Authored Design: TM Leader Contract’s Collaborations at Salone del Mobile Milano 2026
At Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026, TM Leader Contract once again showed that contract design is not built only through functionality, resistance and technical precision. It is also shaped by ideas, creative perspectives and each designer’s ability to imagine new ways of inhabiting spaces.
Under the concept Find the Unexpected, TM Leader Contract’s stand became a meeting point between product, scenography and authorship. A space where each piece emerged as a protagonist, while also forming part of a broader conversation about the present and future of contract furniture.
In this edition, the collaborations with Karim Rashid, Yonoh Studio, Vicente Gallega and Vlad Tolochko played a leading role. Four different visions, four creative languages and one shared intention: to design pieces with identity, capable of responding to the real needs of hotels, restaurants, hospitality spaces and contemporary contract projects.
Karim Rashid: a second collaboration shaped by emotion
Following his first collaboration with TM Leader Contract, Karim Rashid once again became part of the brand’s universe with a new proposal that reflects his unmistakable language: fluid lines, organic forms, dynamism and a way of understanding design as an emotional experience.
During the fair, Karim Rashid visited TM Leader Contract’s stand and gave a speech in which he shared his vision of design and spoke about the piece created for the brand. His presence made the presentation a particularly meaningful moment, strengthening the connection between designer, product and audience.
The new collaboration with Karim takes shape in Kiss, a sofa conceived as a continuous gesture of softness and connection. A piece with undulating forms that invites closeness and transforms the act of sitting into a shared experience. In its design, fluidity is not only aesthetic: it becomes a way of creating bonds.
Yonoh Studio: balance, clarity and warmth
Yonoh Studio was also present at the stand. The Valencia-based studio, founded by Clara del Portillo and Alex Selma, is known for its thoughtful simplicity, balance and precise attention to detail. Its language combines contemporary clarity, functionality and warmth, resulting in honest and recognisable pieces.
During their speech at the stand, Yonoh spoke about the creative processes behind their designs for TM Leader Contract: Halo and Krone.
Halo is born from the exploration of the circle and movement, transforming a continuous curved line into an enveloping form that embraces the backrest. The result is an armchair with a serene, recognisable and welcoming presence.
Krone, on the other hand, begins with a search for visual lightness and structural solidity. A chair where the joints and the architecture of the piece become an essential part of its identity. Two different designs, yet connected by the same sensitivity: creating functional, balanced furniture with a lasting vocation.
Vicente Gallega: timeless design with intention
Designers Vicente Gallega and his daughter Olga Gallega also took part in this edition with a speech dedicated to their collaboration with TM Leader Contract. From their Valencia-based studio, with more than 30 years of experience, Gallega has developed a way of working based on solid ideas, functional solutions and a constant pursuit of formal simplicity.
Their design Torii starts from an architectural reference rich in symbolism: the Japanese threshold that marks the transition between two spaces. This idea is translated into furniture through an armchair that invites pause, a change of rhythm and a calmer way of inhabiting.
Torii combines presence and lightness, structure and comfort, geometry and balance. It is a piece with an architectural character, designed to integrate naturally into contract spaces, hotels, restaurants or contemporary interiors seeking identity without excess.
Vlad Tolochko: a piece presented through the emotion of design
Although Vlad Tolochko was unable to be present in Milan to give his speech, TM Leader Contract presented his design as part of the stand’s journey, incorporating his vision into the set of collaborations showcased in this edition.
A contemporary architect and designer, Vlad understands design as a tool for expressing emotions, thoughts and ways of perceiving space. His work stands between sculpture and furniture, exploring the relationship between the user, the object and the environment.
His piece Paper is born from the interaction between planes and forms. Inspired by the idea of a structure composed of flat elements that support one another, the chair combines visual lightness and functional stability. A piece that appears delicate at first sight, yet reveals a precise construction and a strong architectural presence.
Paper captures the spirit of Find the Unexpected: discovering, within apparent simplicity, a complex structure, a personal story and a new way of looking at furniture.
Collaborations that build identity
At Salone del Mobile Milano 2026, Find the Unexpected was an invitation to discover new ways of understanding contract furniture. The collaborations with Karim Rashid, Yonoh Studio, Vicente Gallega and Vlad Tolochko opened the brand to four distinct languages: emotion, balance, synthesis and formal exploration.
More than simply adding names, these collaborations reinforce a shared direction: creating pieces with authorship, functionality and personality; designs capable of enduring, inhabiting real projects and transforming each space into a memorable experience.
Discover TM Leader Contract’s new collaborations and find the unexpected in every design.
