For Milan Design Week, chef and artist Laila Gohar launches her Arket collaboration with a fruit and vegetable merry-go-round

‘A carousel is about joy!’ says Gohar  ‘It’s so symbolic of childhood and of play. I think as adults, we don’t play enough. I wish there were more spaces dedicated to adult play. I also love the whimsical nature of our carousel and all the vegetables. It’s been a dream of mine to make a carousel for a long time, and here we are.’ The ride in question, on view at Milan’s Giardino delle Arti, has been adapted from an antique model believed to date from the late 1700s, and is one of only a few examples of its kind to survive today. Gohar continues: ‘One day I hope to design an entire amusement park!’

Spanning 27 pieces, this new collaboration with Arket marks the artist’s first full collection of ready-to-wear (launching April 21, 2026), and is defined by a characteristic fusion of practicality and whimsy. On why the brand felt like the right fit for this important debut, Gohar tells us, ‘Arket feels considered and distilled down to what it needs to be. That’s the same instinct I bring to everything I make, whether it’s food or objects or clothing. And there’s something democratic about it too, the idea that these pieces could reach people who might not otherwise encounter my work, and that’s not a compromise, it’s the point.’

Egyptian artist Gohar is best known for her sculptural food design, presenting humble ingredients with playful theatricality, often created in collaboration with luxury brands including Prada, Simone Rocha, Hermès and Commes des Garçons. She has released homeware with Danish brand HAY, as well as with Gohar World, the artisanal lifestyle boutique she co-founded with her sister Nadia in 2020. While oversized fruits and vegetables are the theme for the Salone del Mobile installation, Gohar’s previous work includes classical sculptures made from polished butter, strings of oyster shells draped amongst Cala lilies, and a life-size armchair made of bread.

‘I’ve always been drawn to the idea of beauty as something accessible in the everyday, often shaped by surprise and excitement, which made this collaboration feel very natural,’ says Gohar.