Light and Porcelain: YAMAGIWA at Milan Design Week 2025

Stepping into Villa Borsani: A Meeting of Light and Porcelain

During Milan Design Week 2025, YAMAGIWA found an inspiring backdrop in Villa Borsani, where the soft curves of Noritake’s porcelain displayed alongside gentle pools of light. Rather than a flashier commercial booth, the setting felt more like a quiet home gathering: sunlight filtering through tall windows by day, elegant luminaires nudging the dusk away come evening. Between the building’s modernist lines and lush gardens just outside, the interplay of material and shadow took center stage.

Spotlight on Three Collections

YAMAGIWA didn’t overwhelm visitors with countless models. Instead, they kept things simple: RAI made its international debut, introducing a slender, sculptural profile that balances form and function; TALIESIN® returned as a familiar friend, its historic DNA still evident in the signature ring-shaped diffuser; and JAKOBSSON LAMP rounded out the trio, offering a more playful take with its articulating arms and minimalist joints. This focused approach let each piece breathe, so you could lean in to appreciate subtle details—like the precise gap between porcelain and light source in RAI, or the way TALIESIN® casts soft rings on adjacent walls.

Design by Faye Toogood: Shaping the Space

British designer Faye Toogood took the helm of the interior layout, choosing raw textures and muted tones to complement rather than compete with YAMAGIWA’s fixtures. Tables of unglazed porcelain held lamps like precious objects, while simple plinths echoed the Villa’s original terrazzo floors. Toogood’s knack for balance meant nothing felt out of place: a lamp could stand solo in a corner, or sit in dialogue with a stack of plates, and both felt equally at home.

A Calm Fusion of East and West

Most visitors commented on the gentle harmony achieved by blending Western tableware with Japanese lighting sensibilities. The porcelain’s cool matte finish highlighted the warmth of YAMAGIWA’s glow, and the villa’s geometric forms provided a surprisingly fitting canvas for objects rooted in meticulous craftsmanship. Rather than shouting “look at me,” the space whispered an invitation to pause and observe highlights of everyday design.

Through this understated showcase, YAMAGIWA demonstrated how lighting can transcend mere utility, becoming a collaborator in creating mood and meaning. If you wandered through Villa Borsani between April 7 and 13, 2025, you were likely to leave with a fresh appreciation for the quiet artistry hidden in both porcelain and light.