Looking ahead to those warmer days, brands are taking over summer destinations and restaurants are preparing their outdoor tables so guests can enjoy the view and while away those lazy afternoons.
Here, WWD Weekend looks at not-to-miss spots at some of Italy’s leading summer destinations.
FORTE DEI MARMI
Along the Mediterranean sea coast in Tuscany, located in the Versilia area, Forte dei Marmi is one of Italy’s most characteristic luxury destinations.
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Villa Grey
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The four-star hotel Villa Grey, located at 84 Lungomare Italico, comprises a central villa, the Dimora, the Michelin-starred restaurant “Il Parco,” and a private beach with its own bistro. The establishment is owned by the Larini family, who restored the villa.
The 23 rooms are decorated with elegant furniture in a neutral color palette of white, gray and taupe. The restaurant, in the internal garden of the villa, is led by executive chef Giovanni Cerroni. Seafood and vegetables are the leitmotif of his cuisine. In addition to two tasting menus, Catharsis and Mimesis, Cerroni offers risotto al calamaretto spillo (small squids) with spring onion and parsley, or monkfish with verjus (a kind of cider) sauce and fennel.
Villa Grey Hotel
Viale Italico, 84 – 55042
05-84-78-7496
villagrey.com
Lux Lucis Restaurant
To enjoy a view of the Tuscan city, the Lux Lucis restaurant is located on the roof of the hotel Il Principe Forte dei Marmi. Under Michelin-starred chef Valentino Cassanelli, the restaurant seats 28 guests and has floor-to-ceiling windows. Marble sculptures by Korean artist Park Eun Sun and tables that are part of the Maxalto collection by Antonio Citterio, with their characteristic parallel legs, stand out in the restaurant.
The food results from a collaboration between chef Cassanelli, strongly influenced by the local tradition, and maître sommelier Sokol Ndreko, as the dishes often include the aroma of wine.
With sustainability key to Cassanelli, he is eliminating disposable materials and working with suppliers who provide local ingredients, such as a special carrot called Pastinoncello di Seravezza, for example.
Lux Lucis
Viale Ammiraglio Morin, 67 – 55042
05-84-78-3636
principefortedeimarmi.com
Borsalino
Via Carducci has been enriched with a glamorous opening. The famed hat brand is presenting the latest collections of hats, caps and accessories for men and women in a 430-square-foot boutique. The brand, which is owned by Haeres Equita, has been expanding its retail network in the last 12 months, leading to the opening of new stores in locations including Milan, Rome-Fiumicino International Airport, Monte Carlo and Mykonos.
“Borsalino’s tradition of elegance and style has found a home in Forte dei Marmi in a perfect location in terms of prestige and visibility,” explains Mauro Baglietto, general manager of Borsalino. “This stretch of the Tyrrhenian coast has always been a point of reference for international tourism, which finds here hospitality and service of the highest level.”
Borsalino
Via Giosuè Carducci, 14 – 55042
borsalino.com
The Longevity Suite
Recently opened, the Longevity Suite is considered one of the most advanced biohacking and antiage clinics in Europe. Through integrated high-tech protocols, it helps guide guests to create the healthiest and most energetic version of themselves.
The clinic was founded 20 years ago by Dr. Massimo Gualerzi, cardiologist and scientific director, and Luigi Caterino, chief executive officer. The three pillars of the programs on which it is based are cold, detox and awareness, which lead to mental and physical well-being. Among the treatments is the Cryo suite, which among its benefits helps accelerate metabolism and rejuvenate the skin. Detox is based on a semifasting that reduces caloric intake by reducing toxins.
Other services in the field of regenerative medicine range from ozone therapy to IV therapy, after a check-up to set specific goals and targeted tests.
The Longevity Suite
Via Duca D’Aosta, 10/b – 55042
05-84-19-47459
thelongevitysuite.com
CAPRI
The island off the coast of Naples is a symbol of Italy’s Dolce Vita lifestyle, from its steep hills dotted with luxurious villas to its azure sea.
Santoni
Along the most famous shopping street in Capri, Via Vittorio Emanuele, Santoni just opened its doors. The boutique is characterized by orange and light blue on the walls which, combined with gold glass, creates graphic design elements.
The footwear brand’s signature orange color is predominant on the furniture, both inside and in the windows. Two installations reminiscent of a double buckle stand at the entrance.
In addition to the women’s and men’s spring collections, the brand is offering a capsule exclusive to the store and available beginning in June that includes sneakers in Capri’s Blue Grotto (intense blue) for men and a reinterpretation of classic thong sandals and wedges with a rope sole, in soft white and silver leather, for women. These are embellished with the island’s typical San Michele little bell, meant to bring good luck.
Santoni Capri
Via Vittorio Emanuele, 22 – 80076
08-18-37-0841
santonishoes.com
Chanel is coming back for the season and ready to welcome visitors of the island in its seasonal boutique until Oct. 31.
The entrance to the boutique is via a terra-cotta-hued stone terrace, which is furnished with inviting outdoor sofas and armchairs and heady with the fragrant summer scents of citrus and bougainvillea.
Mineral stone central consoles and walls and podiums are clad in pastel tweed. This season, the store has been reimagined in a minimalist style, awash in luminous white with contrasting accents of graphic black.
Chanel
Via Vittorio Emanuele, 61 – 80076
chanel.com
MILAN
Milan is always renewing itself with new shops and unmissable exhibitions.
