Part of the Centro Storico district, elegant Brera where I grew up, is home to the Pinacoteca di Brera gallery and its collection of Italian art spanning centuries, and the fresco-filled, 15th-century Santa Maria del Carmine church. Upscale food shops and fashion boutiques line the streets, and at night the cobbled alleys come alive with glamorous Milanese dining at sleek sidewalk cafes and stylish restaurants.
The founder, Francesco Mereu, had left his native Sardinia to attend the Scuolad’Arte e Mestieri (a renowned vocational high school) in Milan, from which he graduated with maximum gradesas a watchmaker; he had no nest egg to invest, and it was only his great creativity and business acumen that allowed him to succeed. In 1960, at the age of 26, Francesco decided to start his own business, repairing watches and antique objects of various kinds; in Via Solferino, in the Brera neighborhood, he found a little shop and set up his business. The little shop in Via Solferino began to shine, with a display window on the street and glass cases inside. Merù’s reputation grew steadily, and attracted the attention of the fashion press. The original pieces began to appear in fashion magazines (Grazia, Gioia, Anna Bella, Anna, Amica). In the ‘80s, Merù’s fame spread like wildfire in Milan, “because we sold these unusual one-of-a-kind pieces that no one else had,” said Francesco. Merù became an emblematic brand of great success at the local level. During the Christmas season customers would line up outside the shop, along the sidewalk in Via Solferino.
Nestled in the heart of Milan an artful mélange of round-the-world influences, Idarica Gazzoni’s wallpaper and upholstery fabrics epitomize the highly-curated city's sophistication. Gazzoni’s fictional muse Arjumand, an Indian Empress of the Mughal Dynasty who travelled the globe, inspires everything from marbleized lamp shades to Raj floral pillows. Channel her signature "discovered" aesthetic by mixing and matching this collection: everything works together. The wallpapers are fabulous!
In 2018, one of the Top Design Studios of Milan and Italy in 2018 presented a stunning and super art-decor like expo (Limited Edition & Perfetamentte Imperfetto) at their fabulous Gallery at the center of the Brera District! In 2019 they traded the Bright Colors, Modern Bright Tones and Flower Pallets of last year for a darker vibe with an Interstellar Installation. The atmospheric and contemporary installation that showcases Dark and Powerful vibes and colors! Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran, aka DimoreStudio, prove their amazing talent and inclination for Trends & Design with periodic and incredible installations on display on the iconic DimoreGallery on Via Solferino . That’s right, Dimore Studio also took over the former Cinema Arti to unveil this installation that also serves to present their latest furniture collection, as well as showing their own take on the classic traveling trunks of French malletier Au Départ.
Founded in 1976, Dedar is a family-run fabric house that expresses a personal style with its cutting-edge contemporary collections. Located close to Como, in the heart of a manufacturing district, Dedar experiments and innovates to attain product perfection through an ongoing dialogue with those craftsmen and textile specialists who are most familiar with the techniques employed in the production of excellent fabrics. Characterized by seductive colour palettes and unexpected patterns, Dedar’s fabrics combine precious yarns with research into fiber technology to offer various solutions for curtains, upholstery and wall covering of timeless elegance. Since 2011 Dedar is partner of Hermès for the production and distribution of the home fabrics and wallpapers collection, displayed in all Dedar showrooms.
Very cozy interiors, with a ceiling painted in aubergine tone above a bois de rose walls. This very cute shop features a clothing and fashion accessories brand a hand crafted global flair. Batiks shirts from Indonesia , necklace from Africa with an Italian design. If you are not fond of the gypset style this boutique will make you change your mind.
In the Centro Storico and surrounded by Palazzi shidden courtyards and artisan workshops since 2015 in Via Marta 19, this is maybe one of the most original store in the area, everything for the table that has a character, it's original handcrafted and of course colorful curated by two sisters from Verona, Mariangela and Titti Negroni,who, after considerable experience in the worlds of design and fashion have brought our multi-faceted professional expertise together to launch this new project placing the accent on style and embracing the genius loci. Funky Table offers you a new language in decorative expression. They are also involved in prestigious projects with Le Bon Marché in Paris, and our La Tavola Scomposta collection is available in some of the most prestigious department stores including La Rinascente in Milan and in Rome as well as in Liberty in London.
Wait and See was founded by Uberta Zambeletti, a multi-faceted aesthete, as a reflection of her personal and professional life. Following her studies in Madrid and Paris culminating in an HND in Textile Design at Chelsea School of Art and an MA in Fashion Knitwear at the Royal College of Art in London, she has been fashion designer, stylist, interior decorator, art director and fashion coordinator for major international brands and companies such as Missoni, Max Mara, Anna Molinari, Etro, Pinko, Sinv and Gruppo Rinascente. Her shop is an open and promising invitation, that evokes time and tranquility, anticipation and wonder where while browsing at your leisure you can enjoy a cup of coffee. This is more than a store, it’s a lifestyle concept and its philosophy, ‘La Vita è Bella’ is evident throughout. The belief that luxury should not only to be defined by price, is reflected in Wait and See’s international and transversal, yet affordable, offering. True fun!
