Mirei Monticelli Translates Emotion through Sculptural Lighting in Pleasure Garden at Milan Design Week

On one quaint night in Milan’s northern hip district, one cannot miss a long window display of Mirei Monticelli’s works, illuminated among the grins and laughter of Filipinos and international crowds. Drawing the gaze from afar, her voluminous Nebula Grande Chandelier, framed in dried florals, hangs at the entrance, seemingly inviting guests to embark on an immersive botanical journey. 

Mirei Monticelli, an increasingly sought-after Filipina artist and product designer based in Milan, lights up NODO Bar in collaboration with Santa Ana Gin, taking the audience to a whimsical, cocktail-inspired haven through her sculptural lighting installations made from Banaca fabric. True to her Filipino roots, she brings refined, sustainable textiles derived from Philippine abaca fiber, handwoven by artisans from Catanduanes, Bicol Region, and molds them into organic and undulating open sculptures. 

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Sensation Made Ethereally Tangible

The industrial-style bar is transformed into a charming nightly jardin botanico, with Mirei Monticelli’s creations scattered at every corner. Her constructed lightscapes are rooted in the four signature cocktail recipes by Santa Ana Gin. Mirei notes how her visual identity is very similar to the brand, using exquisite botanicals that are aligned with the aesthetic language of her pieces. 

“I wanted to create a space that feels intimate and alive, shaped by light, texture, and emotion. This collaboration felt natural because we share a connection to the Philippines through material, botanicals, and memory. I made the different installations using pieces from my permanent collection, shifting more of the styling to place them in different contexts,” Mirei shares. 

The sensory experience starts with the First Bloom, a set of Anemone lamps in varying sizes evoking the pleasure of awakening. The set, inspired by Pomelo Mimosa of Santa Ana Gin, rests on fluid forms of Banaca drapery—a subtle acumen to blossoming and renewal. 

Walking through another corner, guests are drawn to pause and look through a mirrored wall surrounded by purple and orange-toned Butterfly lamps. This is The Garden of Glances, a set visually shaped from the cocktail Pomelo Spritz, conceived as a lure for the egoless gaze – an emphasis on inner reflection and outer perception. 

Spring Breeze, located on the other side of the bar, kindles the olfactory sense of guests. Inspired by Santa Ana Gin’s Florale Gin and Tonic, the installation is Mirei’s Banaca interpretation of ylang ylang, the spirit’s signature botanical note. Visitors are pulled closer as their breath stirs a fine floral mist, evoking the lightness of spring air. The lighting is backdropped by bronze face casts by Constantini, which serve as a quiet emblem of memory and desire, like scent itself. 

At the terraced corner stand the Laminaria lamps, eliciting the pleasure of elevation labeled as The Ascent.  Inspired by Florale 75, the set of vertical lamps is surrounded by baby’s breath in tones of lilac and yellow, aiding the sense of luminosity and uplift. It invites the guests to sit down, rest, and immerse themselves in the unworldly rising feeling that culminates the garden’s journey. 

Serving a final touch is the ambient lighting throughout the space, from her bestselling Aphrodite table lamps, freshly unveiled rechargeable lamps, and candles placed on custom 3D-printed holders made from a cement-and-sand composite reinforced with Banaca plant fibers.

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Mirei hopes the visitors will quietly indulge the sensory feeling from the palpable textures of her works. “Working with Banaca allows me to bring together design, storytelling, and cultural roots. With this installation, I wanted to translate the character of the cocktails into a series of sensory encounters that invite people to look, feel, breathe, and take part,” she adds. 

Activating the Filipino Design Community in Milan

Monticelli is not a newcomer to Milan Design Week. In fact, the Banaca artist has been on the scene since 2019, debuting with her cloud-like Nebula Lamp that won her first SaloneSatellite Award. Through consecutive participation in fairs, exhibitions, and partnerships here and there, she continues to set the course of her career in the global design industry, carrying the Filipino allure to Italy and the rest of the world.

More than putting the native material of Banaca into the spotlight once again, Mirei purposefully arranged the event to veer away from a show which people “just look at”, and instead, create an interactive and intimate setting for community gathering. Backed with a drink in hand, pica-picas, and fun exchange, guests are offered the true essence of Filipino hospitality. 

“I think the dialogue with art has to be a real experience and mostly, more community-based, defining a connection with the people who live the pieces. Nowadays, especially in this digital world, people are leaning toward more personal connection or human touch. We are lacking that aspect of every physical encounter, the aspect of humanity that’s real and authentic.” Mirei explains. 

Pleasure Garden sets a different stage for Mirei to diffuse Filipino design globally. She collaborates with a Filipino spirit brand, Santa Ana Gin, invites Milan-based Filipina painter Kath Magpantay for a live illustration during the event, and partners with Filipino media and marketing organizers. Amplifying collective voices, the project extends beyond installation and unfolds a shared space for a strong Filipino creative presence abroad. 

What comes next for the up-and-coming designer is still in the works. MIrei continues to seek meaningful synergy among the right collaborations, keeping Filipino authenticity yet independently riding the international design circuit by holding her own creative spaces. Rather than focusing on visibility, she sees growth in deepening her research on material and product development. 

She adds, “The industry evolves abruptly through the years, and this is very evident during Milan Design Week. While I didn’t really adapt as I’ve never really followed the trend, I aim to continue exploring. I have been using the same material for the past seven years, and soon, I want to change and inject something new, even in the product itself. The same way as I did with the rechargeable lamps.” 

The question remains: what new material language will Mirei Monticelli turn to next?

_{Photographed by Juan Padilla}

Read More: An Introduction to Milan Design Week: Salone del Mobile, Fuorisalone, and the Key Districts

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