MILAN — The divide between big fast fashion firms and the world of high-end design continues to narrow and that doesn’t necessarily mean these companies are skimping on materials or creativity.
After all, the intrinsic mission of the broader design world is to make life better. And that’s why a legion of world-class designers are invested in making their creations more democratic, which in turn, also raises their popularity on a global scale.
Flemish architect and designer Vincent Van Duysen, whose Zen-inspired designs for major luxury players like Molteni&C sell for well in the five figures, made major headlines with his first collection with Zara Home+, the upscale line of Zara Home in 2022. “This collection is about heart and soul, and I think it is important that we are all here and to inspire and get inspired no matter what class,” Van Duysen told WWD on the occasion of his second collection.
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Interestingly enough, midcentury designers didn’t think twice about designing for the masses. Vigo Magistretti whose Maralunga sofa for Cassina, for example, starts at around 8,000 euros, was among the pioneers of affordable design. He infused the rotatable shade solution he created for his famous Eclisse lamp in 1966 into Telegono, a plastic model he made for Swedish multinational Ikea in 1969. This ethos was also shared by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, who designed the sleek metal and marble Arco lamp for Flos, one of the most recognizable pieces design of all time in the 1960s and which today is sold for more than 2,000 euros. During the same decade, they also designed a plastic Sleek spoon for Kraft. It was a simple everyday design that allows the user to scrape the mayonaise jar clean. It remains a small but telling relic of how design makes life better. Sleek is still in production today for Italian design company Alessi.
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WWD has put together a list of affordable designs that have hit the market in recent history and won’t break the bank.
Raffaella Mangiarotti for Ikea
Milan-based architect and designer Raffaella Mangiarotti is known for design-forward lighting like the Dandelion floor lamp she created with Matteo Bazzicalupo in 2003 and which is part of MoMA’s permanent collection.
In addition to her work as a world Ambassador of Italian Design between 2017 and 2024, Mangiarotti has been collaborating with Ikea for about two years where she not only infused her Italian spirit but also the use of fine oak and marble.
The relationship has resulted in designs like the Mossplym fashioned with an oak rod and a marble base, the graceful Rorkult wall lamp distinguished by its opal finish and umbrella rays as well as the uplifting paper paralume suspension lamp Bäcknate, which was selected for Italy’s prestigious ADI Design Index and design oscars Compasso D’oro. “I really believe that design should belong to everyone. It can exist at every scale, from a small coffee cup to a standing lamp, and it should bring quality, care and beauty into everyday life. For me, the goal is always the same: to design the simplest, most functional and most meaningful object possible. This does not change whether I am working for a luxury company or for a company like Ikea, which reaches many more people,” she told WWD. Prices for Bäcknate start at $59.99, Rorkult is priced at $29.99 while the Mossplym starts at $149.99.
Mikael Axelsson for Ikea
Ikea designer Mikael Axelsson, who studied design in Stockholm, Barcelona and Wellington, is also a trained mechanical engineer. After graduating from Beckmans College of design he was awarded both the Ann Walls scholarship from Swedish firm Svenskt Tenn and the Ikea scholarship. At Milan Design Week 2026, he unveiled a comfy, flexible armchair with inflatable cushions in a sturdy and elegant chrome metal frame. The firmness could be adjusted so the seat fits snug in the frame, and if a spill should occur, the cover is machine washable. Available in Knäbäck shade of green, it was inspired by Innerling, Ikea’s attempt at an inflatable sofa from the 1990s. Available in-store only, the PS 2026 chair is priced at $199.
Sabine Marcelis x Ikea
The reputation of Dutch-New Zealander artist and designer Sabine Marcelis who has worked with German-design firm Vitra and recently headlined Salone del Mobile.Milano’s collectible Raritas section with her resin sculptural works, continues to resonate on a global level and elite design circles. She unveiled the Varmblixt collection for Ikea of LED donut-shaped lamps during Milan Design Week 2022 and since then, it has risen to bestseller status. A spokesperson for Ikea said that a Varmblixt is sold every five minutes. She recently put forth a new version in new color variations and with a new matte finish. “It’s a very natural, technical evolution of how light can be experienced,” Marcelis said.
The 12-inch Varmblixt is priced at $99.99.
Ikea and Marcelis are expected to debut a new collection in 2027.
Alexander Pott x Ikea
Dutch designer Lex Pott has worked with numerous leading design brands, galleries and is best known for his work with Dutch brands Hay and &Tradition.
He’s also known for his use of wood, stone and metal. His latest design for Ikea’s PS 2026 collection includes a floor lamp that multifunctions as an uplighter, spotlight, floor lamp, all in one. Prices for the 72-inch PS 2026 lamp start at $49.99.
Vincent Van Duysen for Zara Home+
Vincent Van Duysen’s collaboration with Zara Home+ in 2022, came at a time when Van Duysen was contemplating making his designs available to a much wider public and when Zara Home was looking to amp up its Zara Home business to appeal to a luxury consumer. Van Duysen, who is also the creative director of luxury furniture firm Molteni&C for which he sells pieces of furniture well into the five figures is now approaching the dawn of his fifth collection of furniture and objects with the Spanish behemoth.
The fourth and the latest collection for Zara Home+ is not cheap, with sofas running up into the 6,000-euro range. However, those on a budget, can incorporate his creativity into their home through accessories like a dachshund sculpture priced at $79.90. Sculptural objects like these are made by artisans in Portugal and with a special process in which thermally treated ash wood are placed under high temperatures to acquire a unique tone and exceptional characteristics of durability and beauty. Items made from this wood have a subtle, distinctive aroma, Zara Home said.
“Over time, the wood evolves and changes its appearance, transforming into a one-of-a-kind piece. Shades such as open grain patterns or color changes will emerge, confirming its authenticity and beauty.”
The Zara Home+ dachshund sculpture is priced at $79.90.
Kelly Wearstler for H&M
Interior designer Kelly Wearstler has been on a roll, with new product collections around the world last year ranging from bar accessories for Italy’s Giobagnara to fine silver for France’s Christofle and outdoor ceramics in collaboration with Belgian design brand Serax. During Milan Design Week 2026, she teamed up with Swedish retailer H&M Home for the debut of their joint collection.
The collection is all encompassing and includes lighting, accessories, and modular furniture in textiles, wood, metal, ceramics and marble, for a total of 13 pieces, with the offering set to expand to 29 when it launches globally across 40 markets in September 2026.
Studio Irvine’s Dustpan and Broom for Muji
Milan-based architecture and design Studio Irvine, which also designs luxury furnishings for MdF Italia and others joined forces with Muji in 2022 for one of the most practical design pieces of all: a dustpan and broom.
“The dustpan and broom for Muji are perhaps the most honest expression of my work: objects that carry no status, no pretension, only the rigour of thought and the truth of materials. They are part of a wider system of cleaning objects for Muji and that belonging to a system is itself a design condition,” said Marialaura Rossiello Irvine, noting that the use of plastic in the design to meet production expectations, was a necessity.
She has no qualms about designing on a democratic level.
“For me, being democratic means giving beauty. This object has the dignity to live in a space openly, to be shown, not hidden away. That, to me, is the real measure of good design. A presence with character that adapts to any situation. It does not shout, it whispers.” Prices for the broom start at $7.90 on muji.com.