Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki – Orsa Maggiore. Tucked away in Tuscany's northwest corner, Forte Dei Marmi is an idyllic retreat for Italy's high society. The Orsa Maggiore restaurant was the venue for the presentation of the new Spring/Summer 2010 Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki Collection to members of the international press. The famous restaurant and beach club is the most beautiful and suggestive to be found in Versilia. It is the only beach-side restaurant in Forte dei Marmi, where you can have dinner looking out at the beautiful sunset or the moon-lit sea with candles on the beach flickering in the wind.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki – Orsa Maggiore. Coccinelle’s collaboration with Barbara Hulanicki, known as the founder of Biba, continues. The cult designer of the sixties and seventies, queen of style that Brigitte Bardot and Twiggy, Mick and Bianca Jagger, David Bowie and Cher all loved was in Forte dei Marmi to present the new Spring/Summer 2010 Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki Collection to thirty members of the International press who flew in especially for the occasion. Here Barbara is chatting to Coccinella’s worldwide communications director, Eleonora Pujia, the person responsible for bringing the fashion icon into the company.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki Presentation - Orsa Maggiore. The new Spring/Summer 2010 Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki Collection was beautifully displayed in the courtyard overlooking the beach of the Orsa Maggiore restaurant and beach club. The limited collection is made in Italy and the exclusive prints, inspired by Art Deco, a characteristic of Biba designs in its golden era are the principal features of the bags and their linear styling.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki – Orsa Maggiore. One of Barbara Hulanicki’s greatest fans and admirer, since the late 1960s, is the legendary, Elio Fiorucci. Fiorucci came down to Forte especially to be at the international press gala dinner hosted by Coccinelle in honor of Barbara Hulanicki.
photograph by Manfredi Bellati
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki – Orsa Maggiore. Table settings on the beach at the Orsa Maggiore restaurant and very chic bathing establishment. It is the only beach-side restaurant in Forte dei Marmi where you can have dinner looking out at the beautiful sunset and the moon-lit sea with candles on the beach flickering in the wind.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki – Orsa Maggiore. After dinner we danced until the early hours on the beach.
Photograph by Manfredi Bellati
Pietrasanta: The Animals’ Countdown – Stefano Bombardieri. Not to be missed, Stefano Bombardieri’s installations in the Duomo Square and in the church of Sant’Agostino entitled, The Animals’ Countdown, until August 30th. Whales, rhinoceros, elephants, hippos, portrayed at natural size in a surreal contexts. Thanks to the use of extremely ductile materials as the glass-reinforced plastic, Bombardieri’s sculptures look realistic and stimulate the visitors to reason about subjects that are all but joyful. The animals, monumental and powerful, become testimonial of their extinction. In the Church of Sant’Agostino every animal has a led electronic counter that in real time reports the number of still existing animals. The spectacular entrance of the exhibition in Piazza Duomo, is marked by three tall metal portals, from which hang three upside-down whales with big wounds on their backs.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki. Join the club of the Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki bags. Nico, Silvia, Roberta, Barbara and Likrish go shopping in downtown Forte dei Marmi.
Contessanally tip: Click on any photo to enlarge it.
Contessanally tip: Click on any photo to enlarge it.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki – Bagni Piero. Forte dei Marmi is also famous for it’s Panzanelle, which should be dipped into the Stracchino soft creamy cheese.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki - detail. As Barbara waits for the press to arrive from all over Europe and Milan, she has fun photographing the photographer.
Note: the wide-angle extension she has added to her tiny compact Sony camera.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki - Bagni Annetta. Forte dei Marmi is famous for it’s foccaccia and at the Bagni Annetta it is to die for. The delicious foccaccia is served as an appetizer.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki - Bagni Annetta. Up and down the coast at Forte dei Marmi welcoming, elegant and glamorous lidos or bathing establishments follow one another. The long beach is spotted by cabanas painted in summer colors, wide beach umbrellas and chaises-longues. Above the cabins at the Bagni Annetta.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki - Bagni Annetta. After lunch in the legendary Bagni Annetta, the Italian press soaks up the sun on the beach.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki – Treats. Served with coffee these tiny bites of ice cream with a layer of fruit jelly covered in chocolate are the ultimate delicious, Bocconcini Dai Dai, the most tempting hand made treats.
Forte dei Marmi – Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki - Bagni Annetta. A Coccinelle/Barbara Hulanicki S/S 2009 travel bag with the famous logo sits on a towel trimmed with matching logo on the sun beds of the Bagni Annetta.