The launch of Dolce & Gabbana’s first atelier for bespoke menswear marks the completion of the Italian luxury fashion house’s meticulous restoration of its famous men’s store on the corner of Corso Venezia and Via della Spiga in Milan’s Quadrilatero d’Oro (Golden Quadrilateral) shopping precinct.
Housed in the 16th-century palazzo that has been home to the men’s collections for years, the new Dolce & Gabbana Sartoria shares the site with a Dolce & Gabbana men’s shoe boutique, women’s accessories boutique and the company’s multi-brand Spiga 2 store — plus its Barbiere barbershop, Beauty Farm spa, and Martini Bar and Bistrot. They surround a courtyard garden of citrus trees, palms, prickly pears and other species common to Sicily, the birthplace of Domenico Dolce and where he and Stefano Gabbana still have houses.
Inside, like the neighbouring accessories boutique and the brand’s men’s flagship store in London, the atelier’s decor is a mix of neoclassical opulence and sleek mid-century modern design: angular wooden tables and shelving, velvet ottomans, oversized mirrors with gilded rococo frames, damask wall panels, Venetian glass chandeliers, and polished marble and parquet flooring as far as the eye can see.
Several pieces of furniture really stand out. A one-of-a-kind bookcase created by renowned Italian architect and designer Gio’ Ponti for a luxurious hotel in Saint Tropez, a table by his contemporary, Ignazio Gardella, and chairs by Ponti for Reguitti adorn the room at the entrance, while a chandelier by Ercole Barovier, one of Murano’s most influential glassware designers, illuminates the space. In the adjacent room is a exceptional light fixture: a majestic Palmengarten chandelier with 140 light bulbs arranged in a radial pattern that is reminiscent of the palms in the courtyard garden.
Other rooms have more works by Ponti. Some, including the recessed ceiling lights, were created for famed maritime interior designer Nino Zoncada and previously installed on luxury cruise liners. Several of these ship-going pieces came from the Augustus cruise ship, while others come from the Conte Biancamano transatlantic ocean liner.
The expanded Milan menswear store is part of a recent retail strategy to ensure new Dolce & Gabbana boutique interiors reflect the fashion house’s signature Italian style.
