Great things to do and see while in town for the shows.
POLISHING PUCCI: Emilio Pucci’s Via Montenapoleone boutique is a historic location for the brand — this was the first shop opened following Pucci’s alliance with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. But after five years of wear and tear, it was time to spruce things up, explained Laudomia Pucci, image director for the brand and daughter of Emilio Pucci. The store still has about 1,100 square feet of floor space, but has been adapted to better house the collection. Flanking its entry is a section for small leather goods; inside, the rtw collection hangs in small islands. A corner has been dedicated to footwear and an illuminated center displays for neckwear. “It’s more luxurious and chic,” said Pucci, who added that the refit — to be implemented in other Pucci boutiques — was a step ahead for the brand, which is now under the design direction of Matthew Williamson. The windows inlaid in the corridor leading to the store contain six vintage photographs of Emilio Pucci on holiday, and a video screen in one window plays an artistic take on Pucci’s famous prints interspersed with coverage from the brand’s recent runway show.
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Emilio Pucci, 14 Via Montenapoleone; Tel: +39-02-76318356
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TIGHTS WEATHER: Fresh fall mornings mean it’s time to break out the tights. And tights, it seems, are on a roll, thanks to the ribbed, opaque and patterned styles that strode on catwalks as well as the footless leggings that appeared under many a dress and skirt. It’s helpful to know, then, that Wolford refurbished its Via Manzoni shop location so that its comprehensive hosiery line is more accessible to customers looking for season particulars — like new velvet-look, taupe-colored tights. Walls of the shop have been fitted with custom shelves for Wolford’s collection as well as those designed by Kenzo, Giorgio Armani and Zac Posen — the Via Manzoni location stocks the delicate black-lace stockings and suspenders to be worn with peep toes that Posen created for fall. There’s also space for the brand’s growing number of fashion pieces — like the best-selling, tube-like Fatal dress, which retails for 115 euros, or $145, and the Colombia tweed skirt that is attached to a bandeau-like top at 169 euros ($214).
Wolford, Via Manzoni, corner of Via Bigli. Tel: +39-02-7631-6204
BELSTAFF MEETS BASQUIAT: Belstaff has linked itself to the world of cinema and music, so it’s no surprise the Italian brand is behind the largest European exhibition of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. The collection, housed at Milan’s La Triennale, features 106 works by the New York artist and will be presented to 1,500 members of the press on Monday night, after Belstaff stages its spring women’s rtw collection upstairs in the same building. Later that evening, there will be a screening of the movie “Downtown 81,” which shows the life of Basquiat, who died of a heroin overdose in 1988, in New York during that decade. The film will be introduced by co-producers Edo Bertoglio and Elio Fiorucci and Polaroid photographer Maripol — whose photographs of the Eighties club and underground scene adorn the walls of the gallery cafe. Belstaff sourced the graffiti-tinged, vivid works of Basquiat for the show from collectors all over the world — even Madonna and Johnny Depp lent pieces from their private collections. As it turns out, Basquiat himself was a fan of Belstaff’s jackets, and a leather trench he wore that features a self-embellished painted crown motif lining will be displayed among the valuable works. Manuele Malenotti, vice president of Belstaff, said the exhibition blew him away when he first viewed it. “People in our industry have little time to enjoy art during fashion week — it’s great to show something this spectacular,” he said. For those who don’t have a chance to catch the exhibition during fashion week, the Jean-Michel Basquiat show will be on display at La Triennale until January.
The Jean-Michel Basquiat Show; La Triennale di Milano, 6 Viale Alemagna; Tel: +39-02-724-341
OIL-RICH COUNTRY: Next to pasta and coffee, olive oil is an institution in Italy. Chiú, a new eat-in/take-out lunch spot and food shop in Milan’s Brera arts district, has dedicated itself to the Italian dining-table musts of olive oil and mozzarella made from buffalo’s milk. Chiú’s olive oil comes from five regions of Italy — the Sicilian olive oil is the most peppery in taste. All the oils, which are sold in three sizes, are extra virgin, which make them all the better to slosh over the fresh bread Chiú bakes daily. For lunch, Chiú has a menu of tasty salads, panini and buffalo mozzarella served with vegetables or prosciutto. For those concerned with calories, buffalo mozzarella is considered healthy by many dieticians — and is featured in Dr. Joshi’s Detox Diet, as is olive oil. Chiú also stocks pasta from Naples and pesto made in Liguria.
Chiú, 5 Via Pontaccio; Tel: +39-02-805-2296
HIGH STEPPERS: Donatella Sartore, who has an eye for a trendy shoe in any fashion city, has turned a family-owned footwear brand into a boutique destination for other shoe shoppers. After three years, You & Me has established boutiques in Venice and in St. Barth’s that carry the styles dreamt up by Sartore and her design team. Now, just in time for fashion week, You & Me has opened on Via Della Spiga, one of Milan’s premier shopping streets. For fall, there are hand-laced taupe suede pumps and black velvet stilettos with ankle straps. Footwear by You & Me ranges from 90 euros, or $114, to 260 euros, or $329, for more elaborate baroque-style pony-skin boots. Sartore has added a bag line — a Kelly shape trimmed with velvet, crystals and other trinkets. “I created one for myself and wore it in Capri and everyone was asking me where I bought it, so I decided I had to add the bag line,” said Sartore. You & Me plans to open boutiques in Hong Kong, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and New York this year.
You & Me, 50 Via Della Spiga; Tel: +39-02-76006039
LINENS AND LACE: Loretta Caponi’s Old World Florence boutique with its ornate ceilings is the first port of call for property collectors with houses by the sea and the Alps. The shop’s dark wooden floors are laden with shelves of folded handmade linens for dining rooms, bathrooms and bedrooms. Countryside villas, yachts and seaside houses pose no design problem for the designer — Caponi’s artisans can weave just about any theme into a design. The team is working on a massive tablecloth embroidered with fruit and musical instruments for an estate in the mountains of northern Italy. Now, Milan has its own smaller version of Loretta Caponi’s famous shop that will stock the highlights of the home goods collection plus Caponi’s delicate lingerie crafted from lace and jewel-colored silks.
Loretta Caponi, 25 Corso Monforte; Tel: +39-02-7600-0068