Salone del Mobile.Milano brings design diplomacy to Hong Kong. Ambassador of Italian design to the world, arrives at DesignInspire with ABITO/HK, curated by Palomba Serafini Associati

Following its debut at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026 and its stop in Singapore, the exhibition organised and promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation arrives in Hong Kong, the eighth stop of the Salone del Mobile.Milano World Tour, from 18th to 21st November, as part of DesignInspire, an international platform dedicated to creativity and design. An opportunity to broaden the conversation on design, fashion and their transformations over time to include the culture and traditions of the East.
 
From 18th to 21st November, Hong Kong hosts the eighth stop of Salone del Mobile.Milano’s international tour. Ambassador of Italian design to the world, the Salone accompanies the ABITO project to DesignInspire, an international event dedicated to design and innovation, which brings creative communities and the business world together. The exhibition, created and promoted by the MAECI (Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation), curated by Palomba Serafini Associati, in partnership with the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau, fits naturally into this setting of lively exchange, bringing fashion and design into dialogue to show, through objects and garments, how society changes and, with it, the way we live and dwell.
 
Following ABITO on its international journey continues the commitment that the Salone pursues all year round: to promote Italian design as the expression of a culture that combines creativity, know-how and industrial expertise. A vision that weaves together cultural promotion and new opportunities for the industry, by listening to local contexts and engaging with markets of strong commercial and design potential. The collaboration with the Italian Foreign Ministry and the support of Embassies, Consulates, Italian Cultural Institutes and ITA – Italian Trade Agency Offices strengthen the Salone’s role as Ambassador of Italian design worldwide, turning dialogue with institutions, companies and the design community into lasting relationships and opportunities for international growth.
 
For this stop, ABITO broadens its narrative with a selection of local products and objects, made in collaboration with HKTDC and curated by Stanley Wong, Hong Kong artist and designer under the curatorial supervision of the Palomba Serafini Associati studio. This is how ABITO/HK came about: a journey that connects the transformations of lifestyles and design culture in Italy and Hong Kong, observing how different environments have interpreted change through the forms of everyday life. The installation invites visitors to read objects through the habits, values and aspirations of the societies that produced them. The comparison between the two selections thus offers an opportunity to explore the relationship between tradition and innovation, between inherited expertise and new ways of living and dwelling. Hong Kong’s creativity introduces a perspective that enriches the original narrative and allows audiences to find references to their own culture alongside the testimonies of Italian design.

“The international growth of Italian design requires a continuous presence in the markets and the ability to understand how they evolve. Hong Kong is a strategic partner for the Salone: a place where design culture and business meet, opening up possibilities for collaboration with Asia. With ABITO/HK we bring to this exchange the cultural heritage that gives value and recognisability to our production. The exhibition thus becomes part of a broader effort: building trust, understanding designers’ needs and bringing Italian companies closer to new opportunities. The collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation diplomatic network strengthens this commitment, connecting cultural promotion and economic development,” comments Maria Porro, President of Salone del Mobile.Milano.
 
“ABITO explores the evolution of Italian creativity through two parallel transformations: the shift from artisanal to industrial production, and from haute couture to prêt-à-porter. It is a journey that shows how craft knowledge, originally tied to exclusive production for a small elite, evolved through industrialisation, making design and fashion accessible to an ever wider public without giving up design quality, aesthetic research or the identity of Made in Italy. It is no coincidence that the ABITO exhibition was first presented at Salone del Mobile.Milano, a symbolic venue for the evolution of design and for the dialogue between creativity, industry and culture. In this journey, it is also essential to acknowledge the vision and sensitivity of the presidency of Maria Porro, who has been able to enhance and strengthen the cultural dimension of the Salone, recognising the importance of projects that go beyond commercial presentation and generate content, reflection and new opportunities for dialogue,” add the curators, Ludovica Serafini and Roberto Palomba.

The exhibition: ABITO/HK
Dressing the body and inhabiting space: ABITO/HK interweaves these two dimensions to tell the story of society’s transformations from the late nineteenth century to today in Italy. At the centre is the evolving role of women, which, through changes in clothing, makes visible a deeper transformation: the conquest of movement, of public space, of a new posture in the world. In parallel, domestic objects and interiors are also transformed, adapting to new gestures, new freedoms, new ways of life.
 
The exhibition itinerary unfolds by historical period, creating a continuous dialogue between garments and design objects. The garments, from the Quinto Tinarelli Collection, span more than a century of history and carry the tangible trace of time; alongside them, furniture and Made in Italy objects still in production demonstrate design’s ability to endure and cross eras without losing meaning. Binding these layers together, a sequence of photographic images, taken by the architect Roberto Palomba, creates a visual backdrop that amplifies the narrative and makes tangible the passage between the different seasons of collective life.
 
In this comparison a fertile tension emerges between two dimensions of time: on one side the permanence of design, conceived to endure and cross eras; on the other the ephemeral nature of fashion, an expression of its own present yet at the same time a testimony to the cultural, social and aesthetic changes that have marked society. And it is precisely in this distance that the meaning of the exhibition is built, where every garment becomes a living trace of a specific moment and every object measures design’s capacity to endure through time, offering visitors not just a sequence of forms, but a true experience of Italian cultural transformation.

