Photograph courtesy Swarovski
MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR
Fuori Salone - Swarovski. At, Swarovski, the exhibition is always glamorous, maybe, it's because of the "subject matter", that is, crystals, that sparkle like stars in the sky? This year, Nadja Swarovski has invited the designers to break with tradition and return to their original point of departure - invention and creation. Here is the "best" in show. Or to put it another way, this was the most written about piece of the Milan furniture fair. Designed by Naoto Fukasawa for Swarovski Crystal Palace collection and called Cosmos 1 & 2, these two lights are reminiscent of the after-image when you hold a strong light in your hand and draw large circles in the air. "It is as if the light comes from the stick of wizards." says Naoto. Was his inspiration, perhaps, Harry Potter?

http://www.swarovski.com

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Gaia & Gino. Beautiful, talented, Turkish entrepreneur Gaye Cevikel poses besides British design stars, Jasper Morrison and Tom Dixon at the party, for the Gaia & Gino collection in the Sportmax boutique. This year's superstar designer was Andree Putman with her Lucky tabletop collection. Also presented this year, for the first time, Gino the Dog collection, a series of dog accessories designed by eight selected students from the California College of the Arts, under the direction of Yves Behar. Please note, that Gino is the name of Gaye's beautiful golden retriever dog. Jasper Morrison proudly announced "I have been coming to the Milan Furniture Fair for twenty-six years." Whereas, Tom Dixon has always wanted to get into the Guinness Book of Records. This year's Milan design week, provided the perfect platform to realize his closeted ambition. At, Milan Malpensa Airport, Dixon designed and installed a 45 metre sofa which was sponsored by Bombay Sapphire. And, guess what color it was? Yes, Sapphire Blue. The current record, of a 35 metres sofa, is held by Natuzzi. Let's hope, Tom will fulfill his long time dream.

www.gaiaandgino.com www.jaspermorrison.com www.tomdixon.net www.bombaysapphire.com www.cca.edu www.andreeputman.com www.natuzzi.com www.malpensairport.com

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone – Gaia & Gino. Handsome octogenarian, Andree Putman stands between Murray Moss and his partner Franklin Getchel. It is quite an honor when Mr. Moss comes to view a collection. But then, Mme Putman is quite the star of contemporary designers. She was in town to present her Lucky tabletop collection for Gaia and Gino shown in the Sportmax boutique. “We all need luck. Luck is useful for small and great things alike.” she says. Inspired by the patterns of old Turkish figurative arts Putman has cleverly converted the famous “clover” shape into beautiful porcelains. “Lucky” will bring luck to the users, as is believed in the four leaves' auspice. Will we see them at Moss store in SoHo, New York? For those of you who have not been there, Moss, looks more like a museum , with everything locked behind glass or raised onto platforms. It’s cold. It’s white. It’s cool. The music is tense. The store offers one of the world's most sophisticated selections of furniture and objects and it’s clients range from highly informed design professionals, to celebrities, students, and tourists with maps. It’s a great store.

www.gaiaiandgino.com www.mossonline.com www.andreeputman.com

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Gaia & Gino. Please indulge me in another dog accessory. Here is beautiful Maggie, she was a guest at the Gaia & Gino party and kindly, for the small fee of a dog biscuit, agreed to pose for me. She was literally Cornered, because that is the name of the dog house, designed by Richie Tanaka, one of the students from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. The new line Gino the Dog consists of eight elected student projects, directed by Yves Behar, each with a unique set of ideas that appeals to both canine and human intelligence. Thank you Maggie.
www.gaiaandgino.com www.cca.edu

