The Lotus Theory at Milan Design Week

Lotus is set to showcase ‘The Lotus Theory’—its design manifesto—at Milan Design Week this month. The manifesto will explore the company’s future direction through the core principles of Digital, Natural, and Analog (DNA):

Digital, which represents the immersive, intelligent, and intuitive experience.
Natural brings to life emotional, connected, human-centric design.
Analogue, which is the brand’s continuous advancement of performance engineering.

The exhibition will bring together past, present, and future, celebrating Lotus‘ heritage with a display of the much-loved Esprit, which also marks its 50th anniversary, alongside the cutting-edge Emeya—Lotus’ all-electric hyper-GT, which will take center stage inside. The story continues by exploring the design principles around Theory 1, Lotus’ most recent concept car, a showcase of the brand’s vision for the future.

Ben Payne, Vice President of Design, Lotus Group said: “Milan Design Week is a global stage for design, creativity and innovation. Design is at the heart of everything we do, and this event allows us to share the detailed processes that define our cars. With ‘The Lotus Theory’ we’re also highlighting our DNA and how these principles shape our approach to intelligent performance and human-centric design.”

Lotus’ presence at Milan Design Week will be structured into three immersive areas. (1) Context – A deep dive into Lotus’ legacy, featuring video projections and heritage artifacts that showcase the brand’s direction of design and engineering. (2) Practice – A behind-the-scenes look at the DNA design philosophy and how it influences Lotus’ current and future vehicles. (3) Studio – A reinterpretation of Digital, Natural, and Analogue beyond automotive design, featuring exclusive archive pieces from Lotus and Fabio Novembre’s studio.

Fabio Novembre, Chief Creative Officer at Novembre Studio said: “Speed is not just a matter of horsepower, but of ideas that race faster than time, until they crystallize into an absolute frame. In my creations, I seek the same dynamism: fluid lines, aerodynamic shapes, the sense of movement. Because design, like a race car, is not made to stay still, but to excite and constantly push the limits.”

The exhibition space will be open from 9-13 April and is dedicated to ‘The Drivers’, a customer-focused area hosting an open exhibition, talks, and workshops with like-minded creators and designers, including key partners such as Pirelli, Motorskins, and Olivetti.

Pirelli, Lotus’ preferred Technical Partner and a key collaborator for this event, will also host a series of engaging and insightful experiences showcasing its cutting-edge technology and innovation. With its deep roots in Milan, the design week provides the perfect stage for Pirelli to highlight its legacy of excellence and its forward-thinking approach to innovation in high-performance luxury mobility.

During the event, Pirelli will showcase the new P Zero E, a high-performance tire that has become the industry benchmark for incorporating bio-based and recycled materials (more than 55%). It also has the triple-A rating on the European label, reflecting its high levels of efficiency and safety. In a specially tailored version, the Pirelli P Zero E is also featured on the Lotus Emeya and Lotus Eletre.

Join Lotus at PHYD – Haus of Automotive, Via Tortona 31, 20144, Milano