Modes
Modes has expanded its store in Piazza Risorgimento to reach 10,800 square feet, adding elements such as aluminum, galvanized metal and stainless steel presented in The Assembly Project by Modes unveiled during Salone del Mobile 2022, reused in this new space.
Since Modes blurs the distinction between women’s and men’s wardrobes, inviting everyone to express themselves freely, the new store, imagined and designed by Gonzalez Haase AAS, reflects this approach. “The entire Modes community, along with our spaces, is a vibrant celebration of diversity — a melting pot of ideas where innovation thrives,” says Aldo Carpinteri, founder and CEO. “The new space in Piazza Risorgimento has been constructed using existing materials, a testament to Modes’ unwavering dedication to sustainable practices.”
Modes
Piazza Risorgimento, 8 – 20129
modes.com
Larusmiani
Larusmiani has inaugurated an experiential space in Via Verri, near Via Montenapoleone, where its storied boutique was previously located.
The store covers 3,240 square feet on two floors with an industrial ambience and automotive references that are part of the brand’s world. The strongly Milanese, sober and refined style pays attention to craftsmanship, fabrics and details.
On the ground floor, the permanent project called “The automotive gallery” displays exclusive cars, concept cars and art cars from museums or private collections.
Larusmiani carries menswear capsule collections and what the brand calls “a gentleman’s essentials,” accessories entirely handmade by artisans, as well as works of art, such as photographs by artist Riocam.
The concept of the boutique was conceived by Sirio Barillaro Studio and the interior was designed by architect Benedetto Camerana, who for the first time worked in fashion retail.
Larusmiani
Via Pietro Verri, 10 – 20121
larusmiani.it
Yolo
Yolo, an acronym for “you only live once,” landed in Milan last month. Located in Via Torino, the store is based on the concept that garments have value for their quality and not for their logo or label. It offers a selection of garments from more than 100 Italian and international brands, from current or past seasons or prototypes for future collections. But they bear no brand names, so the pieces are sold at lower and more accessible prices.
The retail identity of Yolo was created by designers Elena and Giulia Sella, founders of the creative agency Postology and includes interactive and playful elements, motivational messages, captivating patterns and impactful graphics. The brand identity was created by Caimbra.it, a multidisciplinary collective specialized in visual identity.
Yolo
Via Torino, 60 – 20123
yolostore.it
Sebastião Salgado, “Amazônia“
The exhibition of Brazilian photographer Salgado runs until Nov. 19 at La Fabbrica del Vapore. Through over 200 shots and a seven-year project, the artist captures the vegetation, rivers and mountains of the Brazilian Amazon forest as well as the ways of life of the people he was able to study during his stay.
The aim of the exhibition is not only to highlight the Amazonian landscapes, but also to underline its richness and the importance of protecting it. In fact, the two macro themes of the exhibition are the landscape, with sections ranging from flying rivers — so called because of the water vapor transported into the atmosphere — to mountains, passing through tropical storms and Indigenous peoples and their homes.
The visit is accompanied by an audio track composed especially by Jean-Michel Jarre and inspired by the authentic sounds of the forest, while the curator is Lélia Wanick Salgado, travel and life companion of the great photographer.
Fabbrica del Vapore
Via Procaccini, 4 – 20154
fabbricadelvapore.org
Bill Viola
Fifteen masterpieces of video artist Bill Viola are being showcased at Palazzo Reale until the end of June. The exhibition is promoted by the Municipality of Milan-Culture and produced and organized by Palazzo Reale and Arthemisia, with the collaboration of Bill Viola Studio.
The interplay between past and future reveals how Viola’s work was intended, from the outset to be an effort within the image (the video itself) and a tendency toward the outside (video as a hybrid medium open to dialogue with the space in which it is installed).
The central themes of the exhibition are touched on in the very first projection, “The Quintet of the Silent” (2000). A group of five men is seen standing close together as they undergo a wave of intense emotion that threatens to overwhelm them.
Viola’s focus on the formalization of emotions is clearly visible in other works: “Fire Woman” (2005) is an image seen in the mind’s eye of a dying man. The darkened silhouette of a female figure stands before a wall of flame.
Palazzo Reale
Piazza del Duomo, 12 – 20122
Tel. 02-88-46-5230
palazzorealemilano.it
ROME
In the capital there are always some news, project or new restaurant to try.
Allegrío Restaurant
Rome has a new destination where food, lifestyle and home decor merge, opened by the Italian-British Sabrina Corbo, who has a passion for art, architecture and interior design. Corbo conceived a restaurant that adapts to the mood of its guests through the four rooms in which it is divided: joyful, lucky, intrepid, in love.
The lighting, an important concept for the restaurant, was entrusted to architect Massimiliano Baldieri while artist Moritz Waldemeyer created the site-specific sculpture “Where the Stars Align.”
Each room is decorated according to its name; for example, the room dedicated to love is furnished with 500 Capodimonte porcelain roses made by the historic Neapolitan workshop Barra in 1922.
Even the menu is different for each room — at the helm of the kitchen is executive chef Daniele Creti and the sous chef Marco Melatti, while the pastry chef is the Neapolitan Mario Di Costanzo, who respects the Italian pastry tradition.
Allegrío
Via Vittorio Veneto, 114 – 00187