If Milan is the fashion capital of the world, then the Quadrilatero d’Oro district is the beating heart of this vibrant and stylish town. Long considered to be one of the world’s most important centres of fashion and home to Milan’s most exclusive stores and workshops, the Quadrilatero d’Oro – unromantically translated as ‘The Golden Rectangle’ – is the name given to a tangle of streets located just north of the Duomo. The district takes its geometrical moniker from the four main thoroughfares that surround it – via Monte Napoleone, via Manzoni, via della Spiga and corso Venezia. Every inch of this area is tightly packed with the best haute couture, and is a veritable roll call of all the instantly recognizable high-end names including Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Versace and Valentino . Explore with my some of my favorite stores around inner patios with centennial trees and paved in beautiful stone mosaics.
This boutique’s bright and airy atmospheres allows shoppers to be inspired by a unique mix of vintage clothing, ‘flower Couture’ arrangements boudoir accessories, fragrances and furniture nestled in a vibrant Bohemian Nouveau Interiors
” The living room parlor for dogs who live in the Quadrilatero” with excellent Made in Italy craftsmanship products in nappa, cashmere, 100% calf hair and authentic silk Fornasetti fabrics architect Alessandra Tibaldi created for her Maison Sibulet, She will be the unique host welcoming you with her dogs. There are no better words to define Alessandra’s creation, a excellent craftsmanship. Maison Sibulet takes care of all kind of dog breeds: from the smallest to the largest dog an elegant and pet secure solution is waiting for your beloved one.
Bottega Veneta opens its first home furnishings boutique—and spotlights its commitment to craft—in an exquisite 18th-century Milanese palazzo. Strolling through Milan’s Golden Triangle, past the enclave’s patrician edifices, one could be forgiven for not immediately noticing a new neighbor. Discreetly tucked within the Palazzo Gallarati Scotti, a handsome 18th-century townhouse built by a princely local family, is Bottega Veneta’s latest retail outpost: the fashion and lifestyle brand’s first location devoted exclusively to its elegant line of home furnishings. “The building’s façade is stately yet unassuming,” says the company’s creative director, Tomas Maier, who designed the 2,200-square-foot store.”
The interiors are indeed a pleasant surprise, comprising a series of glorious double-height rooms with original frescoes by Italian Old Masters Carlo Innocenzo Carlone and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, coffered ceilings, and cotto lombardo floors. A far cry from the typical white-box store, these historic spaces—wrapped around a courtyard—serve as grand backdrops to the company’s graciously understated offerings, which Maier has arranged in scenes that convincingly conjure domestic narratives.To create a sitting room, Maier grouped minimalist oak bookcases with sofas produced in collaboration with the Italian firm Poltrona Frau (which has its own new showroom in the building). Elsewhere, a dining table topped with richly veined Tunisian marble has been set for a fashionable gathering, with smoky wineglasses plus cutlery and tableware embellished with the brand’s signature intrecciato woven pattern. The motif appears in its original leather throughout the boutique, in everything from the shade on a gunmetal floor lampto a console’s drawer front to an array of stylish desk accessories. Maier’s goal for the new space, consistent with the brand’s philosophy in general, was to respect its past while adapting it for contemporary sensibilities. One can only imagine that the palazzo’s aristocratic former residents would approve of the result, with its distinct character so wonderfully retained. Certainly shoppers are encouraged to feel right at home.
To celebrate its opening during Milan Design Week, Versace hosted a cocktail party at the Versace historical HQ in Via Borgospesso. The new pieces include the Sunburst, a crystal round table. Its base is composed by 14 elements in chromed metal that conveys the strength of a solar explosion. Essential design for the little armchair Vanitas presented in the multicolour version or in total black with mirrored golden seat. Meanwhile an iconic reminder of the heritage of the Versace Home Collection- a naked male model- was laying on a Versace bed made of mattresses.
Nestled among the fashion boutiques of Milan’s Via della Spiga is Nilufar Gallery, a spot that represents the beating heart of midcentury Italian design. Immaculately curated over three floors, the highly desirable pieces change regularly. Founder Nina Yashar (my former school mate ) opened Nilufar Gallery in 1979, originally selling antique carpets. On a trip to Sweden 15 years ago, she purchased some vintage Alvar Aalto pieces on a whim. She then turned to her own backyard, which was brimming with Italian midcentury design, and cherrypicked the best pieces from maestros such as Carlo Mollino, Gaetano Pesce, Ico Parisi, and Franco Albini. These now make up 70 per cent of her collection. Good timing, gut decisions, and a keen eye has kept her pulse on the zeitgeist ever since.
The renovated flagship store on Via Montenapoleone is today Moncler’s largest single-brand boutique in the world, and it highlights the brand’s ongoing commitment to the city of Milan. The architectural concept is once again the work of French studio Gilles & Boissier, a long-time partner with whom the brand has created a signature code of design and style which has come to represent the Moncler interior aesthetic around the world. The design elements are drawn from a variety of cultural and artistic sources, inspired by the genius loci, the guardian spirits of Milan. This can be seen in a heightened use of symmetry, as well as geometric references drawn from the rationalism and classicism of the ’30s and ’40s, a period in which Milan was a hothouse of design innovation. The ground floor features a hallmark technique, known as Risseu, in which stones worn smooth by seawater or flowing rivers, are laid in a geometric pattern. A technique widely used in the grottoes of Lombardy’s lakeside villas during the Mannerist and high Baroque periods, this extraordinary craftwork is used here to cover floorings and walls with textured small, smooth black and white pebbles. The store’s furnishings feature a combination of finishes, blending noble materials such as leather and marble. With its powerful visual and spatial impact, the spiral staircase linking the four stories combines black metal with Montecristo marble, with its sophisticated and nuanced play of black and brown. A true visual must!
At first, Rosalba’s dreams wove a precise yet whispered tale. The thread of a conversation that spoke of sophistication, accuracy, tradition and tailoring and that was composed according to the rules of Made in Italy. Made in Italy, then as now for ROSALBA, is not a label or a trend, but a conviction rooted in her tireless passion for high craftsmanship. That train of thought began to be felt in 1980 at number 25 in Via Sant’Andrea in Milan’s historic ROSALBA boutique. At the time, it was dedicated to children and infants. Pieces were created with mothers and tailored to their needs, and embroidered by skilled and attentive hands; always marked by Rosalba’s sensitive versatility and purposeful willingness. From that dialogue always shared with customers and woven with the thread of dreams, could only born unique, original and delightful: true fables to wear.