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Cassina. After the Cassina presentation, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo says an affectionate farewell to Sheikh Ossama Khoreibi, Director of Properties Developments at Mubadala in the United Arab Emirates while his son Matteo looks out. Besides being head of Fiat, Confindustria, Ferrari and Maserati, the Marquis Cordero di Montezemolo also has a stake in Charme Investments, which is managed by his son Matteo. Charme owns, Cassina, Poltrona Frau, Gebruder Thonet Vienna, Cappellini and Guffram, all worldwide leaders in the high end of design manufacturing. Sheik Khoreibi was in Italy to see about future investments. His company, The Mubadala Development Company is a wholly owned investment vehicle of the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and it is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Mubadala also has a five per cent investment in Ferrari. They must be so happy that yesterday, Ferrari won, for the first time this year, the Formula One, San Marino Gran Prix. The marquis was chauffeur driven in a Maserati!
http://www.cassina.it/ http://www.fiat.com/ http://www.confindustria.it/ http://www.ferrariworld.com/ http://www.poltronafrau.it/ http://www.thonet.com/ http://www.cappellini.it/ http://www.maserati.com/

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Ingo Maurer. Poetic, innovative, veteran light designer, Ingo Maurer hardly needs any introduction. His lights always amuse me. His exhibition at the Spazio Krizia, entitled Delirium Yum Yum!! and subtitled Expect the Unexpected was another stupendous show. How does he do it year after year? "Nothing is more boring than following the same track, the same shiny traces of design. Design expressions in which you cannot perceive a personality anymore, is sterile and superficial. I consider myself lucky and blessed: I have been working at my own risk for forty years and I am still independent." Maurer states. His newest lamp, shown above, is called Atom Boy, it is assembled with the famous and amazing Japanese dolls called Astro Boy, twelve inch highgrade figures, and the text says it all "One Can't be Tall without the Small"..........

www.ingo-maurer.com www.krizia.net www.astro-boy.net Pin It

MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Design Academy Einhoven. Post Mortem is title of the annual graduate exhibition of students of the Dutch Design Academy Eindhoven, it was held, this year, in the beautiful 15th-century convent which houses La Facolta' Teologica dell'Italia Settentrionale. The show was very incisive and it was the most talked about and discussed show this year. Graduates addressed the phenomenon of obsequies. While they are students at the Academy they are often confronted, for the first time by the death of a fellow student or a loved one, like a grandparent, a friend, a pet. This compels them to contemplate death and bereavement. The exhibition illustrates these wide-ranging thoughts. Above is the European Garden, designed for a Japanese client, by Job Smeets. Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel form the design duo, Studio Job. They also exhibited their furniture at Dilmos, the pieces called Perished were decorated with inlays of animal and human skeletons. Today they are the up and coming stars of a new generation of European designers, they treat design as a medium of personal expression, as artists have traditionally done. Smeets, told Icon Magazine "Maybe sometimes we are designers and maybe sometimes we are architects. Sometimes just man and wife, sometimes just artists." But to conclude on thcourageousus Post Mortem exhibition, I must say, that even though the subject was somber, thexhibitionon watrulyly beautiful not only for the contents but also for the choice of place. However it left me with a sense olonelinesses and emptiness inside. It made me think.

www.teologiamilano.it www.designacademy.nl www.dilmos.comwww.studiojob.nlwww.icon-magazine.co.uk

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Missoni Home. Missoni Home...Domani collection is a colorful exhibition, which projects the home into their new exploration of hotels. Rosita Missoni who is famous for her gracious entertaining and lifestyle is designing three Missoni hotels at the moment, one in Scotland and two in Dubai. The home and hospitality are her passion and her personal interpretation has become her trademark - decor and furniture that are colorful, sophisticated and easy to fit into existing settings. Missoni Home is founded on the free interaction between forms and colors, materials and motifs, esthetics and technology. The 2006 collection can be described as botanic, another of Rosita's interests are flowers, growing vegetables, picking mushrooms, wild chicory or anything edible. And, on the subject of color she concludes "We love colors. Although I also love black and white, I can't get by without colors. They are my life. They surround me at home and in my garden with all it's flowers, with my family. After all, I married a color specialist...and color can make entertaining a joy."

www.missonihome.com www.missoni.com

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Amici Comunita Cenacolo Suor Elvira. Photographed above, are the "cash register" and the menu, at the Spazio Rossana Orlandi where the Amici Comunita Cenacolo di Suor Elvira set up a snack bar, in the beautiful courtyard, for visitors, press and designers visiting the exhibition space. The friends of the Comunita Cenacolo di Suor Elvira are a non profit fundraising catering company founded by Cloti Gallizia, ten years ago, the proceeds go to finance Sister Elvira's fifty two centers around the world. For twenty five years, Sister Elvira has been taking care of the chemically dependent and recently she has also taken in the homeless, as well as, problem children. Cloti counts on 40 friends and volunteers to cook and help out with the food and she says "For us it's a rewarding way to spend time together. We meet new people, pass the time of day. It's sort of therapeutic." They have also catered for The Rotary Club, for cancer research at the Fondazione Prada and soon they will set up a snack bar in the gardens of Via Palestro for the Orticola flower show. Please, try and use them too for your next party, thank you very much.

