100 Years of Leica – the Event in Milan
Anniversary Event at the 63rd Milan Design Week
The 63rd Milan Design Week is the perfect setting for the second event in our celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of our historic Leica I, which was launched in 1925. For the very first time at Milan Design Week, we presented a design exhibition: “100 Cameras, 100 Iconic Images”, showcasing our product milestones over 100 years through artistic photographs. With this multi-sensory installation, high-calibre exhibitions including the M11 100 Years of Leica MILAN ITALY and the Leica 0 Series No. 112, and many other highlights, guests got to experience our world up close.
Milan Design Week
Milan Design Week brings together tradition and innovative vision like no other event. Taking place parallel to the main “Salone del Mobile” trade fair at the exhibition centre, the “Fuorisalone” transforms various districts of Milan into lively design hubs, including Piazza Cuomo around the Leica Store and the Leica Gallery. For one week, the Italian city pulsates with creativity, becomes a feast for the senses and has a significant influence on future design trends. We invited photography enthusiasts to experience this unique, lively atmosphere in order to engage in dialogue, find inspiration, and embark on a fascinating journey through time, from our past to the future.
A Century of Vision, Passion and Photographic Art
On 4 April 2025, we kicked off our Milan celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the legendary Leica I with an unforgettable evening full of emotion, music, and inspiration. This unique event was dedicated entirely to the passion for photography and reflected on 100 years of our brand’s history. The atmosphere was shaped by live music from a popular band, a vibrant DJ set, Italian food, and lively exchanges. Among the guests were established photographers, well-known personalities, and Leica enthusiasts. Everyone came together to honour an icon that has inspired generations.
Would you like to relive these moments? Then watch the video featuring the evening’s highlights.
M11 “MILAN ITALY” Anniversary Edition
On 4 April 2025, we celebrated an exclusive debut by unveiling the Leica M11 100 Years of Leica MILAN ITALY camera. In addition to lauding the legendary Leica I, the anniversary edition also honours Milan – the city that is synonymous with design and its ever-evolving scene. This is an exclusive camera release, which is limited to 100 units. The camera’s design is characterised by its glossy black lacquer finish and extra impact protection inspired by the historical vulcanite leatherette reinforcement. Details like the unique “MILAN ITALY” engraving and a serial number between 001/100 and 100/100 emphasise this camera’s exclusivity, as does the fact that it can only be purchased at the Leica Store in Milan.
100 Cameras, 100 Iconic Images
We used this impressive interactive retrospective to tell the evolutionary story of our legendary design and innovative technologies. It featured 100 glass panels that revealed 100 of our iconic cameras through light transitions. The aim was to highlight milestones that have had a decisive influence on the field of photography’s technological development since the Leica I was launched.
The multi-sensory installation was accompanied by 36 legendary images, all of which were taken with Leica cameras and have become icons that stand out in the history of photography. These included, for example, the first image taken with the Ur-Leica, the most frequently reproduced image in the world – Alberto Korda’s portrait of Che Guevara – as well as pictures by many other renowned photographers, such as Sebastião Salgado, Joel Meyerowitz, Gianni Berengo Gardin, Elliot Erwitt, Bruce Davidson and David C. Turnley.
Oversized Outdoor Sculpture
A camera, reduced to its essential elements and broken down into its individual components, our oversized outdoor sculpture enabled guests to walk through a Leica camera. And what’s more, the sculpture itself became a photography set. From the camera body to the viewfinder to the spool, every element was made from the same materials with which we produce our cameras. By using high-quality glass, aluminium, magnesium, and brass, we showcased our products’ quality and sustainability, which will endure for generations to come.
Photo Exhibition by Davide Monteleone
Adjacent to the Leica Gallery, in the lounge area, Davide Monteleone, winner of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) 2024, presented a selection from his series “Critical Minerals – Geography of Energy”. Established in 1979, the award is one of the world’s most prestigious photography prizes, promoting art and culture in photography. Davide Monteleone’s project focuses on sustainability and the environmental impact of mineral resources being exploited. It offers a reflection on the development and direction of the energy sector in moving towards renewable sources and the global consequences of this.
Leica 0-Series No. 112
Representing a special highlight for Design Week, as part of our exhibition, we presented the Leica 0-Series No. 112 from 1923 to the public for the first time at the Leica Store in Milan. This prototype is one of the first 35 mm cameras ever produced, as well as being one of the world’s most sought-after cameras. It will be auctioned off at the 46th Leitz Photographica Auction on 27 June 2025 at the Leica Welt in Wetzlar. In 2022, a prototype from this series, numbered from 101 to 125, of which only just under a dozen cameras exist today, was auctioned and achieved a world record: Leica 0-Series No. 105 went for 14.4 million euros.
Experience Leica Up Close
We held numerous events to offer creative people, photography enthusiasts, and all those with an interest in the field an opportunity to experience photography and design up close: through the theory and in practice. Stimulating topics, such as the relationship between design and photography, as well as reality versus artificial intelligence, were addressed during high-calibre panel discussions. The various Leica Experiences events gave attendees the chance to gain practical experience with Leica cameras. There was even a photo walk featuring the Leica Q3, which was organised by the Leica Akademie.
