At Milan Design Week 2026, where each project is called upon to overcome the boundary between form and meaning, Ploom returns to Milan with a proposal that does not limit itself to occupying a space, but builds a coherent and layered narrative around the concept of experience, transforming design into a language capable of involving the senses in a direct and conscious way.
From 21 to 26 April, in the heart of the Brera Design District, in Via delle Erbe 2A, “FEEL THE AURA” takes shape, a project that fits perfectly into the “Be the Project” theme, translating it into a path in which the focus progressively shifts from the object to the person, from observation to perception.
A project that evolves: from design as form to design as experience
After its debut in 2024 with Ora-Ïto and the multisensory chapter CONNECTED SENSATIONS in 2025, Ploom consolidates a precise trajectory, building an immersive experience designed for an adult audience in which every element – light, temperature, taste, shape – becomes part of a coherent narrative system.
“FEEL THE AURA” in fact develops as a complex path, in which interaction is not accessory but central: each environment reacts, adapts, amplifies, transforming the visitor from observer to protagonist of a design dimension that is built in real time.
“Across all our product categories, we translate insights into innovation and ensure excellent delivery through marketing and sales,” said Akhil Bhardwaj, Executive Vice-President, Chief Consumer Officer, M&S and RRP at JTI. “This integrated approach is aimed at strengthening JTI’s brand portfolio while creating engaging experiences for adult consumers, especially at unique events like Milan Design Week. Understanding the progress adult consumers are trying to make in their lives is today’s big challenge and, ultimately, it is what will redefine how we relate to them, improving their experiences.”
“In Italy, we observe a growing demand for new generation products that respond to the evolution of adult consumer preferences – added Igor Dzaja, President and CEO of JTI Italia – Italy has always been a central and strategic market for JTI, not only for results, but also because it represents a unique innovation laboratory, in the heart of the culture of design and style. In this context, we continue to strengthen our investments and the growth of Ploom, bringing advanced technologies, distinctive design and increasingly relevant experiences for adult consumers”.
The “Studies”: a sensorial grammar between art, technology and matter
The heart of the project is represented by the “Studies”, thematic environments developed in collaboration with NSS and Billboard Italia, in which technology is translated into artistic language through site-specific interventions.
“A Study of Light” opens the itinerary with an installation designed by Bianca Peruzzi, where light becomes a dynamic material, capable of reacting to movements and building a fluid, continuously transforming space, which accompanies the visitor in an immersive and contemplative dimension.
“A Study of Temperature” follows, an environment that reworks the concept of heat inspired by Ploom Aura technology, translating it into a gradual, enveloping, almost narrative perception, where the body becomes the first reading tool.
With “A Study of Flavor”, the project opens up to an even more complex dimension, entrusting taste with the role of design element: the collaboration with Jil Zander gives life to a culinary installation in which aromatic suggestions, aesthetics and sound design intertwine, transforming an everyday gesture into a conscious and layered experience.
Finally, “A Study of Form” and “A Study of Creation” introduce a participatory dimension, between customization workshops led by Lorenzo Fioravanti and talks curated by Scrolling Infinito, where design opens up to dialogue with digital languages and the creator economy, confirming a vision that looks beyond the object to embrace processes, communities and narratives.
New design expressions: Glacier White and Lyo
Milan Design Week also becomes the ideal context to present new product evolutions: Ploom AURA debuts in the Glacier White color, a bright and essential shade that works on subtraction and formal purity, positioning itself as a contemporary and distinctive aesthetic choice.
Alongside this innovation, Lyo is introduced, the new line of tobacco-free sticks containing nicotine, designed to respond to a demand increasingly oriented towards innovative and personalized solutions, in line with the evolution of adult consumer preferences.
D-LAB and HATENALABO: curiosity as a design lever
JTI’s commitment to innovation also extends beyond the main space, with D-LAB, in collaboration with h concept, presenting “What’s HATENA?” in Corso Garibaldi 73, an exhibition that marks the launch of HATENALABO.
The project explores the value of curiosity as a creative engine, through a series of experimental products that invite the public to interact directly, transforming the experience into an active and participatory process, capable of generating surprise and reflection.
The closing: when design meets the scene
To close the week, a closing party that further expands the perimeter of the experience, with performances by the Curly Brothers, Manuelito and Boss Doms, in a finale that confirms the direction of the project: a design that is not limited to being observed, but which is experienced, crossed and remembered.
