Design platform Capsule accused of not paying "dozens" of contributors

As Capsule magazine prepares to host the fourth edition of its popular Capsule Plaza exhibition at Milan design week, a chorus of previous collaborators has accused the company of a pattern of non-payment.

Twelve former contributors, including key associates, designers, photographers and production crew, have told Dezeen they've either not been paid for their work, experienced year-long delays, or personally witnessed evidence of non-payment behind the scenes.

Most spoke only on the condition of anonymity, given their proximity to the company and the fact that several are embroiled in ongoing legal disputes to recoup the money they say they are owed.

"The list of people who never got paid is huge – printers, graphic design studios, all the way down to small freelancers in the creative world, who are barely scraping by and for whom even 200 Euros is a big deal," one person told Dezeen.

"Almost every week, every month, if not every day, I receive a DM on Instagram or a text message or someone calling me, saying they've not been paid," another former collaborator said. "Dozens of people."

"It would range from small amounts, like mine, up to tens of thousands of Euros for people who paid for production or costs for the event, and apparently have still not been paid," they added.

In response to the allegations, Capsule co-founders Alessio Ascari and Cristina Travaglini acknowledged that the company had not always made payments "in a timely manner".

"We acknowledge that we have not always met our commitments in a timely manner and we sincerely apologise to those affected," they told Dezeen.

"As an independent agency, we navigate constraints that are widely experienced across the industry, which is shaped by inherent contradictions."

The founders claim that Capsule is now in contact with several former collaborators, with the aim of paying the money they owe.

"Last year, we initiated an internal reorganisation process with the objective of growing and operating in a disciplined, sound, and sustainable manner," they said. "We are currently in direct contact with the relevant parties to review and settle any outstanding payments."

"The machine kept running because nobody asked for upfront payments"

Ascari and Travaglini founded Capsule in 2022 as a counterpart to their arts magazine Kaleidoscope, focused on the more functional world of design, interiors and architecture. Architect Paul Cournet, previously of OMA, was recruited as deputy editor.

The following year, the magazine launched its annual Capsule Plaza exhibition to coincide with Milan design week in April, which quickly established itself as one of the week's must-see shows, bringing together a mix of big brands from Nike to USM with up-and-coming designers.

Despite the business's ostensible success, four separate sources confirmed to Dezeen that even full-time members of the Capsule team have at times struggled to be paid since many did not have a permanent contract.

These same people would then have to field questions about payments from other freelancers they had brought onto projects, but did not have the power to pay.

"The internal team was forced to deal with furious people constantly asking for their money," a source told Dezeen.

"But the machine kept running because nobody asked for upfront payments and they were always able to find new suppliers or collaborators," they added. "Unfortunately for them, that system has finally jammed up."

Ascari and Travaglini confirmed that the company engages even longtime team members on a purely freelance basis.

"Our company works exclusively with freelance professionals, including long-term collaborators who form a close and engaged network," they said.

"The specific cases mentioned in your report reflect operational delays, that have since been addressed or are being addressed," they added.

Stories about payment disputes tied to Capsule and Kaleidoscope first started circulating on Instagram at the start of this year, with accounts going back many years.

Several former collaborators spoke up publicly, among them Italian photographer Mattia Greghi and designer Edoardo Pandolfo, whose studio 6AM was asked to create a special edition of its Palo Santo Burner for the gift shop at Capsule Plaza 2025.

"I personally engraved Capsule's logo next to 6AM's by hand on dozens of pieces," Pandolfo shared in an Instagram story. "After delivery, they stopped responding. They never provided any sales report or transparency on how many pieces were sold, although we know for a fact that several were."

"At a certain point, we decided to move on and absorb the loss," he added. "But the reality is that we were never paid for goods that were sold."

Cournet, who left the company in 2025, took to Instagram to say he believed that the business had been "mismanaged".

"I am deeply saddened that something I proudly helped build and had so much potential has been so mismanaged and has negatively affected so many of us," he wrote. "I hope everyone gets what they're owed asap."

"There was complete silence despite repeated follow-ups"

In the wake of the social media posts, several former collaborators, including Pandolfo, told Dezeen that their invoices, some of which had been outstanding for years, were recently settled.

"6AM, the design studio responsible for the Palo Santo burner edition, has now been paid in full, albeit with some delay," Ascari and Travaglini confirmed. "We are actively working to resolve all remaining situations as efficiently and responsibly as possible."

"The characterisation presented in your report appears to rely on vague, speculative and partly unverified claims," the founders added. "Such a portrayal risks distorting the facts and creating a misleading impression that may unjustifiably harm our reputation."

However, at least four people told Dezeen they still haven't been paid for the work they delivered. Dezeen has seen correspondence between each of the individuals and Capsule, which supports their claims of nonpayment.

One photographer who worked on Capsule Plaza 2025 and the agent of a photographer commissioned to produce a magazine editorial for Capsule's 2024 edition describe similar experiences of their requests for payment being ignored.

More than two years after the project was commissioned, neither the photographer nor the lighting assistant and set designer hired for the shoot have been paid, the agent told Dezeen.

"The Capsule Global team was very responsive throughout the project, at times even excessively demanding, until the moment it came to paying the agreed amount," they said.

"From that point on, there was complete silence, despite repeated follow-ups from the studio, the assistant and myself. They never deigned to respond and used our images in large-scale placements as if nothing had happened."

This experience is mirrored by lighting technician Matteo Argenti, who worked on a Capsule event at Venice gallery Spazio Punch in May 2025.

"It took me about two days of preparation," he remembered. "After the event, I sent them the invoice. But they ghosted me and never responded to follow-ups."

The Capsule team claims that Argenti was eventually paid in March 2026. "Mr Argenti, who reported a delayed payment, received the €600 owed to him last month," they said.

"This situation has also damaged our reputation"

Several former collaborators have decided to engage lawyers to try to reclaim the debt. This is the case for an independent design studio that, much like 6AM, was commissioned to create a special project for Capsule Plaza 2025 and provide products for the gift shop on a consignment basis.

Despite being told repeatedly by members of the Capsule team that it was owed "a significant amount of money" after receiving "dozens of requests", the studio claims it was kept in the dark about how many products were sold and the buyers did not receive the products they purchased.

"Beyond the issue of the unpaid money owed to us, this situation has also damaged our reputation, as some buyers believed we were responsible for not delivering their purchases," the studio told Dezeen.

Through a lawyer, they were able to reclaim a portion of their total fee, which included the production costs and design fee, but the team said this didn't reflect the full amount they were originally owed.

Another former collaborator said they successfully used a debt recovery agency to get their missing money from Capsule after chasing over email yielded no results.

Despite the stories circulating online, Capsule Plaza's 2026 programme looks set to go ahead for Milan design week next week, with participating brands including Stone Island and Karimoku, plus designers Panter Tourron, Martino Gamper and NM3.

"Despite recent pressures, we are grateful that many partners and collaborators from across the world – ranging from emerging to established – have reaffirmed their trust and support, helping to fuel our creative and curatorial work and motivating us to do better, also learning from our negative experiences," Ascari and Travaglini told Dezeen.

"Ultimately, that is what a community truly means."

All photos of Capsule Plaza 2024 courtesy of Dezeen.

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