TRACE | Milan Design Week 2026

TRACE is a sculptural vessel created especially for Milan Design Week 2026, where it debuted at SaloneSatellite. The work translates human movement into form, emerging from a series of observational drawings of the human body. Through an intuitive process of extracting lines and fragments from these sketches, a new formal language developed — one that evolved into three-dimensional, fluid, and organic objects.

Using traditional wet-forming techniques, the leather is shaped by hand over custom molds into spatial forms that balance tension and softness. The material responds to pressure, moisture, and time, resulting in pieces that embody both strength and delicacy.

Luvaton’s design practice is rooted in craftsmanship and material sensitivity, combining traditional techniques with a contemporary design language. Each piece reflects an ongoing dialogue between hand, material, and form.

Her work is deeply connected to a family lineage of craftsmanship. Both of her parents are jewelers, and her grandfather was a shoemaker. Although she never had the chance to meet him, she continues to work with some of his original tools — carrying forward a tactile and emotional connection to making. Her process often begins intuitively, through drawing and hands-on experimentation, allowing the material itself to guide the outcome. Working with leather as a living material, she embraces its resistance, flexibility, and unpredictability, leaving visible traces of the process within each piece.

Milan Design Week 2026 marks Luvaton’s first participation in the event, offering an opportunity to present her work within an international context and engage in a broader dialogue around material, process, and contemporary craft — in line with the theme of skilled craftsmanship and innovation.