Prospect travelled to Italy to take in the sights of this year's Salone Del Mobile in Milan. Designers who live and work in the UK were in full force.

From twenty year veterans such as Ron Arad, to the not-quite-yet Established & Sons, Milan felt the power of UK design. Arad's dramatic show at Do lce & Gabbana's cavernous catwalk was the ultimate expression of his ideas, making use of a material richness and formal control not to be surpassed. With D&G suited and booted security, and lighting worthy of the West End, Arad's pieces floated on giant turntables like the gallery works they have become. A fantastic show to experience.

Established & Sons made their second assault on Milan and splashed out for the entire Pelota space in the heart of Brera, Milan's artist quarter. The ex jai alai fronton, which hosted Vitra last year, was taken over by this young British company who is determined to make its mark on the design world. Having added Amanda Levete of Future Systems and Jasper Morrison to an already formidable arsenal of design talent that includes Zaha Hadid and Barber Osgerby, Established & Sons presented challenging, limited edition pieces, as well as properly commercial ones. The designs are supported by well conceived communications and website, giving Established & Sons an identity as a company poised to become not only a leading British furniture manufacturer, but a player on the world scene as well.

Yet, nowhere in the madness that is Milan in April was the pure poetry of design better expressed than at "Open Your Mind", a show of thought pieces for Japanese company Elmes, curated by London-based designer Shin Azumi. Discreetly presented in the Museo Minguzzi, across the street from the Pelota, Asumi invited a select handful of designers to express the idea of "open" in a design. The beautifully considered and immaculately executed pieces provided a welcome counterpoint to the usual commercial clamor of the world's greatest furniture fair.

Of course there were numerous other shows to take in. Despite having rented scooters to negotiate the notoriously congested streets of Milan, Prospect didn't manage to take in everything. Perhaps it was the late nights at Bar Basso...