Diary #4 - A lovely trip to Venice discovering the wonders of Homo Faber 2024

From childhood to travel, from love stories to dreams: the Journey of Life that I gave myself in Venice on a sunny Saturday in September was a continuous discovery, full of wonder.

And The Journey of Life is precisely the theme of Homo Faber 2024, an event dedicated to the art of contemporary artisan excellence, this year with the extraordinary artistic direction of Luca Guadagnino together with the architect Nicolò Rosmarini.

The two, with their vision and creativity, developed the theme with a very engaging installation that winds through the monumental complex of the Giorgio Cini Foundation, on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, in Venice.

I arrived in Venice in the morning and reached the island with the ferry boat. Upon my arrival I was greeted by the magnificent Labyrinth of the Foundation.

What awaited me was an important exhibition of more than 800 objects from 400 artisans from over 70 countries around the world.

And the objects themselves, in a surprising variety of techniques and approaches, are here the tool to tell the main phases that mark existence in a series of rooms.

After passing the Labyrinth, in the Cloister of the Monastery of San Giorgio, the Game of the Goose is staged through 60 tables, hand-made with different techniques, which illustrate the Game of the Goose. My attention was focused above all on those decorated with embroidery and Jacquard.

The path inside starts from the theme of Childhood, with a first room that is built like a handcrafted toyland, full of wonder.

One of the most beautiful rooms is that of the Celebration, here understood as conviviality, which is staged in the Palladian Cenacle and opens with an immense table on which objects of all kinds are displayed in different materials, from ceramics to silver.

In the room dedicated to Love I was able to admire precious jewels and colorful bouquets including the porcelain work “Bouquet of Tulips” by Anna Volkova and a selection of high-end jewelry by Van Cleef and Arpels. Some artisans from Maison Cartier then told us about the creation of the Maison’s classic panther, which requires 170/200 hours of manual labor.

After a break at the Cafe I went into the room dedicated to Travel, where I was delighted by the spectacular Globes by Leonardo Frigo, created using the techniques of the friar Vincenzo Coronelli and which date back to the second half of the seventeenth century. It was very interesting to discover that in the friar’s ancient writings there are many tips on how to produce glues, where to find paper, and from which trees to obtain the wood to make these globes.

Sculptures of all kinds decorate the room dedicated to Nature, and the one that struck me the most was a sculpture in recycled paper and cardboard that reproduced the wonders of the sea in a very precise and pleasant way.

A very suggestive experience awaited me in the room dedicated to Dream, where a room immersed in darkness hosted handmade masks from all over the world.

Inside the room there was also a Pool in which an installation by Maison Alaïa had been inserted, presenting in a truly original way the clothes designed by the new creative director Peter Muller.

The last room, dedicated to the Afterlife, presented articles that referred to it, such as beautiful ceramic urns.

In particular, I was very struck by a painting that retraced the darkest moments of history through allegories or the use of writings such as Hiroshima and Chernobyl, created with incredible mastery, beautiful and disturbing at the same time.

Diary #3 - My Milan Design Week 2024

Milan Design Week is that moment of the year when Milan is transformed by beauty attracting a very large and international audience to the city.

For me, every year represents the perfect opportunity to see colleagues and friends again.

In the myriad of events I always try to select the most interesting ones and which above all can be a source of inspiration for my work as a Fashion Designer.

This year I decided to share with you my personal selection of events in which I had the pleasure of participating.

My passionate journey into Design Week 2024 began in via Gesù, in the Montenapoleone area, and precisely at the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum, the location chosen by Prada Frames for the collaboration with the Formafantasma collective: the third edition of the symposium is called "Being Home".

A very elegant Alice Rawsthorn, one of the most influential contemporary design critics, introduced the theme of the day, "Being Expansive", describing the place where we were, that is, the ancient and fascinating library of the Museum, and then introducing the young architect Jack Self, who made a speech about the concept of home and property, starting from the etymology of the term up to the developments in current society. The speech stimulated various reflections among us. The silence and the setting made this experience unique, which ended excellently with a snack on the Museum terrace on a sunny day that was perfect for enjoying to the fullest.

The event that I remember with most pleasure was the Opening of the exhibition “Emotions of the Sun” at the Senate Garden. Veuve Clicqout, French brand of champagne, in collaboration with the legendary photographic agency Magnum Photos. They presented at the Senate Garden the works of eight photographers (Steve McCurry, Alex Webb, Trent Parke, Olivia Arthur, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, Cristina de Middel, Nanna Heitmann and Newsha Tavakolian) who interpreted the strength and beauty of the sun.

