NEW IN THE LAGOON: Barena Venezia, the workwear-nodding Italian brand founded in 1993 by Sandro Zara, is opening its first flagship in its hometown of Venice.
Located within the historic Palazzo Regina Vittoria, a stone’s throw from St. Mark’s Square, the store spans 538 square feet. The quiet interiors — defined by the revamp the stately building has undergone in the ‘50s — is characterized by an understated palette of neutral stone flooring and wooden furnishings, which were developed reusing existing materials. Illustrations by Venetian artist Lucio Schiavon hang on the walls. The store was conceived for modularity, allowing its palette to change over time.
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“Opening our first store has long been a shared ambition, and it felt natural to do so in Venice, the city we owe so much to,” said Davide Zara, one of the founder’s four children, who joined the company as chief commercial officer last year after accruing experience in the luxury sector at Tom Ford and Zegna.
The store, which opens in tandem with the Venice Art Biennale 2026, is to carry the brand’s men’s and women’s collections, alongside a selection of one-of-a-kind pieces highlighting Barena Venezia’s more experimental designs.
“These pieces often emerge from processes that cannot be replicated. We felt it was important to give them a home. Presented only here, they exist as unique garments, each defined by its material, proportions and treatment. They carry a value that goes beyond the collection, precisely because they cannot be repeated,” explained creative director Francesca Zara.
Barena Venezia, which is centered around Venetian workwear, launched almost three decades ago with a collection of aprons. It has developed into a full-fledged menswear brand, whose offering is rooted in what’s billed as the “anti-suit,” such as matching a top and bottom with workwear and utilitarian inflections — think pleated pants with overshirts, baggy trousers and bomber jackets.
In 2008 the company introduced womenswear. Both are produced within miles of the company’s headquarters just outside Venice.
As reported, last year the brand set up shop at London’s Harrods, opening a permanent corner inside the department store’s menswear area.