THE MENTOR: Rossana Orlandi

If Milan Design Week is a circus then Orlandi is its ringmaster. The septuagenarian gallerist with the signature oversize white sunglasses is known as a tireless champion of emerging Italian and international design. Her eponymous gallery, Spazio Rossana Orlandi — in the city’s Magenta district — is a crucible for nascent design talent and a must-do during Design Week. Her gallery is an eclectic experience (“a beautiful mess” is how Simone Farresin of Formafantasma describes it), but generally a reliable barometer of emerging trends. Orlandi alumni include Piet Hein Eek, Nika Zupanc, Maarten Baas and Nacho Carbonell.

Visit rossanaorlandi.com.

Sé Collections Stay Day Bed by Nika Zupanc. Sé Collections. Scarlet Splendour 88 Side Bar by Nika Zupanc. Ombré Glass Chair by Germans Ermics. Sé Collections. Rossana Orlandi. Sé Collections. Scarlet Splendour. Lighting by PET Lamp. Scarlet Splendour...