Fashion at Home: Luxury Fashion Brands Are Branching into Design

More and more fashion brands are determined to entice you to not only fill your wardrobe but dress your entire home, transferring their stylish flair and craftsmanship expertise to home furnishing and decoration. Here are some of the curated presentations that were presented earlier this year during Milan Design Week that will help create a stylish interior as an extension of your personal style.

Armani/Casa

Timeless elegance is at the heart of Giorgio Armani’s aesthetic and for his latest Armani/Casa collection the designer presented works full of lightness and often referencing Japanese iconography from the shape of a tsuba (hand guard of a Japanese sword) to the use of tatami-effect jacquard and kimono motifs. The collection was displayed at Armani’s headquarters, with the new designs displayed in dark, box-like spaces under a series of large, colourful suspended kites arranged to replicate the shapes of the pieces they referenced. The furniture’s clean, bold lines were highlighted by refined finishes in platinum lacquer, onyx-textured metal, spotted green shell, or shagreen-effect leather. Of particular note is the Onda chaise longue which evokes an ocean wave.

Dior Maison x Dimore Studio 

Within the historic Casa degli Atellani and against a black backdrop with trompe l’oeil furniture drawn in white chalk, Dior unveiled 14 exclusive creations designed by the Milanese Diamore Studio that riff on one of the fashion house’s codes: cannage, a technique used to weave rattan. The capsule collection uses metals (gold, silver and bronze) interplayed with natural rattan and Plexiglas. Items from this collection are only available by special order and the collection will be discontinued after one year. Of note are an oval Grand Buffet tray in a metallic shade of rattan and an umbrella stand in woven rattan encircled in gold-plated brass and black metal trim.

Etro Home

Known for the use of bold  prints, especially parsley motifs, the Italian brand unveiled a new collection at the Salon del Mobile centring around two themes: nomadism and mythology. A chic ethnic vibe oozes from the Aleppo bookcase with its inlay of horn plugs that reference the decorative theme of Mesopotamia while the Masai armchair with its bronzed-metal-ring detailing on the armrest contrasts with the crimson parsley fabrics. Further exotic details pepper the bohemian décor with parrot- and rhino-shaped lamp bases, and tiger-themed candle holders. Meanwhile, the house’s historic symbol, Pegasus, was emblazoned on decorative cushions or made a stylistic appearance on the feet of the Corinto armchair and the mythos dining table with two of the giant winged horses in red lacquered resin supporting a clear glass top.

Fendi Casa

To unveil its ‘Back Home’ collection designed by Cristina Celestino, Fendi transformed its showroom at Via Solari in Milan into a villa oozing 1970s vibes yet rooted in 1980s inspiration. The architect and interior designer had delved into the luxury house’s archives and selected its iconic 1987 Pequin striped motif as a starting point. Using a palette of golden brown, dark blue and green, Celestino reinterpreted the motif with oversized statement stripes that contrast with the curved silhouettes of her designs. Fashion played an important role in the collection with floor and wall mirrors inspired by cufflinks, as was a series of lamps. Of note, a floral graphic logo created by Karl Lagerfeld in 1983 now appears on the Effee coffee tables with a polychrome marble top shaped in the form of the flowers with dyed onyx inlays.

 Gucci Décor

The Gucci Décor pop-up store on Via Santo Spirito, open until the end of June, demonstrates how to incorporate the brand’s maximalist aesthetic. Spread over two floors, the space features selected restored antiques mixed with Gucci furniture – such as an embroidered seashell armchair and floral jacquard stool — all set amidst a décor of unconventional wallpapers, lushly embroidered cushions, chintzy fringed lampshades and double-sided screens in wood and velvet. Artistic director Alessandro Michele peppered the apartment-like space with eccentric porcelain accent pieces crafted by Richard Ginori, a Florentine company acquired by Gucci in 2013.

Hermès

Whether leather, bamboo, granite or porcelain, high quality materials are at the heart of Hermes designs. To celebrate these noble materials, set designer Hervé Savage imagined a structured path lined with stone walls that proved a perfect neutral backdrop to showcase the 2019/20 collection, which includes contrasting signature cashmere throws, delicate porcelain vases decorated with 24-carat gold and iridescent metallic colours, and woven wicker ware. Of note were a throw designed by Gianpaolo Pagni  and embroidered with Miyuki glass beads, cashmere appliqués, and silk and cotton threads, which juxtaposes an equestrian motif with geometric shapes, as well as the beautiful leather marquetry work of Joséphine Ciaudo on mahogany boxes.

Loewe

Located in a courtyard next to its flagship store on Monte Napoleone, ‘LOEWE Baskets’ offered an exposition showcasing a commitment to craft. Creative director Jonathan Anderson invited 10 masters in their crafts to forego their usual materials, such as bamboo, rattan, cane or straw, in favour of Loewe’s supple leather. The result was a series of one-off work of objets d’art that brought a contemporary twist to time-honoured techniques. California-based weavers Shizu Designs created ornamental leather knots around rocks , Irish basket maker Joe Hogan incorporated leather strips into his  willow baskets and Japanese bamboo-weaver Hafu Matsumoto re-imagined one of his creations in  woven leather.

Louis Vuitton

The neoclassical Palazzo Serbelloni was the setting for the presentation of Louis Vuitton’s ‘Objets Nomades,’ with innovative yet practical pieces created in partnership with well-known designers that leverage on the brand’s savoir-faire with leather. As well as featuring past editions proposed in new colours and materials, there were 10 new objects to lust after such as the Campana Brothers’s Bulbo yellow armchair shaped like a giant Amazonian flower with layered petals that envelope the sitter; a bulbous Murano-glass lantern by Marcel Wanders enclosed in leather straps and brass studs; and a hypnotic room divider by Zanellato/Bortotto created with braided Louis Vuitton leather tightly stretched over three overlapping circles with brass hinges that allow for different configurations making the screen highly adaptable.

Miu Miu

As part of FuoriSalone 2019, held during Milan Design Week, Miu Miu staged a theatrical-style presentation at the Teatro Gerolamo based around a single item of furniture. The limited-edition ‘MIU MIU/MATCHING COLORSTOOL’ is a collaboration with creative design agency M/M Paris and explores the potential of furniture personalization. Made of linden wood, the three-legged stool doubles up as a possible board game and a canvas for self-expression as each leg is punctured with perforations into which pegs can be fitted—the 300 oversized matchsticks come in 12 different colours ensuring a constantly changing look and no two pieces are likely to ever be the same. Highlighting the "theatrical potential" of the seat, Miu Miu lined the Teatro’s auditorium’s perimeter with dozens of the design, while also stacking them high on the stage. The stool will only be produced in a limited edition of 300.

Versace Home

Usually closed to the public, Gianni Versace’s home on Via Gesù 12 was the setting for a very special presentation of Versace Home’s latest collection during Milan Design Week. American interior designer Sasha Bikoff’s scenography created a fun Miami vibe finding inspiration in the pastel colours of Versace’s Fall 1994 fashion campaign. Individual sets showcased reinterpretations of past pieces, playfully referencing Versace codes, and the brand’s first outdoor pieces included a striking Pop Medusa chair in neon colours. With an oversized gorgon motif on the back, the chair instantly delivers the unmistakable flamboyant Versace aesthetic, and it comes with a laminated glass cube, as a side table or stool, that features a three-dimensional Medusa’s head inside.