I was in the good company of  a friend, Dan Rubinstein, a New York journalist very famous at the moment for his podcast The Grand Tourist.

During the event I also had the chance to meet Sarah Andelman again. She is the legendary founder of the Parisian concept store Colette, now working as successful curator of artistic events.

Hermes, which for me has always been synonymous with absolute class, presented an installation this year that I personally chose as the most exciting due to its closeness to my taste and as a source of inspiration.

The unmistakable style and timeless elegance of the brand this year is told on the one hand with a composition of raw materials including bricks, stones and slates with shapes inspired by natural elements, and on the other with a series of archive creations from the brand like a 60s jockey's jacket or a 50s cape. The installation is located in the La Pelota space in Via Palermo.

This year Loewe experimented with lamps with an installation at Palazzo Citterio in Brera. “Loewe Lamps” in fact presents very particular and original lamps. The one that struck me most is a completely woven bamboo lamp created by Chikuunsai Tanabe, a Japanese artist, also creator of some of the bags on display. Bamboo in Japan is considered a very noble material and linked to spirituality.

The other lamps filled the space with their perfect lighting that brought out the colors of the leather and the workmanship.

Silk and cashmere armchairs perfectly and elegantly embellish the space of Loro Piana Interiors which paid homage to Cini Boeri on the centenary of his birth with the installation "A Tribute To Cini Boeri" in the Cortile della Seta.

The exhibition is dedicated to the iconic pieces designed by the great Italian architect with furnishings that celebrate the most joyful, playful and contemporary part of Cini Boeri's design idea, in full line with the values of my brand.

A brand that season after season is increasingly emphasizing the connection with nature is Zegna, which in the showroom in via Savona presented the book "Born in Oasi Zegna" which recalls over 100 years of Zegna history through a carefully curated series of evocative images and inspiring anecdotes.

Equally suggestive and inspiration permeated the immersive experience that Zegna gave us on the lower floor of the showroom. The visual, tactile and olfactory experience lived there wanted to bring the Oasi Zegna into the Design Week, and so it happened. It was therefore like being in the stupendous 100 square km nature reserve in the setting of the Biella Alps founded by Ermenegildo Zegna as an indisputable model of social and environmental awareness.

The place typically chosen for a break or as an office and meeting place for all professionals or artists has always been the Bar Basso and I also meet many friends there.

This year my American friend, the artist and illustrator Rob Wilson presented there a series of illustrated postcards in collaboration with the AUGUST journal.

For me Rob, also the author of the banner of this blog, is truly an artist similar to the aesthetic values of my brand. A stop on my tour of the city with Rob was also my showroom and most likely a collaboration has already been born! (Coming soon.)

Finally, the collaboration between the designer Thom Browne and the luxury homeware company Frette is very interesting: at the Palazzina Appiani a row of beds one after the other are arranged with the logic and precision of a barracks. The installation was also the set for a performance called Time to Sleep, featuring models dressed in Thom Browne.

From this Design Week I will bring with me a breath of contemporaneity, style, elegance, colors and beautiful memories.

News - Luca Larenza teams up with Cashmere-Giant Consinee on a special Capsule Collection

On the occasion of Pitti Immagine Uomo 104 and Pitti Filati 93 Editions, The Sala Ottagonale of the Fortezza da Basso will be the stage for the presentation of the new capsule collection designed by Luca Larenza - an interpretation of the essence of the Consinee yarn.

According to Labelhood, which has selected the Designer for the special project - "Luca Larenza's fashion philosophy is mainly reflected in a very personal interpretation of menswear.

It blends modernity and tradition into an uninhibited elegance that roots the designer in his italian heritage.

The use of premium tailoring and raw materials made with fine craftmanship are the designer's distinguishing features"

The garments are set in an "immersive" installation designed by Archivio Personale Studio, renowned for its expertise in crafting immersive experiences and visually striking environments. In harmony with Consinee's unwavering commitment to eco-sustainability, the Sala Ottagonale will feature a certified sustainable wood installation, serving as the backdrop for 22 designer styles and a carefully selected assortment of Consinee's iconic archival pieces.

Founded in 1999 in Ningbo, Consinee now has corporate offices all over the world.

Consinee group is one of the most important players in the industry and a benchmark for luxury brands, accounting for 15% to 20% of the international production of pure cashmere yarns. Today, the group is a giant with a turnover of 5 billion RMB (about 800 million USD) and more of 1.300 employers.

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