Author
Creative Director
Published
June 11th, 2025
Length
5 Minutes
From 3D lamination to fabric-inspired papers, Packaging Première Milan was a showcase of materials in motion shifting not only how packaging looks and feels, but what it means. At IDP Direct, we walked every aisle, touched every texture, and spoke with the people at every booth to spot the trends shaping the next 18–24 months in packaging.
Before we dive in, thank you to Packaging Première Milan for awarding us the Avant-Garde Prize for Design Innovation. Our winged bag turned heads and started conversations. If you missed it and want a closer look, drop us a note at info@idpdirect.com.
Now, on to the trends your team should be exploring:
1. Paper That Doesn’t Feel Like Paper
This year, paper transformed from a medium into a material.
- Winter & Co. surprised us with molded, richly colored paper structures tucked away in the back of their booth proof that sometimes the real innovations aren’t the loudest.
- Knit-textured papers blurred the line between textile and board, offering tactile cues perfect for fragrance, fashion, and boutique wellness.
What to ask your team:
How can we bring textile sensibility to paper-based packaging without compromising recyclability?
2. Plastic-Free Plastics with Personality
The new wave of plastic-alternatives isn’t trying to hide—it’s showing off. “Clear paper” was a show-stealer, and not because it’s new, but because plastic is getting slicker.
- One clear bag material caught attention for its transparency, tactility, and sustainability story. But let’s be clear: the cellulose-based film is sourced in China, converted in Europe, and the FSC label comes from the fiber’s chain of custody not the final material’s sustainability claims.
- Another eye-catching entrant: ZeroPlast’s 3D lamination, offering high-gloss, sculptural finishes without traditional film lamination.
What to ask your brand before diving in:
Can this material be processed or composted in the countries we sell in?
Are we switching from “bad plastic” to “uncertified maybe-paper film” just because it photographs well? Get benefits up front.
This isn’t about dunking on innovation it’s about aligning material stories with real-world logistics and compliance. Always beautiful, but make it real.
3. Advent Calendars for Every Season
Why limit advent calendars to December? Milan asked—why not make them year-round experiences?
- Liberty London’s house-shaped pack showed architectural thinking meets storytelling. This could be an advent.
- Fortnum & Mason’s purple calendar offered varnish contrast and hot-stamped richness that made each door feel like its own moment.
Innovate by asking:
Can we use packaging to deliver anticipation, not just product throughout the year?
4. Soft Touches That Surprise
Tissue paper took on new form, becoming both protective and premium.
- Quilted tissue padding blurred the line between cushion and couture functional, yet beautiful enough to elevate the unboxing.
- Keep an eye out for an upcoming IDP Direct collab.
Innovate by asking:
How can we upgrade softness into a design feature, not just a necessity?
5. Structure Becomes Story
The structural packaging on display didn’t just hold products it held attention.
- Adidas’ tear-strip rigid box added tactile satisfaction to opening. Loved this box.
- Fragrance inserts from Eska Board, laser-cut and layered, showed how interiors can carry just as much narrative as the exterior.
Capture this trend by asking:
How does our packaging feel to open can we trigger an emotion in the unboxing?
6. Elevated Everyday Materials
Corrugated board is getting its glow-up, but form still has to meet function.
- We also saw layered corrugated inserts used to sculpt intricate interiors—beautiful, recyclable, and undeniably tactile. But they don’t fold flat, and they add serious weight to your shipments.
- Bauletto-style cutboards inspired possibilities in rigid board construction. This opens up possibilities for reusable and unique unboxing.
These layered corrugated inserts are not inserts you bulk ship from Asia to the EU without considering what you just did to your carbon footprint.
What to ask before you start layering:
Are we optimizing for logistics, or just aesthetics? Can we recreate this visual language with less weight or better foldability?
Recyclability is step one. But sustainability is also about space, fuel, and what it costs the planet to move your packaging around.
7. Next-Gen Naturals
There’s a growing love for packaging that comes from the earth and ideally returns to it. But even the most natural stories have layers.
- Seeded papers from Piantami, however, still walk a fine line. Yes, they’re plantable. But unless you’re guaranteeing region-specific, non-invasive seeds, you might be introducing flora that doesn’t belong in your end customer’s ecosystem.
- Gmund’s grass-based paper, made with agricultural waste, continues to impress it’s grounded, premium, and smells subtly earthy in a good way. Definitely a show favorite of ours.
Protect your brand by asking:
Is our seeded paper safe for every market we ship to? Or are we passing along the risk of invasive species for a feel-good story?
This isn’t a “don’t use seeded paper” moment it’s a “use it responsibly” checkpoint.
8. Fabric Packaging Grows Up
Fabric-based packaging wasn’t an afterthought—it was a feature.
- Japanese-inspired tie-handle bags brought form and fashion from food to luxury—expect to see these shapes realized in papers for fashion and beauty brands soon.
- Oversized zippers added boldness and utility.
Challenge your design team by asking:
Is our fabric packaging just a pouch—or a wearable, shareable brand moment?
9. Innovation is in the Details
The best ideas weren’t always front and center. They were the quiet innovations the texture you didn’t expect, the zipper you felt before you saw, the insert that told a second story.
Final Thoughts
Trends come and go. But what endures is packaging that solves real problems whether it’s shipping weight, carbon footprint, unboxing friction, or telling your brand story more meaningfully.
If your team is wrestling with where to start, or stuck rehashing last year’s ideas, we’d love to help you prototype what’s next.
Let’s make what’s beautiful also smart.
The team at IDP Direct,
Ready when you are.
