Following our participation at Packaging Première Milano 2026, we reflect on the role of detail, materiality and personalisation in the future of premium packaging.
After three days at Packaging Première Milano 2026, we return from Milan with one very clear idea: Premium packaging is a powerful communication tool.
For luxury brands, every material, every texture, every finish and every gesture forms part of the brand experience.
Nothing is neutral. Nothing is merely decorative. Even the most subtle elements can transform the perception of a product before it is even revealed.
From 19 to 21 May, Allianz MiCo once again brought together the international luxury packaging community in an edition shaped by design, innovation, sustainability and the exploration of new materials. The fair positioned itself as a meeting point for designers, brands and creatives looking to shape the future of luxury packaging, with more than 300 selected exhibitors, conference areas, the Art Gallery and new discovery spaces.
From our stand F109, we presented our woven, personalised and sustainable ribbons for premium packaging to brands, agencies, designers and professionals who understand that detail does not simply accompany a product: it also communicates its value.
Milan, a meeting point for brands that understand packaging as an experience
Packaging Première Milano is not just a packaging fair. The fair itself described its 2026 edition as a place where craftsmanship, technology and creativity come together to give shape to emotion. This idea perfectly captures the current moment in premium packaging: it is no longer only about protecting or presenting a product, but about building a complete experience.
In fashion, cosmetics, perfumery, jewellery, accessories, gourmet products and wines & spirits, packaging forms part of the first contact between the brand and the person. It is expectation, touch, memory, ritual and perception. The box, the bag, the case or the ribbon are not isolated elements; they are part of the same language.
Trends confirming a new way of designing premium packaging
1. Sustainability integrated into luxury
One of the key conclusions from the fair is that sustainability is no longer positioned outside luxury, but at the centre of its evolution.
The challenge is no longer about choosing between beauty and responsibility. The real challenge lies in designing solutions capable of maintaining the aesthetic standards of luxury packaging while also incorporating more conscious materials, processes and decisions.
For us, this reflection is especially relevant. Sustainable ribbons for premium packaging must respond to a dual requirement: conveying responsibility without losing sophistication. Materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester or new proposals with natural textures allow brands to move in this direction, provided they are developed with precision and aesthetic coherence. To find out more about our sustainable ribbon options, get in touch and we will be delighted to advise you.
2. Materials, textures and finishes with sensory value
Premium packaging is also built through the senses. In luxury, touch matters. The weave of a ribbon, its drape, texture, sheen or finish can influence how the whole packaging experience is perceived.
Packaging Première Milano once again placed the focus on innovation in materials, finishes, tactile surfaces and techniques capable of elevating the user experience. In this context, personalised woven ribbons have a very specific role: connecting packaging with brand identity in a subtle, physical and memorable way.
3. Personalisation and brand storytelling
Personalisation does not mean adding more elements. It means choosing with greater precision.
For a luxury brand, personalisation must be refined, discreet and coherent with its visual universe. A ribbon with a logo, a colour choice, a woven texture or a specific finish should not feel like an added layer, but like a natural extension of the brand system.
That is why, when we work on a ribbon for premium packaging, we do not only think about the ribbon as an isolated design element. We think about how it will interact with the box, the bag, the product, the opening moment and the final perception of the brand.
4. Innovation, beauty and new spaces for exploration
The fair also reinforced spaces dedicated to innovation and exploration, such as Avant-Garde, the Art Gallery, conferences and new areas focused on emerging projects, materials and technologies.
This combination of beauty, research and industry confirms one key idea: the future of premium packaging does not belong only to those who manufacture, nor only to those who design. It is built through collaboration between brands, creative teams, technical suppliers and industrial partners capable of understanding the level of excellence that luxury requires.
5. The personalised ribbon: a subtle gesture with high brand value
In the world of luxury, the smallest details are often the ones that communicate the most.
A ribbon may seem like a secondary element, but it concentrates many decisions: material, width, colour, weave, printing, finish, touch and performance in its final use.
It can bring sobriety or contrast. It can accompany a limited edition. It can reinforce a colour palette. It can introduce an unexpected texture. It can turn the act of opening packaging into a more considered ritual.
That is why personalised ribbons for premium packaging have a value that goes beyond decoration. They help build perception, memory and coherence. In some cases, they even become one of the most recognisable elements of the brand experience.
Manubens: savoir-faire, personalisation and precision for luxury packaging
Since 1934, at Manubens we have been manufacturing ribbons by combining industrial heritage, technical expertise and personalisation capabilities.
Our experience allows us to support premium packaging projects with a precise approach: not only defining which ribbon to use, but also how it should be integrated into the whole, what it should convey, how it should perform and what level of finish it needs in order to meet the standards of the brand.Nuestra experiencia nos permite acompañar proyectos de packaging premium desde una mirada precisa: no solo qué cinta utilizar, sino cómo debe integrarse en el conjunto, qué debe transmitir, cómo debe comportarse y qué nivel de acabado necesita para estar a la altura de la marca.
For a fashion maison, a cosmetics company, a perfumery brand, a premium winery or a packaging design team, the requirement is not simply to create a beautiful ribbon. It lies in ensuring consistency, aesthetic coherence, quality, adaptability and precision in every production run.
Industrial savoir-faire, when well integrated, does not impose itself. It supports. It makes it possible for a brand idea to be translated into a physical, carefully crafted and repeatable detail.
Thank you, Packaging Première Milano
We would like to thank all the brands, agencies, designers and professionals who visited us at stand F109. Sharing our woven, personalised and sustainable ribbons in an environment like this has allowed us to continue the conversation around what matters most to us: how to transform an apparently subtle detail into an essential part of the brand experience.
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