Sony’s Creative Center, the design team of Sony Group Corporation, will present ‘ESQUISSE – A dialogue with materials for the future’ during FuoriSalone 2026, as part of INTERNI MATERIAE, the exhibition-event organised by INTERNI for Milan Design Week.

Set within the historic spaces of the University of Milan, ESQUISSE explores the evolving role of materials in shaping future design. The installation responds to INTERNI’s 2026 theme Materiae, interpreted by Sony as an opportunity for creative dialogue, where Materials = Disciplines = Topics, linking diverse knowledge, cultures, and sensibilities through material research and experimentation.

“At Sony, design stands on the philosophy to "Create New Standards". We envision new paradigms, give meaning to ideas, and engage globally - a process that resonates with a diversity of values, bringing new standards, or the future, into being,” says Daisuke Ishii, Head of Creative Center, Sony Group Corporation. “With ESQUISSE, we explore the hidden potential within materials and connect them with diverse disciplines, seeking to create new experiences that resonate emotionally while contributing to a more sustainable world.” ​

At the heart of the installation is Original Blended Material, an environmentally conscious paper material developed by Sony, characterised by the warmth and tactility of familiar raw materials such as bamboo, sugarcane fibres, and recycled paper. Through furniture and spatial elements designed by Sony designers, the exhibition highlights the sensory and expressive potential of the material as “a material for the future”, inviting visitors to engage directly with its texture, form, and versatility.

To help realise a more sustainable future, Sony is developing original materials that support effective material circulation. For ESQUISSE, the Creative Center presents furniture made of Original Blended Material, alongside cushions and rugs made of Triporous™¹, a naturally derived porous carbon material developed by Sony from rice husks. The installation serves as a platform for exploring new applications and possibilities for these materials beyond their current uses.

The furniture on display was designed primarily by Sony designers, beginning with research into optimal material blends and processing methods. While Original Blended Material has mainly been used for applications such as product packaging and business cards, its properties allow it to be moulded into a wide range of forms by adjusting the size and structure of its constituent fibres. The exhibition features prototypes using compressed boards formed by heat-pressing the raw materials, as well as cords created by thinning the fibres. A newly developed plant-based binder derived from corn stalks and wheat straw is also applied in the boards, reinforcing the project’s environmentally conscious approach.

ESQUISSE also features collaborative furniture designed by Setsu & Shinobu Ito, Milan-based designers known for their nature-focused design practice. Their contribution further reflects the multidisciplinary dialogue proposed by Materiae, bringing together material research, spatial design, and human experience.

Through ESQUISSE, Sony continues its exploration of how design can uncover new value in materials, foster dialogue across disciplines, and contribute to more sustainable futures.
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¹ Triporous is a trademark of Sony Group Corporation

Event information:

ESQUISSE – A dialogue with materials for the future

FuoriSalone 2026 – INTERNI MATERIAE

Website: ​ www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/design/esquisse ​ ​

Instagram: @SonyDesign_Official

About Sony’s Environmentally Conscious Materials

The Sony Group is promoting its initiatives to reduce environmental impact through its long-term environmental plan, “Road to Zero,” which aims to achieve a zero environmental footprint by FY2050. These include the development of Original Blended Material and Triporous environmentally conscious materials designed for a sustainable future.

Original Blended Material

Original Blended Material is a paper material that Sony developed with the aim of achieving effective material circulation in its product packaging. It is made from bamboo, sugarcane fibers, and recycled paper, all of which we carefully selected. It is used not just in product packaging, but also in a wider variety of items, ranging from business cards for Sony Group companies to fixtures for the exhibition booth.

www.sony.co.uk/electronics/eco/original-blend-material

Triporous

Triporous is a naturally derived porous carbon material made from rice husks. With its patented unique microstructure, a wide range of applications is expected such as water and air purification. Considering that Japan alone generates about two million tons of rice husk waste annually and the total annual amount worldwide is estimated to be more than 100 million tons, the utilization of this excess biomass to produce Triporous helps contribute to the realization of a more environmentally conscious, recycling-oriented society.

www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/triporous

About Creative Center, Sony Group Corporation

Sony has always been at the forefront of design and became one of the first companies to create an in-house creative studio. Since its inception in 1961, Sony has forged its reputation for having a leading and award-winning global design team. Today the team's contribution has expanded to cover a broad range of the Sony Group's design and branding activities; from product/service designs to entertainment, finance, and other business areas. Design Centre Europe is an extended arm of Creative Center.

We continuously explore the possibilities of design, working with people around the world to realize richer experiences and more comfortable lifestyles - whilst creating ‘new standards’ of value through the fusion of creativity and technology.

For more information, please visit: www.sony.com/en/design

Instagram: @sonydesign_official