As Capsule magazine prepares to host the fourth edition of its popular Capsule Plaza exhibition at Milan design week, a chorus of previous collaborators has accused the company of a pattern of non-payment. Twelve former contributors, including key associates, designers, photographers and production crew, have told Dezeen they've either not been paid for their work, experienced year-long delays, or personally witnessed evidence of non-payment behind the scenes. Most spoke only on the condition of anonymity, given their proximity to the company and the fact that several are embroiled in ongoing legal disputes to recoup the money they say they are owed.

"The list of people who never got paid is huge – printers, graphic design studios, all the way down to small freelancers in the creative world, who are barely scraping by and for whom even 200 Euros is a big deal," one person told Dezeen. "Almost every week, every month, if not every day, I receive a DM on Instagram or a text message or someone calling me, saying they've not been paid," another former collaborator said. "Dozens of people."

"It would range from small amounts, like mine, up to tens of thousands of Euros for people who paid for production or costs for the event, and apparently have still not been paid," they added. Capsule Plaza is the annual Milan design week exhibition of Capsule magazine In response to the allegations, Capsule co-founders Alessio Ascari and Cristina Travaglini acknowledged that the company had not always made payments "in a timely manner". "We acknowledge that we have not always met our commitments in a timely manner and we sincerely apologise to those affected," they told Dezeen.

"As an independent agency, we navigate constraints that are widely experienced across the industry, which is shaped by inherent contradictions." The founders claim that Capsule is now in contact with several former collaborators, with the aim of paying the money they owe. "Last year, we initiated an internal reorganisation process with the objective of growing and operating in a disciplined, sound, and sustainable manner," they said.

"We are currently in direct contact with the relevant parties to review and settle any outstanding payments." "The machine kept running because nobody asked for upfront payments" Ascari and Travaglini founded Capsule in 2022 as a counterpart to their arts magazine Kaleidoscope, focused on the more functional world of design, interiors and architecture. Architect Paul Cournet, previously of OMA, was recruited as deputy editor.

The following year, the magazine launched its annual Capsule Plaza exhibition to coincide with Milan design week in April, which quickly established itself as one of the week's must-see shows, bringing together a mix of big brands from Nike to USM with up-and-coming designers. Despite the business's ostensible success, four separate sources confirmed to Dezeen that even full-time members of the Capsule team have at times struggled to be paid since many did not have a permanent contract. These same people would then have to field questions about payments from other freelancers they had brought onto projects, but did not have the power to pay.

"The internal team was forced to deal with furious people constantly asking for their money," a source told Dezeen. "But the machine kept running because nobody asked for upfront payments and they were always able to find new suppliers or collaborators," they added. "Unfortunately for them, that system has finally jammed up." 6AM created a special blue version of its Palo Santo burner for Capsule Plaza 2025 Ascari and Travaglini confirmed that the company engages even longtime team members on a purely freelance basis.

"Our company works exclusively with freelance professionals, including long-term collaborators who form a close and engaged network," they said. "The specific cases mentioned in your report reflect operational delays, that have since been addressed or are being addressed," they added. Stories about payment disputes tied to Capsule and Kaleidoscope first started circulating on Instagram at the start of this year, with accounts going back many years.

Several former collaborators spoke up publicly, among them Italian photographer Mattia Greghi and designer Edoardo Pandolfo, whose studio 6AM was asked to create a special edition of its Palo Santo Burner for the gift shop at Capsule Plaza 2025. "I personally engraved Capsule's logo next to 6AM's by hand on dozens of pieces," Pandolfo shared in an Instagram story. "After delivery, they stopped responding.

They never provided any sales report or transparency on how many pieces were sold, although we know for a fact that several were." "At a certain point, we decided to move on and absorb the loss," he added. "But the reality is that we were never paid for goods that were sold."

Cournet, who left the company in 2025, took to Instagram to say he believed that the business had been "mismanaged". "I am deeply