CONTEMPORARY DESIGN: IN NAPLES TO LEARN TO SEE WITH DIFFERENT EYES

From 10 to 12 October, the seventh edition of the editorial and designer fair returns: La Santissima and the Vomero National Museums host international exhibitors, cult projects and new perspectives on design

EDIT Napoli opens to the public on 10 October 2025 and expands its scope with a route that, for the first time, encompasses the prestigious sites of the Vomero National Museums: Castel Sant’Elmo, Certosa di San Martino and Villa Floridiana, evocative settings that will provide the backdrop for the cult projects of the seventh edition.

The choice reflects the mobile and multifaceted soul of the event, rethinking design as an ever-evolving experience and showing the city itself through a kaleidoscope that reflects new perspectives. Movement thus becomes a key element of the entire event, a lively dialogue between protagonists and symbolic places in Naples, an intertwining of the city’s architectural history with contemporary design innovations.

Independent studios, emerging designer brands, manufacturing companies and contemporary Italian and international artisans come together here in a continuous interplay of references and intertwining that allows them to express themselves, exchange ideas, get to know each other and create new dialogues and collaborations.

Confirmed participants include the winners of the last edition, Atelier Nuanda and Bianco67 with Parasite, together with companies that have long been associated with EDIT and many new additions that further enrich the increasingly diverse landscape of the fair. There will also be renewed participation by Spanish designers thanks to the España Diseño Mediterráneo competition, organised in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes in Naples.

Here is the complete list of exhibitors for the seventh edition.

LA SANTISSIMA: A PLACE OF WORSHIP THAT CREATES CONNECTIONS

The ancient charm of the frescoed vaults of La Santissima, once one of the largest monasteries in Europe, now welcomes contemporary art and the designers of EDIT Napoli, becoming a laboratory of creativity and innovation thanks to the Urban Value project that supported its redevelopment. EDIT Napoli brings together its ever-growing community of designers and creatives for a moment of reflection on both the city of Naples and design itself. Founded by a noblewoman who escaped an arranged marriage to follow her vocation, La Santissima stands halfway between the Spanish Quarter and the Montesanto district. Its central location facilitates the connection between the upper and lower parts of Naples, a theme dear to EDIT; it is, in fact, this interplay of perspectives that forms the basis of the spirit of the seventh edition of the event. A radical change of perspective on the city in which the new location takes on a particularly strategic role. With ever-increasing awareness, EDIT looks from a new vantage point at the mapping traced so far of the context in which it operates.

Inside La Santissima, between the exhibitors in the Main area and the Seminar (a space dedicated to promising new designers, featuring creatives under 30 and/or projects that have been active for no more than three years), the installations are curated by Lemonot, a duo working in architecture and performing arts. Sabrina Morreale and Lorenzo Perri have developed a project that sees light, almost intangible surfaces dancing with masses characterised by a powerful materiality. In the entrance area, visitors will be greeted by a suspended, monumental and slender structure: a cantilever created by a series of slender tubes, hooks and steel cables, immediately reminiscent of port architecture and the world of the sea. This imagery is also evoked by the colours of the Thalassa fabrics – created in cyanotype by Teresa Carnuccio: rhythmic waves that rest, like sails and drapery, on the poles of this unusual “clothesline”, another element that reflects the host city. This creates a linear and nuanced ceiling that introduces and accompanies visitors to the upper floors.

On the floor, Milani chairs and lamps define the entrance path and rest areas, while Ranieri lava stone benches and counters, with rough grooves alternating with bright enamels, welcome visitors. The alternation of metals, fabrics and stone also characterises other areas such as the bookshop, where warm tones interact with the historic architecture, creating an atmosphere of sensory harmony.

CULT: A SPACE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS

For the seventh edition, the dialogue is enriched by an unprecedented collaboration with the Vomero National Museums, an exceptional partner that bears witness to a continuous process of cross-fertilisation, exchange and new opportunities which, year after year, allow design to take root in the history and life of places.

The fair, hosted in the spaces of La Santissima, is accompanied by the CULT exhibition programme. In the evocative spaces of Castel Sant’Elmo, Certosa di San Martino, and Villa Floridiana, projects by leading names on the national and international design scene will contribute to making the narrative of the event a multidimensional story of the city, capable of combining heritage, art and design in a constant exchange between past, present and future.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CULT 2025

EXTRA: INITIATIVES THAT FUEL A DIALOGUE FREE FROM BORDERS

As every year, there are plenty of initiatives to complement the general programme, including Pietro Corraini’s project: “Giocare è una cosa seria” (Playing is a serious matter), an exhibition inside La Santissima where everything invites you to change your perspective, sit in unexpected ways and be surprised by objects that become games. A journey that intertwines play, art and imagination to reflect lightly on our relationship with technology.

To complete the programme for the entire event, a special initiative has been organised in the intimate setting of the historic spaces of the Antica Salumeria Malinconico. Here, the installation “DICE DICE, PARE PARE” by designer Coralla Maiuri takes shape, an installation that plays with matter and energy, on display until 18 October.

Among the extra events of the exhibition, EDIT Napoli welcomes the collaboration with Concettina ai Tre Santi and nss edicola: a project born from the idea that creativity and community are collective experiences, capable of uniting different worlds such as fashion, design and cuisine in the tradition of openness typical of Naples. The collection of plates-works of art designed by Peppe Palermo is on sale in three locations: EDIT Napoli, Concettina ai Tre Santi and nss edicola.

During the days of the fair, the historic venue in the Rione Sanità district becomes a place for meeting and exchange; a contemporary after-work club where taste meets design. The result is a special pizza, conceived as a gastronomic tribute to design and creativity, accompanied by moments of conviviality, music and dialogue. At the same time, nss edicola is transformed into an active hub for the duration of the event and the following week, incorporating the experience into the programme of J’Adore Napoli 2500, the programme of events celebrating the cultural vitality of the city.

JURY AND AWARDS

Once again this year, the award for the best unpublished project will be assigned by a high-profile international jury, which includes Alvaro Catalán de Ocón, a world-renowned designer; Claire Laurent, partner at the Paragone agency; Alessandro Valenti, digital director at ELLE Decor Italia; and Ermanno Zanini, General Manager at Jumeirah Capri Palace and Regional Vice President Southern Europe & UK at Jumeirah Group.

The unpublished works presented at the fair will be evaluated to compete for the annual prize, which gives creatives the opportunity to exhibit their work free of charge at the next edition of EDIT Napoli. The selection criteria identify projects that embody the values of intelligent design and respect for cultural heritage, combining all this with a well-calibrated price.

The collaboration with LABÒ Cultural Project has been confirmed for 2025. Under the curatorship of The Design Blender, LABÒ has selected a project capable of symbolically crossing Italy, from Genoa to Naples. An ideal bridge between two ports, two design cultures and a common vision of the future of design. In this context, Massimiliano Dalle Sasse will exhibit at EDIT with the DLA DESIGN LAB brand, presenting several pieces, including the SCAFFOLD bookcase, the first product born from the recent collaboration with Davide Balda. Thanks to this partnership, the winners of EDIT Naples will have the opportunity to exhibit during Milan Design Week 2026 at the next edition of LABÒ Cultural Project.

The collaboration between EDIT Napoli and DesignWanted continues, bringing Felicia Neuhof’s Shellf Life project to the fair this year. Selected by the EDIT team during the second edition of ENHANCE at Milan Design Week, Felicia Neuhof’s work starts with the transformation of discarded oyster, mussel and clam shells into innovative building materials: a sustainable, zero-kilometre alternative to cement and polluting plastics.