Yachting and lifestyle at the heart of the Design Innovation Award

Design Innovation Award © Luca Butto

Milan's Fuorisalone offered a global platform to discuss new synergies between design and the yachting industry.

As part of the Fuorisalone, the city-wide network of design events that take place during Milan Design Week, the Trussardi Showroom at Via Burlamacchi 4 hosted an event entitled "Nautica & Lifestyle" ("Yachting & Lifestyle"), during which a partnership between Confindustria Nautica, the Italian Marine Industry Association, and Trussardi's home and interiors line Trussardi Casa was announced and the seventh edition of the Design Innovation Award was presented to the world.

The event, an integral part of Made in Italy Day 2026, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Business and Made in Italy Production, provided an opportunity to discuss the increasingly close dialogue between the yachting industry, lifestyle and design.

Alberto Racca, CEO of Trussardi and the Miroglio Group: "Throughout Trussardi's history, two values have always guided our approach. The first is kindness: the idea of dialogue acting as a force capable of bridging different worlds, connecting experiences and languages. The second is Italian elegance, not to be confused with ostentation but as a profound, recognisable quality. It is on these values that we are proud to embark on this journey as a lifestyle partner of the Geona International Boat Show, helping to bring our vision to the world of yachting. We hope that this marks the beginning of a broad and lasting collaboration with Confindustria Nautica and the entire sector. Welcome to the Trussardi family."

Piero Formenti, President of Confindustria Nautica: "What struck me above all upon entering this showroom is a design sensibility very close to our world: an elegance that is never ostentatious, but deeply felt, and a tremendous attention to the relationship between design, spaces and quality of life. It is the same approach we find in the yachting sector, where form, functionality and experience must coexist. In this sense, our collaboration with Trussardi Casa represents a natural next step and represents a tangible opportunity to develop new synergies, bringing together two areas of Made in Italy excellence: yachting, with its showcase of excellence represented by the Genoa Boat Show, and the world of fashion, design and lifestyle."

Marina Stella, General Manager of Confindustria Nautica: "The Design Innovation Award was launched in 2020 with the aim of transforming a period of uncertainty into an opportunity to revitalise the event and achieve strategic positioning. We wanted to create an independent award, placing design at the centre, rewarding companies that continued to invest in innovation and interpret the changes defining their times. Now in its seventh edition, the Award has become an observatory of innovation in nautical design and emerging languages, an integral part of the Genoa International Boat Show's identity: a place where companies, designers and new visions come together, where innovation is not just showcased, but acknowledged and integrated into a broader narrative."

Luisa Bocchietto, Coordinator of the Design Innovation Award Steering Committee: "We wanted to produce a publication to recount the first six editions of the Design Innovation Award, a prize created to reward excellence with an international vision, but also to support the growth of emerging companies. Over the years, we have seen how the Award has served as a powerful stimulus for many of these initiatives, accompanying them in their development. The book aims to recount not only winning designs but also celebrate the Genoa International Boat Show's journey and the contribution of all those who, through their expertise and vision, have added to the Award's prestige."

Massimo Lorusso, Brand Manager at Trussardi Casa: "In recent years, we have witnessed a genuine fusion between the yachting world and that of interior design: the concept of 'home' is gradually taking its place on the water, transforming them into spaces that are increasingly welcoming and closer to the idea of living. Comfort, materials, colours and quality of life are becoming central elements on board too, giving rise to what we might call a positive 'domestication' of the nautical world. The challenge is to maintain this balance with functionality, and this is where the collaborative work between designers and different areas of expertise takes on fundamental importance."

Aleks Tatic, Designer and member of the Design Innovation Award Jury: "Compared to other design awards, the evaluation process for the Design Innovation Award is more complex and comprehensive: we do not simply look at the object, we enter the space and experience the product. We are witnessing a significant shift in nautical design: we are moving from a more expressive and opulent aesthetic to a more essential experience, in which design enhances the relationship with nature and reduces superfluous elements. This return to the essence and to a more authentic elegance is a trend set to strengthen over the coming years."

The Design Innovation Award, now in its 7th edition, is a prize established by Confindustria Nautica and I Saloni Nautici in 2020 with the aim of supporting excellence across the yachting industry and promoting innovation by showcasing exhibitors at the Genoa International Boat Show through their latest products. The recognition awards ten categories.

The winning designs are selected by an independent jury made up of a variety of national and international experts, from professional designers to trade journalists, academic researchers, boat owners, and representatives of industry organisations and institutions, in order to ensure a broad, cross-sector perspective and evaluation.

The award ceremony for the 7th edition of the Design Innovation Award will take place on 2 October as part of the 66th Genoa International Boat Show, scheduled to take place in 1 to 6 October 2026.