Cloti Gallizia tel +39 335 6069876 www.comunitacenacolo.it www.rossanaorlandi.com www.rotary.org www.fondazioneprada.org www.orticola.org

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Spazio Rossana Orlandi. Trash cans??? Yes, aren't they beautiful??? The idea is so clever and the design is so sophisticated. Designed by Front Design for Materia and called Bin, from right to left - empty - half full - full, the bins changes shape depending on how much trash they hold. Front Design, are the four talented Swedish women mentioned below; Sofia Lagerkvist, Charlotte von der Lancken, Anna Lindgren and Katja Savstrom they are inspired by common every day objects and are interested in the story an object tells about itself and how it relates to objects that have been produced before. P.S. Unlike Claesson, Kiovisto and Rune, they don't always dress in black!

www.rossanaorlandi.com www.frontdesign.se www.materia.se www.claesson-koivisto-rune.se
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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Spazio Rossana Orlandi. A moment of relax. Known better as the "Design Brothers", because like the Blues Brothers, they always dress in black, Ola Rune and Eero Koivisto, two of the three, Swedish design team Claesson-Kiovisto-Rune, are being interviewed by Swedish TV for Staffan Begtsson's program "Basta Formen" or "The Best of Design". They are sitting on and surrounded by other Swedish products, designed by four talented women designers of Front Design. The pink lamps are called Lamp tree and the enlarged cushions, which can seat two, are called Big Pillows. Watch out...the Swedes are coming.

www.rossanaorlandi.com www.claesson-koivisto-rune.se www.frontdesign.se

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Driade. Handsome, successful and very talented architect, Matteo Thun's set of Isu chairs for Driade, are very graphic and elegant. He designed them whilst taking a well deserved break from work in his Capri house, Marina Piccola, overlooking the Faraglioni rocks. The series are based entirely on the use of aluminum using a square-sectioned metal-tube. They are extremely lightweight and suitable for indoor or outdoor use. And, may I add, very comfortable too.

www.driade.com www.matteothun.com Pin It

MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Driade. I really liked the Ron Arad polished aluminum and satin stainless steel Screw stool for Driade. It combines playful forms which are central to Arad's work, as well as, advanced technology. He is Consistently inventive and challenging. I must say that for the past fifteen to twenty years since I have know him, his designs have always been fresh and innovative.

www.driade.com www.ronarad.com

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Poltrona Frau. At the Poltrona Frau Party Nigel Coates also made "an entrance". Coates is one of the few British architects who is equally well known as a designer. Also uniquely, he has consistently asserted that architecture and design should reflect the confusion and sensuality of the city at large. With regards to the humorous statement on his T-shirt, let me say, dear Nigel, "Wishful thinking..."!

www.poltronafrau.it www.nigelcoates.com

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Poltrona Frau. At the Poltrona Frau Party, international jet setter, Fiona Swarovski arrived carrying a rather large portfolio. Since the opening of her own design atelier, Fiona Winter Studio, it seems that she would now like to branch out in....can you guess what??? Furniture! In fact, the lovely lady had an appointment with Matteo Cordero di Montezemolo, Managing Director of Charme Investments, to show him her designs. They spent twenty minutes looking at her sketches...will we she her designs realized in one of the Charme owned furniture companies next year? We'll have to wait and see.

www.poltronafrau.it

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Bellora. Let's get out of the fair and let's move on from one design star to an Italian film star. Francesca Neri was the guest of honor, seen here with Giuseppe Bellora, at the opening of the third Bellora store in Milan. Bellora is known for it's superb home collection and they are, among the connoisseurs, also famous for their custom made linens for yachts. Very chic!

