Presenting Soft & Tender Topographies,a landscape of textures and materialities that play together in perfect equilibrium.
For Salone del Mobile 2026, Valextra and Objects of Common Interest have collaborated to create an installation that brings three-dimensional curved volumes toValextra’s flagship Milan boutique highlighting our structural flexibility within a light-hearted framework.Through subtle nods to Valextra’s iconic codes-including its distinctive black lacquered Costa edging, Pergamena White hue, and multidimensional leathers-Objects of Common Interest’s organic forms place structure, surface texture and inherent tactility in a soft spatial language.Situated throughout the Via Manzoni flagship boutique,the series of sculptural glossy forms in subtle variations of volume and height form gentle islands that cradle the small marble pedestals. Each spotlights the tension between hardness and elasticity, structure and softness,establishing a silent dialogue between mass and surface.A play with chiaroscuro-the treatment of light and shade-also comes to the fore, with the natural luminosity of Greek white stone and the outline of its shadow echoingValextra’siconic Pergamena White hue and fine Inchiostro lines.Retreating into the back of the boutique,Objects of Common Interest’s exclusively commissioned Metamorphic Rock stools extend the topography into a habitable zone that celebrates the notion of objects as both works of art and everyday essentials. An exploration of materials and dimensions, Soft & Tender Topographies is a study of playful perception and inherent tactility that exudes Valextra’s distinctive Milanese attitude. To mark the occasion, Valextra proudly presents two special limited editions of the Iside handbag that were directly inspired by the materiality of the Design Week installation. The Iside Mini Sculpt sees its famous top handle reimagined with articulated curves using 3D-printing technology and polished palladium hardware. Accompanying it, the Iside Editor Gloss has been crafted from black patent leather to echo the glossy contours spotlighted in the collaboration. Valextra hosted Design Week guests to a special cocktail celebrating the collaboration at Bar Basso that saw the installation expand into the legendary corners of the Milanese institution.
VALEXTRA
Founded by Giovanni Fontana in 1937, Valextra is one of Italy’s most renowned and discerning leather goods brands. Taking inspiration from its hometown of Milan,Valextra’s handbags and luggage embody the brand’s commitment to engineering beauty and creating meaningful everyday objects of desire.From the classic TricTrac wrist bag, first conceived in 1968, and the iconic Iside handbag, designed in 2011, to the Milano handbag introduced in 2023 as the ultimate everyday luxury companion, preservation and innovation go hand in hand in Valextra’s approach to craft and construction. Signature details, such as the black lacquered Costa edging, the fine hand-painted Inchiostrolines, and our exquisitely soft leathers like Millepunte, Palmellato, Sublime and Senso nubuck, have endured as discreet yet distinctive signatures that make Valextra recognizable around the world.
OBJECTS OF COMMON INTEREST
Founded by Eleni Petaloti and Leonidas Trampoukis in 2016, Objects of Common Interest operates at the intersection of art, design, and architecture. The studio works across a range of scales, from sculptural objects and installations to immersive environments and public art projects. Based between New York and Athens, Eleni and Leonidas are also founding partners of the sibling architectural practice LOT Office for Architecture.Their work has been exhibited internationally at museums, institutions, galleries, and design fairs including the Noguchi Museum, MAXXI–National Museum of 21st Century Arts, Vitra Design Museum, Design Museum Brussels, Museum für Kunst und GewerbeHamburg, Cycladic Museum Athens, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Québec, Chicago Architecture Biennial, and Nilufar Gallery, among others.Objects of Common Interest focuses on still life installations, experiential environments, and sculptural objects, driven by an exploration of materiality and spatial perception that reflects the cultural dialogue between Greece and New York.Eleni and Leonidas received the Wallpaper Design Award 2026 for Best Scene Stealers. They were also named Designers of the Year by the Elle Deco International Design Awards (EDIDA) in 2024. Their recognition includes consecutive listings in the AD100 among the world’s top designers and architects,serving as judges for the Wallpaper Design Awards in 2023, and being honored as Designers of the Year by Wallpaper in 2022.They also received the Design Studio of the Year Prize at the Dezeen Awards Public Vote 2022 and the Design Prize for Experimentation by Designboom in 2021.Eleni and Leonidas have delivered lectures at the AA in London, the Venice Architecture Biennale, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and have taught as Adjunct Professors at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture in New York.
