How did the Salone del Mobile in Milan first start?

1961. Italy’s economic rebirth is in full swing. Consumerism is growing, the economy is marching on and modernity irreversibly and euphorically shapes the lifestyle and habits of the Italians. The previous year the Olympics Games in Rome and Federico Fellini’s La dolce vita had put Italy under the international spotlight. The Salone del Mobile was born against this background: a little over 300 hundred exhibitors, the pavilions located in Piazza VI Febbraio alone, and about 10,000 visitors, of whom only a mere thousand coming from abroad. 

However, that’s where everything started: from the intuition of a few Italian furniture makers, led by Tito Armellini. After visiting the Koln Furniture Expo they understood, with a certain degree of foresightedness, the necessity of letting the rest of the world discover their products too. They hence funded Cosmit (“Comitato Organizzatore del Salone del Mobile Italiano”), taking the wise decision of making communication the fulcrum of their entrepreneurial venture. From the very start, the Salone became the main stage for Made in Italy design in the interiors and furniture industries. The expo, though, wasn’t just a great shopping window but a whole universe destined to grow and expand itself over the years, finding in the city of Milan the booster to promote and spread the excellence of Italian design to an international audience.

Opening image: SuperSalone. Courtesy Salone del Mobile. Milano. Photo Andrea Mariani