STEPEVI UNVEILS “A SOFTER WORLD” AT MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2026

Images courtesy of Stepevi

Textile, memory, and Color Transforms into A Living Installation

At Milan Design Week 2026 , luxury rug brand STEPEVI presents A Softer World, an immersive installation created in collaboration with Swedish textile artist Alfhild Külper. Hosted at the brand’s Milan showroom on Via dell’Orso, the project coincides with the launch of the new Caresse rug collection.

Conceived as an emotional landscape of texture and color, the installation translates Külper’s ongoing exploration of memory, tactility, and inner spaces into a physical environment. The concept revolves around “soft spots”—mental refuges associated with comfort, protection, and serenity—inviting visitors to slow down and reconnect with the sensory dimension of textile materials.

A key element of the project is the use of leftover yarns from the Caresse collection, forming the material basis of the installation. This approach reflects a shared commitment by STEPEVI and Alfhild Külper to upcycling and responsible resource use, giving new life to materials that might otherwise go unused.

Presented by Interni Cipta Selaras

Throughout the week, the installation evolves through visitor participation. Guided by Külper, guests select colors tied to personal memories and integrate them into the work through a manual felting process, gradually transforming the installation into a collective textile composition.

The spatial concept was developed with Milan-based architect Carolina Nisivoccia, a longtime collaborator of STEPEVI, who shaped the showroom into an immersive environment highlighting the dialogue between textile art, design, and material.