High Fashion in Milan

I was recently at Armani/ Silos in Milan, a brand new Museum to celebrate 40 years of Re Giorgio creations.

What a great surprise to see a magnificent renovation and a fantastic installation: the building was born in 1950 to stock grains and it is approximately 50.000 square feet on 4 levels.

On the main floor “Stars” presents images of famous actors wearing Armani…who does not remember Richard Gere in American Gigolo ?

The 600 creations, plus accessories, from 1980 to today are not chronologically displayed but grouped by themes:

Stars, Daywear, Light, Black, Chromatism and so on.

The most beautiful red silk panels in the “Red” room.

The walls changed in every room, here are a background of greige (Armani signature color I should say) silk.

The lighting system created a perfect atmosphere for every single display.

Does it matter to know if this dress was created in 1980, 1990 or yesterday?

The accessories floor seen from above.

Giorgio Armani, a genius of style and elegance, timeless use of colors and shapes, thin line between male and female fashion, and always seductive.

Photography by Albarosa Simonetti

©2015 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".
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Three things I like

1. You know I like extraordinary movies (who doesn’t?)
2. You know I like Milan
3. You know I like to talk about I Saloni (also called Design Week).

The result of the above is this post!

During the Design week in Milan one of the most interesting installation takes place at the enchanting Villa Necchi Campiglio, set of the marvelous movie “I am love” by Luca Guadagnino, subject of one of  my previous posts  “An extraordinary house for a movie”.

Villa Necchi is a splendid example of rationalist architecture, surrounded by a park in the very center of Milan and with a marvelous pool, one of the few private ones in this city. It was designed by architect Portaluppi and built in the 1930’s for the Necchi family (Lombardy upper middle class, with a major factory of sewing machines): two sisters, Neda and Gigina and the second one’s husband, Angelo Campiglio.  The villa was donated by them to the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) and it is open to the public as a House-Museum.

The superb stairwell and the colored faux runner created for the event,

repeating the original color of the real one.

The installation is by Fabrica, talent incubator part of  the Benetton group, with the cooperation of important Italian companies, like Richard-Ginori, Moroso and others who re-created 25 objects and small pieces of furniture in the style of the house keeping in mind the lifestyle of the Necchi family, but with a contemporary
eye.

The Villa classic living room with Murano chandelier, rich draperies,

antiques and a great collection of art.

 

A modern coffee table with long blue fringes amongst antique chairs and sofas.

 

The veranda has a set of vases recalling the use of double and triple

pane windows in the house.

The contemporary travel-chair in the corner of the study was

created to match the antique travel-desk of Dr. Campiglio.

In the huge walking closet (one of the few in 1930 Italy) a hunter-purse recalls the love of

the Necchi sisters for hunting and for collecting fox furs (politically correct at the time).

The grand entrance to the dining room with the obvious love of a rationalist architect for symmetry. (After Second World War the family called another architect, Tommaso Buzzi, to restore the house and make it more traditional and classic, and more in line with a time of joy after such a big tragedy, this is why we see so different styles).

A new set of China with the same decor as the ceiling: stars and horses, with traditional recipes of the family printed on the back of each plate (I would love to read them!).

The classically ornate master bedroom with a contemporary small mirror

reflecting the fringes on the trim of an antique chair.

For the installation Fabrica has ordered two personalized fragrances, one for each spouse.

The sisters love for hats induced Fabrica to have a set of boxes in the shape of hats.

The sister who never married had many admirers so in her bedroom we see

a large vase collecting the notes from gentlemen sending her flowers.

In the butler pantry we can see some of the original Richard Ginori set of china and

on the small table the set of personalized glasses, all different for each member of the family.

The family Necchi-Campiglio loved playing cards and

Fabrica has re-created another way of keeping the Poker chips.

A view of the garden from above, with a beautiful wisteria and an old magnolia; if you think you have seen the statue already in one of my posts…yes! It was part of The Art’s Lady post, back then still in the house of Claudia Gianferrari, art historian who donated part of her collection to this House-Museum.

I also wrote about Villa Necchi in another post, in 2010, during I Saloni, a different installation of contemporary objects took place here.  To see those images read “Old houses and new design”.

A great project by Fabrica, conceived to add new significance to this marvelous house, recalling the lifestyle of its owners.


Photography by Alberta Cuccia

©2012 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".


Brillante Interiors now offers also online consultations so please send an email and we can start the process. It will be an investment in happiness at home, a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in!

Voyeurism

Rome, Piazza di Spagna, Palazzetto dei Borgognoni.

Don’t we all become voyeurs at times? Especially when our passion is Interior design? Have you ever been in a major artist’s house? Well today I will show you the House- Museum of one of the greatest modern Italian artists. 

 

Giorgio de Chirico 1888-1978 was a pre-Surrealist Italian painter and sculptor, then Surrealist and finally founder of pittura metafisica. His surname is traditionally written De Chirico (capitalized De) when it stands alone.

D'après Giorgio is a project by Luca Lo Pinto: for a full year it will be possible to see his house while many internationally renowned artists will be interacting with the space and his creations.
Giorgio de Chirico lived for the last 30 years in the top three floors of Palazzetto dei Borgognoni, in the central and gorgeous Piazza di Spagna (Spanish steps) in Rome, and here from January 27th, 2012 there will be an alternating display of installations by famous designers and artists  like Martino Gamper, Luca Trevisani, Carlo Mollino and many more.

Let’s go in…

 

De Chirico’s study and Library.

 

Very 1950’s De Chirico bedroom.

From the House-Museum website: “The apartment’s rooms and 1950-style furnishings were restored following a rigorous study of old photographs and historic anecdotes. The same method was applied to the arrangement of the paintings and sculptures. On the main first floor, the luxurious rooms evoke a Rubenesque vision of grand 17th century style salons with their red damask curtains, numerous ornate gold frames, wooden cherubs, marble tables and silverware, Persian carpets and Louis XVI-style armchairs. Conceived as a magnificent ‘living gallery’, this area of the apartment was once a lively, vibrant place of gatherings and receptions.”

His books, his colors, his tools for his art and a drawing in the background.

A very classic living and dining areas divided by red drapes, like a theatrical scene. As in many elegant houses of the time the living room often was more a “gallery” of antiques and art, used only for major entertaining, while the real daily social life happened in smaller and more comfortable rooms.

Photography by Massimo Listri

A vignette showing his bar: memory lane…I remember when everyone was drinking Punt e Mes as aperitivo, quite unusual now to find it in Italian bars. Drinks are like fashion, one day hip, the next day obsolete.

A piece by  contemporary artist Paul Armand Gette, B&W photography La toilette de la Nymphe,  between the original objects of De Chirico’s house.

Another installation: on the left an original sculpture by De Chirico, on the right Martino Gamper’s Chair 'n' Box, 2008. As a background De Chirico famous metaphysical paintings.

A new bulb for an old lamp and an extraordinary sculpture on the right.

During the year the public will also be able to see for the first time many photographs from the Fondazione Isa and Giorgio de Chirico archives and a series of art critics, curators and artists will accompany visitors to present their vision of the whole project.

“They say that Rome is at the centre of the world and that Piazza di Spagna is in the centre of Rome, therefore, my wife and I, would indeed be living in the centre of the centre of the world, which would be the apex of centrality, and the apogee of anti-eccentricity.”

Giorgio de Chirico

Photography by Lorenzo Gigotti


©2012 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".
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