XL Extralight debuts stone-like tote bag at Milan design week
Promotion: Italian brand XL Extralight has debuted an inventive tote bag at Milan design week 2026, created in collaboration with design studio Nichetto.
XL Extralight's Airstone bag is made from the sustainable variation of the brand's namesake material, which is manufactured using at least 51 per cent post-industrial waste recovered from the production process.
Despite its light weight, the material has a heavy, rock-like appearance. The product's form was initially carved by hand from a solid block of stone by a carver, from which it then moved "from hand to technology".
Subtractive techniques were used to sculpt the structure of the piece, creating an organic, irregular appearance.
Afterwards, the stone was 3D-scanned to document its shape, and the data was used to build a precise model in XL Extralight.
The partnership sought to explore the juxtaposition of the bag's materiality and form, as well as the traditional craft and technological techniques used to manufacture it.
"With Airstone, we wanted to take XL Extralight beyond the immediate idea of lightness, exploring a design paradox: evoking weight through an extremely lightweight material," said Carlo Vecchiola, foam design product manager at XL Extralight.
"In collaboration with Nichetto, we worked on form and texture to create an object that deceives the eye and surprises to the touch, bringing a primitive aesthetic into dialogue with advanced technology," he added.
During the Italian festival, all three colour variations of the bag are on display in an installation designed by Nichetto at Spazio BIG, Via Santa Marta 10, a former convent in Milan's 5Vie design district.
Named after the tote, the Airstone installation serves as an exhibition, educational display and shopping boutique, spotlighting the piece's design evolution.
Informed by the appearance of stone, the event features hard foam sculptural seating with podiums and desks made from metal, and collections of grey rocks, which contrast with flashes of acid yellow shades.
"Visitors are invited to reflect on the relationship between appearance and substance, ancestral memory and contemporary innovation," said Luca Nichetto, founder of Nichetto.
"More than an accessory, Airstone becomes an exercise in perception; a manifesto object demonstrating how material research can challenge expectations and rewrite the visual language of lightness," he continued.
Airstone will be available in a limited edition and exclusively for purchase at the pop-up store in Via Santa Marta during Milan design week.
To learn more about XL Extralight's bag, visit its website.
XL Extralight presents Airstone by Nichetto takes place from 21 to 26 April 2026 at Spazio BIG, Via Santa Marta 10, 20123 Milan, Italy. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for XL Extralight as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
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