Dialogue beyond the boundaries of the exhibition space
Salone del Mobile.Milano at the InnoTalks programme
DesignInspire’s rich programme makes it possible to extend the conversation on design, fashion and lifestyle beyond the boundaries of the exhibition space. Through the InnoTalks programme, Salone del Mobile.Milano will take part in two talks. The first will explore the role of exhibitions as places of exchange between cultures, disciplines and creative communities. The second will be dedicated to presenting Salone del Mobile.Milano 2027 and MAECI’s contribution to helping Italian companies develop commercial relationships and business opportunities in Hong Kong.
 
On Thursday 19 November, in the presence of Consul General Francesco Paolo Cannito, Annalisa Rosso, Editorial & Cultural Director, Advisor of Salone del Mobile.Milano, will take part in the talk “Beyond the Object: Designing Cultural Connections - Exhibitions, cross-cultural dialogue and cross-sector collaboration”, in conversation with Roberto Palomba, founder, for over thirty years, of Palomba Serafini Associati together with the architect Ludovica Serafini; the artist Elaine Ng, Founder of The Fabric Lab, with deep knowledge of the innovative use of textile materials; and William Lin, architect, artist, collector and Managing Director, CL3/Freeman Lau, Vice Chairman, The Design Alliance Asia, with over 40 years of experience as a designer and artist. Starting from the exhibition design of ABITO/HK, the talk explores the role of exhibitions as platforms for cultural exchange, capable of connecting disciplines, communities and different ways of interpreting the world. The curatorial approach of the exhibition also offers a further starting point for reflection on how design, placed in different cultural contexts, can foster dialogue around shared experiences without overlooking specificities. The exhibition will thus be interpreted as a place of relationship in which cultural meanings are mediated, connections develop and new opportunities for collaboration take shape.
 
On Friday 20 November, the talk “Design in Dialogue: Connecting Italian Design and Business Opportunities in Hong Kong”, with Annalisa Rosso, will bring to Hong Kong the projects and vision of the 65th edition of the event, to be held from 13th to 18th April 2027 at Fiera Milano, Rho, contributing to the reflection on design’s capacity to generate business opportunities. The conversation, moderated by chamber of commerce, will feature Consul General Francesco Paolo Cannito; art expert William Figliola, Founder of Italia Art Foundation and Co-Founder of Novalis Art Design; and William Lin, architect, artist, collector and Managing Director, CL3.
 
Recognising Hong Kong as a strategic platform for promoting Italian design, the talk presents the 65th edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano. At its heart are the companies and events that make up the exhibition system: Salone Internazionale del Mobile, Salone Internazionale del Complemento d’Arredo, Workplace3.0 and S.Project, together with SaloneSatellite. The return of Euroluce, the biennial exhibition dedicated to lighting, with the second edition of the Euroluce International Lighting Forum, an opportunity for dialogue among the international community of lighting designers, architects and research. Salone Contract makes its debut, with the Masterplan by Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten / OMA, to connect companies with architects, developers and clients active in major hospitality, residential, workplace, marine and public-space projects. Annalisa Rosso will present the second edition of Salone Raritas, the platform dedicated to unique pieces, limited editions and high creative craftsmanship, which she curates, with exhibition design by Formafantasma, announcing the participation of William Figliola, who joins the two previously announced protagonists, India Mahdavi and Mathieu Lehanneur.

ABITO/HK
DesignInspire (18–21 November 2026)
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
 
18th November 2026 | 2:00 – 7:00 PM
Open to trade visitors only
 
19th – 20th November 2026 | 9.30 AM – 7:30 PM
21st November 2026 | 9.30 AM – 7:00 PM
Open to trade and public visitors
 
 
Curated by
Palomba Serafini
 
An Exhibit produced and promoted by
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
 
Directorate General for Growth and Export Promotion
Director General
Mauro Battocchi
 
Deputy Director General
Filippo La Rosa
 
Office VIII - Promotion of Italian Excellences
Head of Office VIII
Valerio De Parolis
 
Coordination
Allegra Paola Baistrocchi
Gabriele Giannini
Alessia Francesca Casiraghi
Matteo Moretti
Francesca Musci
Elisa Papetti
Martina Riva
 
In collaboration with
Salone del Mobile.Milano
 
Lead Sponsor
Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), HKSARG
 
Organiser and Exhibition Build
Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)
 
In partnership with
The Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau
 
Curation, set up and display
Palomba Serafini Associati
 
Photographs
Roberto Palomba
 
Garments
Quinto-Tinarelli Collection
 
General and project coordination
R.L.11
 
Shoot production
Menotrenta
 
Model agencies
Fashionmodel Major
 
Make up and hair
Danny Visnadi
 
InnoTalks
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
 
19th November 2026 | 5:00–6:30 PM
“Beyond the Object: Designing Cultural Connections - Exhibitions, cross-cultural dialogue and cross-sector collaboration”
Talk featuring: Francesco Paolo Cannito, Consul General, Annalisa Rosso, Editorial & Cultural Director, Advisor of Salone del Mobile.Milano, Roberto Palomba, Palomba Serafini Associati, Elaine Ng, Founder of The Fabric Lab, William Lin, Managing Director, CL3/Freeman Lau, Vice Chairman, The Design Alliance Asia
 
20th November 2026 | 4:30–6:00 PM
“Design in Dialogue: Connecting Italian Design and Business Opportunities in Hong Kong”
Talk featuring: Francesco Paolo Cannito, Consul General, Annalisa Rosso, Editorial & Cultural Director, Advisor of Salone del Mobile.Milano, William Figliola, Founder of Italia Art Foundation and Co-Founder of Novalis Art Design, William Lin, Managing Director, CL3.