Eleni Petaloti and Leonidas Trampoukis unveil Valextra's Soft &amp; Tender Topographies project, presented during Milan Design Week.

For Milan Design Week 2026, Valextra has transformed its flagship store on Via Manzoni into an exercise in emotional engineering.&nbsp;
For the occasion, the maison is collaborating with the Objects of Common Interest studio to create the Soft &amp; Tender Topographies project, an installation that challenges the dichotomy between mass and lightness. Here, the Greek white stone and the polished curves of the marble establish a close dialogue with the Pergamena shade and the graphic sign of Inchiostro, codes of an elegance that Xavier Rougeaux, CEO of Valextra, defines as "our constant exploration of materiality, presenting an irresistible softness within a structured frame."
In this scenario, where the Iside bag undergoes 3D printing and a glossy varnish to become a sculpture, Rougeaux emphasizes how "we are constantly seeking structural and material perfection; the curved marble structures perfectly capture this concept, becoming emotional points of contact of a tactile desire." He also adds that in the work, viewers find&nbsp;"hints of Valextra's distinctive codes, from the multidimensionality of our leathers to the play of contrasts in the details

Portrait of Xavier Rougeaux. Courtesy of Valextra.

The initiative, however, doesn't remain confined within the boutique walls, but rather extends into the quintessential Milanese ritual spaces, like the Bar Basso, because "the Salone del Mobile is a celebration of Italian and Milanese design and culture icons, and there's no better place than the Bar Basso to invite our clients and the creative community"&mdash;an interaction that Rougeaux considers "fundamental to connecting with our customers."
This vision, which sees the innovation of the Iside Sculpt and the Iside Editor as proof that&nbsp;"an iconic silhouette can be reinterpreted and reinvented in authentic ways when its foundations are solid," focuses entirely on an aesthetic that doesn't need labels to be recognized.
For Rougeaux, in fact, focusing on materials and savoir-faire is "the recipe for longevity and the secret to long-term success." He explains that "excellent savoir-faire is central to creating these timeless objects of desire," resulting in pieces that are "distinctive to those familiar with the brand thanks to their characteristic features, but admired by anyone who appreciates exceptional design objects."
It is within this perimeter of Milanese rigor that we asked designers Eleni Petaloti and Leonidas Trampoukis of Objects of Common Interest&mdash;who work between New York and Athens&mdash;to trace the breaking point between the density of the material and the lightness of the idea.

L'OFFICIEL: What does it mean for your studio to work with the historical archives of Giovanni Fontana and Valextra?
ELENI PETALOTI AND LEONIDAS TRAMPOUKIS: It's an invitation to engage in a dialogue across time. For us, it's not about quoting history literally, but about understanding its intrinsic values. Precision, sobriety, and a profound respect for materials and craftsmanship. Valextra's legacy brings with it a certain clarity that feels very contemporary. Working with this archive has allowed us to reflect on continuity and position our work within an ongoing narrative of craftsmanship and innovation. L'O:&nbsp;Your research moves between Athens and New York. In Soft &amp; Tender Topographies, how did you interpret Milanese style and Valextra's DNA?
 EPLT: Working in Milan almost every year has created a sense of familiarity that feels very natural to us. Over time, engaging with the city and its design culture has become an intuitive process. There's something about the Milanese approach that resonates with our background: the Mediterranean sensibility we bring from Greece, combined with the precision and elegance we experience in New York. In Soft &amp; Tender Topographies, this translated into a balance between softness and rigor. We approached Valextra's DNA through clarity, proportion, and attention to detail, while allowing the work to remain fluid and atmospheric. It was less about interpreting Milan from the outside and more about responding to it from a place we already feel close to.

L'O: You've transformed stone into an object that invites pause and tactility. What was the inspiration behind Metamorphic Rocks?
EPLT: The starting point was the idea of ​​transformation. Stone is often perceived as static and monumental, yet it carries within it a long history of change. We were interested in revealing this latent softness, almost as if the material had been delicately reshaped over time. Metamorphic Rocks invite a slower interaction. They encourage touch, weight, and presence. In a certain sense, they challenge the distance we usually maintain from stone objects and propose a more intimate relationship.
L'O:&nbsp;The installation subtly recalls Valextra's Inchiostro line through a play of light and shadow. How does the perception of space change when working on a millimetric and graphic scale, typical of luxury leather goods?
 EPLT: Working at a millimeter scale requires an extreme level of precision, where every line and joint becomes essential. In many ways, this approach is very close to our background in architecture, where detail, proportion, and the way elements come together define the overall spatial experience. Light is always a starting point in our work. It introduces the idea of ​​change, something that is never static. This sense of movement is fundamental to our approach to space. In this project, light and shadow became tools for designing the space, translating something intrinsically graphic into a three-dimensional environment. Perception becomes more focused and intimate, where small shifts create subtle yet impactful differences. Designing bespoke elements specifically for the store reinforced this approach, allowing each piece to operate at the scale of an object while contributing to a larger spatial composition.

L'O: What did you learn from this collaboration with Valextra?
EPLT: What we found most interesting about this collaboration was the dialogue between two different design scales. Our work often operates in spatial or installation contexts, while Valextra works at the object level with extreme precision. Merging these two approaches required a process of reduction and concentration. It pushed us to rethink how gestures, materials, and transitions can be distilled to their essence, without losing their emotional quality.

Valextra Meets Objects of Common Interest at Milan Design Week

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