Zona Tortona highlights!

Milan is full of spring blossoms at the moment... so beautiful. Everywhere is so green and lush!

I really loved this hidden courtyard tucked between beautiful old buildings in Zona Tortona. Once again so much greenery everywhere... beautiful.

GORGEOUS little greenhouse full of lush plants and a cute little installation of lettuce and edible plants, set up on a table with cutlery etc.

After launching last year, Diesel's furniture and interiors range was one of the most popular exhibitions in the Superstudio area of Zona Tortona. I really loved their graphic printed furnishings fabrics.

Diesel's stand took inspiration from a moon landing... great lighting and muted colours...

Finally! Highlights from Zona Tortona!

Zona Tortona is a super cool area kind of in the South West of Milan. For nine years now the Zona Tortona area has been hosting it's own satellite design events in parallel with the main Salone del Mobile fair... originally this began as a way to offer alternative locations for emerging designers to showcase their work in Milan during the design week, but these days of course the area has become so popular that many big furniture companies and established designers have moved their design week events to the popular Tortona hub.

Zona Tortona is now the main congregation area in Milan for fair-goers... it stretches about a square kilometre along the narrow cobbled streets of the Porta Genova area, and dotted along the route are so many galleries, showrooms, shopfronts and basements full of design exhibitions and installations. The atmosphere around here is just buzzing... and the crowd is really varied - from design industry people to design enthusiasts, tourists and students. The streets are lined with cafes, food vendors and info points - and you can hire a red Zona Tortona bike to get around if you like!

I have just posted a gazillion pics from Zona Tortona over on my Flickr! Please pop over and check them out! (Sorry once again captions are coming!) x

Milan is full of incredibly cute smallish motor vehicles.

Installations at Dedon

Gorgeous pink blossom at Dedon in the courtyard

No expense spared at Swarovski

Veuve hosted an installation by the Campana brothers... although I was most excited by the vertical gardens!

Shiny shiny at Tom Dixon in the Superstudio. (Spot my legs!?)

Lush ivy and creepers EVERYWHERE. Man I wish it rained more in Melbourne. Crazy chandelier at Piet Boon

Cute tableware - ceramic tableware you can customise with buttons(!?) by emerging designers Ilil Informal Illusion, and the established Italian favourite Seletti.

Loved this installation called Velvetissement - Short Stories in Via Savona, where visitors were asked to leave a small personal possession behind and pin it on the wall...

Looking down on the Superstudio forecourt from above. LOVE this seating area... the carousel turned slowly as visitors reclined on oversized beanbags to rest their aching feet!