www.bellora.it

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Rho-Pero - Poltrona Frau lounge. Cassina's Ceo, Demetrio Appolloni looks on to a bit of playful fun from eclectic designer Piero Lissoni and design star, Philippe Starck. The friendly dispute goes back a few months ago when the pair had an argument in Paris. Lissoni sustains that Starck, now that he is famous, cannot use and dispose of the press, when the whim strikes him!

www.cassina.it www.poltronafrau.it www.philippe-starck.com

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Photograph courtesy Cappellini
MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Rho-Pero - Cappellini. This was the most talked about piece at the Cappellini stand. Francois Azambourg was not trained as a designer, nor as an architect, but as an engineer, yet his Mr. Bugatti chair for Cappellini is so playful and cartoon-esque. I guess his engineering training comes through in the innovative use of materials; crumpled tin injected with polyurethane, though mass-produced, each one, with its own pattern of dents, is slightly different.

www.cappellini.it

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Rho-Pero - Cappellini. Sexy, Fabio Novembre is the "darling" of the design press, he is very handsome and doesn't think twice about being photographed naked on a gold chair. Anything, for a bit of publicity for himself and for his products. For Cappellini, Fabio presents his RHP project - Revolutions Per Hour; a big sofa that can be made in a single-block or it can be divided into more segments, but wait for it, what make it distinctive are two design archetypes; on one end the classic cube and on the other the chaise-longue by Le Corbusier. But the fun part are the slipcovers. Seen above, is the black and white version, it is very'50's Valentino. The second option, is a grey wrinkled fuzzy fabric which gives the sofa an instant rugged rock effect. What's more, it is very versatile and comfortable.

www.cappellini.it www.novembre.it Pin It

photograph courtesy Cappellini
MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Rho-Pero - Cappellini. WhenTV influences everyday life. Giulio Cappellini staged an in-house reality show or Real House as he likes to call it. In the center of the Cappellini exhibition space, a circular glass crystal box re-created a house, with mother, father and kids. It was decorated with the Cappellini collection of furniture. Just to mention a few famous pieces inside; Tom Dixon's Pylon Chair, Shiro Kuramata's Revolving Cabinet, Marc Newson's The wooden Icon chair and Jasper Morrison's Elise bed. Giulio, is photographed above surrounded by "his Big Brother family". He said, that the installation was "A multicultural container in which design can be touch, heard and lived." Around the glass "house" the new Cappellini collection was displayed.

http://www.cappellini.itwww.jaspermorrison.com www.shirokuramata.comwww.tomdixon.net www.marcnewson.net

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MILANO - FURNITURE FAIR

Rho-Pero - The Fair. The 45th International Furniture Fair moved this year from Milan to the newly built exhibition center, designed by architect, Massimiliano Fuksas, to the Milan hinterland at Rho-Pero. It was a nightmare to get to and from the new fair grounds because the infrastructures are not completed yet. Therefore, one heard stories of how they got crushed on the subway or how they got stuck in traffic jams on the autostrada. The fair grounds are quite overwhelming. The glass and steel structures house sixteen pavilions, in all, it's a complex of two million square feet. There were over one thousand five hundred exhibitors...so it made for a lot of walking and comfortable shoes.

www.cosmit.it www.fuksas.it Pin It

photograph courtesy Gaia & Gino

MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Gaia & Gino. Going from a Girl's best friend to a Man's best friend , and you know how partial I am to dogs... here is Guzel a re-fillable glass water bowl designed by Timotheos Leahy, one of eight students from the California College of the Arts chosen and directed by innovative designer, Yves Behar to design the new line of dog products in the Gino the Dog collection for Gaia and Gino.

