As the fourth edition of the Zurich Design Weeks has come to an end, we are left to reflect upon what this year’s event was all about. Under the theme “TEAM UP”, the focus was on collaboration between designers, disciplines, cultures, and different perspectives. The festival featured many collaborative activities, spanning 30 workshops, 14 walks and guided tours, and 16 talks across the two weeks of the event.
“We are particularly pleased that even more renowned Swiss brands participated this year and that inspiring exhibitions and installations were created specifically for Zurich Design Weeks,” explains festival director Gabriela Chicherio. “We are equally thrilled that numerous participants focused on the topic of circularity – once again demonstrating that design is a driving force in this field.”
Hus of FRAKTA at Zurich Design Weeks 2025
ÈCAL x Micasa at Zurich Design Weeks 2025
Seitz at Zurich Design Weeks 2025
Seitz at Zurich Design Weeks 2025
Hus of FRAKTA at Zurich Design Weeks 2025
ÈCAL x Micasa at Zurich Design Weeks 2025
IKEA’s FRAKTA bag is a global design icon, a staple in many homes. Meaning “to transport”, the bag was initially developed as an aid to IKEA’s customers to carry their purchases in the store, but now it is a trusted companion for many different activities, from the laundry room to the beach.
For the festival, the Swedish furniture brand has partnered with artist Yael Anders to guide participants in free upcycling sessions on how to personalise their FRAKTA bag. Yael Anders is a Swiss designer who graduated from the Zurich University of the Arts, and her projects often focus on reflection, interaction, and shared creative experiences. In the workshop, Anders showed visitors many different techniques to customise their bag, transforming an industrialised product into a personal item, referencing durability and circularity, as well as tapping into IKEA’s inherent DIY approach.
Seitz is a furniture studio founded by Kevin Seitz and Rob van Wyen, bridging Brooklyn with Switzerland. Their latest collection was debuted at Zurich Design Weeks through a special residency at Monocle Café, focusing on the theme of durability. Participating in the “slow furniture” movement, the works are designed with permanence in mind, countering mass production and the short life cycles that currently dominate the industry.
The products were presented in the Monocle Café lounge, giving visitors the opportunity to interact with them in a lived environment rather than a showroom. “Our work is about more than making furniture—it’s about rethinking permanence in a culture that values speed,” says co-founder Kevin Seitz. “This residency with Monocle is an opportunity to let people experience our pieces in context—quietly, simply, and with the kind of intimacy that homes and lived spaces provide.”
Micasa, Switzerland’s leading furniture retailer, has partnered with the ÈCAL design school to launch Homeworks, a limited edition collection of 38 unique pieces developed by 16 industrial design students. The collection ranges from mirror clocks to modular rugs and planters, combining functionality with charisma and humour. The retailer has framed these objects as “life companions”, focusing on emotional connection and daily interaction with the products.
The collaboration shows Micasa’s commitment to supporting young Swiss design talent and taking a risk in working with the underdog rather than already acclaimed designers. Unlike the glossy appearance of star collaborations, Homeworks has the charm of experimentation, playfulness, and curiosity, achieving an unexpected result by working with young voices.
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