VAIA X MMM: Where regeneration meets Alpine culture

Mountains tell stories. Stories of changing landscapes, of people living in close relationship with nature, and of the traces they leave behind. This relationship lies at the heart of a special collaboration: for Black Friday 2026, VAIA and the Messner Mountain Museum bring together two perspectives on the Alpine world – the regeneration of natural resources and the exploration of mountain culture.

From storm-felled wood to new design objects

In October 2018, Storm Vaia left a deep mark on the Dolomites. Vast areas of woodland were devastated, with countless trees uprooted or brought down. This experience gave rise to VAIA, a project that gives fallen timber a new purpose. Working with local craftspeople, the recovered wood is transformed into design objects that preserve the story of its origin and bring out the value of the material. A natural resource that has lost its original form through a natural event becomes the starting point for something new. But regeneration means more than recovering raw materials. VAIA also supports the reforestation of the affected areas. Since 2019, together with its community, local institutions, forestry organizations and partner companies, it has contributed to the planting of more than 200,000 new trees. In this way, VAIA connects design with a sense of responsibility towards the landscape from which its materials originate.

Discovering the mountains from different perspectives

The Messner Mountain Museum also explores the relationship between people and nature. Across five locations, it offers different ways of discovering the Alpine world. Art, architecture, history and personal experiences invite visitors to encounter the mountains as both a natural and cultural environment. The five locations offer different perspectives on a shared world of experience. They invite visitors to understand the mountains not merely as landscapes, but also as places of life, cultural heritage and a counterpart to humanity.

A shared perspective

VAIA and the Messner Mountain Museum approach the Alpine world from different directions. One gives natural resources a new purpose; the other opens up cultural perspectives on the Alpine landscape and its history. What connects them is a shared appreciation of places and the resources they hold. Both seek to make these connections visible and to encourage a more conscious understanding of the relationship between people and nature. This shared perspective forms the basis of the Black Friday 2026 collaboration. It brings together a design object and the opportunity to experience the world of the mountains first-hand at one of the five museum locations.

Two VAIA objects. Two invitations to discover the mountains.

From 12 to 30 November 2026, anyone purchasing at least two products from the VAIA collection will receive two admission tickets to the Messner Mountain Museum. The offer applies to the entire VAIA collection, including VAIA-Covers made from reclaimed olive wood. The two tickets are open tickets, valid for one year, and can be redeemed at any of the five museum locations. Choosing a design object thus becomes an invitation to discover the Alpine world together – its landscapes, its stories and the many different relationships between people and mountains.