The creative director as a “cultural platform” Creative freedom wanted

The Design Week 2026 is looming over Milan with all its branded pop-ups, but among the highest-profile events on the calendar, two in particular best illustrate the current state of fashion and its protagonists. The events we are referring to are the debut of Kris Van Assche at the Fuorisalone, with the series “Nectar Vessels Bronzes” and the new “Rosamar” ceramic collection for Serax, and the group exhibition INSIEME curated by Sabato De Sarno for Vanity Fair at Piscina Cozzi, which aims to tell the story of Italian craftsmanship through twelve projects created specifically for the show.

Neither exhibition is strictly about fashion, yet both speak directly to its audience given the importance the two creatives previously held as creative directors — a role both Van Assche and De Sarno have stepped away from in order to pursue broader cultural vocations. Their fame in the fashion world has allowed these projects to break out of their relatively niche spheres, while the credibility of their names has cemented the importance of the respective initiatives. This correspondence is no coincidence: theirs is simply the most extreme example of the evolution that the classic role of creative director is undergoing today.