This week we welcome Alessandra Caprini of Design Your Life to the Guest Blog! While we've covered international events before, Alessandra is our first EVER international Guest Blogger! Hooray! Alessandra lives in Italy and this week she will be reporting back from her week at Milan Design Week 2011. It is going to be a brilliant week- trust me, you will love every single day! -Jenny x

Hi my friends! I’m Alessandra, I live in Italy and this week I will be Guest Blogging all about my week in Milan during Design Week (we call all the events and exhibitions during this week Fuori Salone) and from the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition! I spent some very fun days in Milan and I saw many beautiful products and interesting projects. I met a lot of people from all around the world, I visited some cool places (especially in Zona Tortona, a famous district of Milan!). Today is about my first day as I walked through Milan… and obviously about what I saw!

Big pendant lamps ILLUMILUCE at Fuori Salone- a new light performance and a lighting creation by Aqua. Very cool.

The Alcantara stand at SuperStudio Più was one of the most beautiful at Fuori Salone. The entrance was really funny and curios; we had to pass through a dense jungle of green Alcantara fringes! And inside everything was a mess!

Here’s me (reflected in the mirror!) and my red trolley in Milan! I was in a cute and unusual location and it was my favorite one of the whole week! An old and abandoned open space, dirty walls, big windows with green creepers, cardboard boxes and a BIG mirror!

The products in this wonderful location are PIGRi tables and chairs, designed by Studio C from Milan. I love the contrast between the products and the place… I love the choice of this location and the style! Brilliant!

This installation was one of the best during Design Week 2011. Dip in Space was a festive environment celebrating design devised by the students of Head-Genève as part of a workshop led by Matali Crasset and Alexandra Midal.

Red and white candle wax, three “wells” of wax and the smell of hot wax in the air, the music: a magical atmosphere!

Until tomorrow,
- Alessandra x