experienced things differently from others around me. Watching this project felt emotional because it translated those feelings visually in such an accurate and empathetic way. It reminded me how powerful creative storytelling can be when it helps people feel seen, understood, and less alone through design and communication

5. A New Generation of Pocket Watches

Why do we love it?

Audemars Piguet and Swatch unveiled a playful pocket-watch-inspired collaboration this month that reimagines traditional luxury watchmaking through colourful, exaggerated, almost toy-like design language. The piece combines oversized proportions, pop-inspired aesthetics, and nostalgic references while still celebrating Swiss craftsmanship and horology culture.
 
What makes this collaboration so refreshing is how unexpected it feels. Luxury watchmaking is often presented as extremely serious, heritage-driven, and untouchable, but this project embraces humor, nostalgia, and playfulness without losing its sense of craftsmanship. The oversized pocket-watch format almost feels cartoonish in the best way possible — transforming an object usually associated with exclusivity into something joyful and culturally relevant again.

It also reflects a larger creative trend happening right now where luxury brands are becoming less rigid and more emotionally expressive. Similar to how brands like Loewe or Jacquemus use surrealism and playful installations to connect with audiences, this collaboration shows that design can still feel intelligent while being fun and self-aware. Personally, it’s inspiring because it reminds me that good design doesn’t always have to feel minimal or overly polished to create impact — sometimes exaggeration, irony, and personality are what make creative work memorable.