The Transformism showcase by Crosby Studios is an installation by Harry Nuriev created with Clive Christian Perfume for Milan Design Week 2026. It was just presented at Museo Bagatti Valsecchi. The project takes the form of a full-scale silver chessboard that visitors move through rather than observe. Mirrored surfaces and enlarged sculptural elements are derived from the brand’s perfume bottle, translating its form into spatial components distributed across the rooms.
The layout follows a chessboard grid, with metallic pieces scaled into architectural elements that define movement and circulation. Reflective materials extend across floors, walls, and objects, producing layered visual effects within the historic interiors of the museum. The installation occupies multiple connected rooms and was open to the public from April 20 to 26, 2026 as part of the Fuorisalone program.
Image Credit: Crosby Studios
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Immersive Brand-driven Installations
- Experiential environments that physically translate product design into navigable spaces suggest new models for brands to merge storytelling and spatial commerce.
- Reflective Material Architecture
- Mirrored and metallic surfaces used at scale create dynamic perceptions of space and light that can redefine material palettes for interior and heritage contexts.
- Large-scale Interactive Sculptures
- Oversized sculptural elements configured as circulation and play components indicate opportunities to blur boundaries between art, architecture, and user engagement.
Where This Applies
- Luxury Fragrance Retail
- High-end perfume brands presenting immersive spatial translations of packaging point to retail formats where scent, object, and environment converge into a singular brand experience.
- Museum and Cultural Spaces
- Historic institutions accommodating contemporary, walk-through installations reveal possibilities for adaptive presentation strategies that attract broader audiences while negotiating preservation constraints.
- Experiential Design and Event Production
- Producers of temporary exhibitions and festivals can leverage large-scale, sensory-driven sets to create monetizable touchpoints beyond conventional sponsorship and ticketing models.