Part of the Centro Storico district, elegant Brera where I grew up, is home to the Pinacoteca di Brera gallery and its collection of Italian art spanning centuries, and the fresco-filled, 15th-century Santa Maria del Carmine church. Upscale food shops and fashion boutiques line the streets, and at night the cobbled alleys come alive with glamorous Milanese dining at sleek sidewalk cafes and stylish restaurants.
The founder, Francesco Mereu, had left his native Sardinia to attend the Scuolad’Arte e Mestieri (a renowned vocational high school) in Milan, from which he graduated with maximum gradesas a watchmaker; he had no nest egg to invest, and it was only his great creativity and business acumen that allowed him to succeed. In 1960, at the age of 26, Francesco decided to start his own business, repairing watches and antique objects of various kinds; in Via Solferino, in the Brera neighborhood, he found a little shop and set up his business. The little shop in Via Solferino began to shine, with a display window on the street and glass cases inside. Merù’s reputation grew steadily, and attracted the attention of the fashion press. The original pieces began to appear in fashion magazines (Grazia, Gioia, Anna Bella, Anna, Amica). In the ‘80s, Merù’s fame spread like wildfire in Milan, “because we sold these unusual one-of-a-kind pieces that no one else had,” said Francesco. Merù became an emblematic brand of great success at the local level. During the Christmas season customers would line up outside the shop, along the sidewalk in Via Solferino.
Nestled in the heart of Milan an artful mélange of round-the-world influences, Idarica Gazzoni’s wallpaper and upholstery fabrics epitomize the highly-curated city's sophistication. Gazzoni’s fictional muse Arjumand, an Indian Empress of the Mughal Dynasty who travelled the globe, inspires everything from marbleized lamp shades to Raj floral pillows. Channel her signature "discovered" aesthetic by mixing and matching this collection: everything works together. The wallpapers are fabulous!
In 2018, one of the Top Design Studios of Milan and Italy in 2018 presented a stunning and super art-decor like expo (Limited Edition & Perfetamentte Imperfetto) at their fabulous Gallery at the center of the Brera District! In 2019 they traded the Bright Colors, Modern Bright Tones and Flower Pallets of last year for a darker vibe with an Interstellar Installation. The atmospheric and contemporary installation that showcases Dark and Powerful vibes and colors! Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran, aka DimoreStudio, prove their amazing talent and inclination for Trends & Design with periodic and incredible installations on display on the iconic DimoreGallery on Via Solferino . That’s right, Dimore Studio also took over the former Cinema Arti to unveil this installation that also serves to present their latest furniture collection, as well as showing their own take on the classic traveling trunks of French malletier Au Départ.
Founded in 1976, Dedar is a family-run fabric house that expresses a personal style with its cutting-edge contemporary collections. Located close to Como, in the heart of a manufacturing district, Dedar experiments and innovates to attain product perfection through an ongoing dialogue with those craftsmen and textile specialists who are most familiar with the techniques employed in the production of excellent fabrics. Characterized by seductive colour palettes and unexpected patterns, Dedar’s fabrics combine precious yarns with research into fiber technology to offer various solutions for curtains, upholstery and wall covering of timeless elegance. Since 2011 Dedar is partner of Hermès for the production and distribution of the home fabrics and wallpapers collection, displayed in all Dedar showrooms.
Very cozy interiors, with a ceiling painted in aubergine tone above a bois de rose walls. This very cute shop features a clothing and fashion accessories brand a hand crafted global flair. Batiks shirts from Indonesia , necklace from Africa with an Italian design. If you are not fond of the gypset style this boutique will make you change your mind.
In the Centro Storico and surrounded by Palazzi shidden courtyards and artisan workshops since 2015 in Via Marta 19, this is maybe one of the most original store in the area, everything for the table that has a character, it's original handcrafted and of course colorful curated by two sisters from Verona, Mariangela and Titti Negroni,who, after considerable experience in the worlds of design and fashion have brought our multi-faceted professional expertise together to launch this new project placing the accent on style and embracing the genius loci. Funky Table offers you a new language in decorative expression. They are also involved in prestigious projects with Le Bon Marché in Paris, and our La Tavola Scomposta collection is available in some of the most prestigious department stores including La Rinascente in Milan and in Rome as well as in Liberty in London.
Wait and See was founded by Uberta Zambeletti, a multi-faceted aesthete, as a reflection of her personal and professional life. Following her studies in Madrid and Paris culminating in an HND in Textile Design at Chelsea School of Art and an MA in Fashion Knitwear at the Royal College of Art in London, she has been fashion designer, stylist, interior decorator, art director and fashion coordinator for major international brands and companies such as Missoni, Max Mara, Anna Molinari, Etro, Pinko, Sinv and Gruppo Rinascente. Her shop is an open and promising invitation, that evokes time and tranquility, anticipation and wonder where while browsing at your leisure you can enjoy a cup of coffee. This is more than a store, it’s a lifestyle concept and its philosophy, ‘La Vita è Bella’ is evident throughout. The belief that luxury should not only to be defined by price, is reflected in Wait and See’s international and transversal, yet affordable, offering. True fun!
Joelle Maslaton Oster
Founder of Joelle Magazine and Studio Joelle, an interior design practice in New York. She writes on art, design and the places in between.
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