Marcus Steffen’s personal review of Euroluce at Milan Design Week 2025

Lighting designer and CEO of Akarui, Marcus Steffen, shares his highlights and insights from Milan Design Week 2025 – an event attracting people from across the globe that showcases innovation and creativity in design.

Held from the 8th to the 13th of April, Milan Design Week once again lit up the city, transforming it into an open-air gallery of artistic expression and visionary thinking. At the heart was Euroluce, the premier showcase of lighting design within Salone del Mobile, where over 300 international brands unveiled the latest in products, technologies, and sustainable innovations.

For Marcus and the Akarui team, three action-packed days in Milan were a feast of inspiration – exploring exhibitions, establishing new connections, and engaging with the future of design.

Reflecting on his time in Milan, Marcus highlights how the design week played a part in shaping the way we perceive and connect with spaces. He said: “Looking across the design week as a whole, lighting was at the core of making the experiences. Whether it was installations, showrooms, parties or events, lighting was at the heart. Speaking to interior designers and architects during the trip, every single one said how the lighting element of the exhibition and the companies were the most inspiring and innovative areas of design.”

As specialists in lighting design, the Akarui team harness the transformative power of light to shape both atmosphere and function. Marcus reflects on the ongoing challenge of finding truly innovative products that meet the high standards and vision required to bring bold lighting concepts to life. He commented: “It was disappointing to see that some big names in the industry did not blow us away as expected. It feels as though they are designing fittings that do not have any practical purpose, and there is no drive there to create something special.

There were also no extraordinary or awe-inspiring products there that changed the way we, as a team and observers, think about lighting. Rather, there were more products of similar purposes, with different stylised designs that might make it easier to find the right fit for clients. For example, mushroom lights for the garden, which light downwards for soft ambient light, used to be rare, but on this trip, I saw 20 different products of the same variety.”

At Akarui, the belief is simple yet powerful: light has the ability to transform. Guided by the philosophy that ‘the best lighting is not seen, but felt’.

For Akarui, industry events and exhibitions represent a vital pulse-check on the future of lighting design. They are a space and opportunity to allow creativity to meet technology, and where the boundaries of what’s possible with light are pushed ever further. Akarui thrives on discovering pioneering solutions that align with their ethos. What matters most to Marcus and the wider team at Akarui is finding lighting solutions that support their artistic vision while embracing sustainability, cutting-edge technology, and meaningful design – allowing them to deliver exceptional, transformative lighting experiences for clients.