Inside AD’s Milan Design Week Party Hosted With Ralph Lauren

Last night, on the eve of Milan Design Week 2023’s commencement, AD global editorial director Amy Astley—alongside the global editors of AD; Hatta Byng, editor of House & Garden; and Emily Tobin, deputy editor of The World of Interiors—hosted a cocktail party for the international design community at Ralph Lauren’s Via della Spiga flagship. Some 200 invited guests convened within the Milanese residence turned storefront, the facade of which was brilliantly reimagined as though a patchwork quilt, piecing together classic and vintage-tinged patterns from the Ralph Lauren Home fabric collection. 

“It’s such a joy and privilege to host a cocktail celebrating Salone with all my colleagues from the global ADs, The World of Interiors, and House & Garden UK at the beautiful new Ralph Lauren boutique in Milan,” Astley said of the event. “We are all thrilled to be back in this city, which is humming with vibrancy and design inspiration.”

Indeed, the overarching sentiment of the night was that after three years of canceled or deferred fairs, Milan Design Week is back in full swing—perhaps even busier than ever. Between bites of mini lobster rolls, pigs in a blanket, and other jazzed-up American fare, guests ranging from rising design talents to AD100 decorators chatted about current projects, recent travels, and what they were most looking forward to seeing during Salone del Mobile. AD senior design editor Hannah Martin shared her own personal recommendations to designers and fair first-timers Keia McSwain and Michael Hilal, while Lila Allen, senior editor of AD PRO, congratulated Humbert & Poyet principals Emil Humbert and Christophe Poyet on their latest hospitality marvel, Beefbar, the new-to-Milan restaurant located in a 16th-century Baroque chapel. Elsewhere, Astley caught up with Vincenzo and Claudia De Cotiis, whose jaw-dropping Italian palazzo adorns the cover of AD’s May issue. 

Guests trickled out into the courtyard garden, an extension of the Bar at Ralph Lauren, where the flagship facade’s patchwork patterns continued. Ticking stripes, block prints, and batiks in a palette of hushed reds, pinks, cream, and a grounding indigo layered the exterior, cushioning wicker club chairs and banquettes. Under the light of dozens of hanging lanterns, guests sipped on signature drinks such as the Rosé Royale, a summery number flavored with grapefruit and orange, or the herb-infused Spiga Spritz gin cocktail—both topped with Veuve Cliquot Champagne. Of course, some guests stuck to Italian tradition and opted for a Negroni. 

See more highlights from AD’s Milan Design Week cocktail party with Ralph Lauren below.