www.gaiaandgino.com www.cca.edu http://www.fuseproject.com

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photograph courtesy Sawaya & Moroni
MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Sawaya & Moroni. In it's second year Sawaya & Moroni's BaRock and Roll collection presents the Girl's Best Friend line designed by William Sawaya. These pieces are as excessive as to be baroque, yet at a closer look they are more adornments. The coffee table has a stainless steel structure and the legs are ringed prisms made of faceted acrylic to look like diamonds. The title is, yes.....you got it....inspired and a homage to, Marilyn Monroe's famous song and the pieces, a high table, a lamp and a coat hanger are designed in the hope that we can, in this day and age, relearn how to desire and dream.

www.sawayamoroni.comwww.marilynmonroe.com

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Sawaya & Moroni. Paolo Moroni and William Sawaya are such old and good friends. Their dinners are unforgettable, not only for the food, a mixture of Italian and Lebanese, but also for the mix of interesting people and stimulating conversation. How I miss these evenings now that I don't live in Milan anymore. Standing behind the 2006 Maua Huni gigantic candleholders designed by Ingrid Gossner from the BaRock n' Roll Collection, Paolo, who runs the business and manufacturing and Wiliam who designs most of the furniture pose for me. The Candleholder was initially made by Sawaya& Moroni in 1992 as a limited edition in rough steel, today it is reproduced in five bright acrylic plastic colors and five sizes. It is their best seller, about 1700 pieces are sold per month. Bravissimi!

www.sawayamoroni.com

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Spazio Rossana Orlandi. Making their Milan debut, design duo Ines Kaag and Desiree Heiss of Bless are obsessed with electrical wires...or should I say, by changing the appearance of electrical wiring. As most of todays indispensable electronic products (such as computers, mobilephones, chargers, telephones, printers, stereos,TV's etc...) still have to be plugged in to provide the necessary electricity. The Bless Cable jewelry is designed to transform these undesired appendixes into desirable objects. From a large scale of different styles, reaching from crystal stones, pearls and bangle busters over wooden cubes and lace braids to fur and sand toppings, the client can bring his or hers own cable and order from the provided styles, the one that fits his or hers environment. Very stylish!

www.bless-service.de www.rossanaorlandi.com Pin It

MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Spazio Rossana Orlandi. Rossana Orlandi takes a break from her busy schedule and jots down little notes to herself. Her concept store is one of the most fascinating places in Milan. A mixture of old and new; fashion, design and furniture co-exist side by side, they have one common denominator, they are special, curious and sometimes slightly bizarre. She has an incredible eye and is a great talent scout. Here, she wears a coat that she designed herself and a "rope" necklace by Bless. She is sitting on Charles Kaisin's Newspaper Extendable Bench, a limited series of 50 pieces. Kaisin, is a graduate of The Royal College of Arts and a professor at the Saint Luc Institute in Brussels. The designer has an ecological approach to his designs and his concept is to reuse old newspapers in a very visual way that makes people aware and respectful of environmental issues.

www.rossanaorlandi.com www.charleskaisin.com www.bless-service.de www.rca.ac.uk

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MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Established & Sons. I first came across the new British furniture design manufacture, Established & Sons on a great TV program, which doesn't exist anymore, on CNN, it was called Design 360. And, as this seems to be a "Rule Britiannia" moment in time; The Anglomania exhibition, opens May 3th - September 4th at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Today, is Her Majesty, Queen Elisabeth II's, 80th birthday and tomorrow her predecessor Queen Elisabeth I is portrayed by Helen Mirren in a two-part drama miniseries, on HBO called "Virgin Queen" in the U.S.A. Let's not get distracted and get back to design. Established & Sons was launched last year at the Milan Furniture Fair. They introduced a collection of products designed by Britain's best design talents, celebrating and encouraging the diverse talents the country has to offer. This year, in the expansive Pelota location, alongside ten new products and introducing two new designers, the premier collection (now in production), as well as, the company's Limited Edition designs were shown. Amanda Levete of Furture Systems's new Drift bench, shown above, is an impressive, exaggerated, elongated form, it has a fluid Language that is characteristic of the work of Future Systems's architects. They boast an impressive list of clients. Two versions are available of the bench, either the red high gloss reinforced plastic or a layered beech plywood Limited Edition of twelve.

http://www.establishedandsons.com http://www.future-systems.com/ http://www.metmuseum.org/ Pin It

photograph courtesy Alcantara
MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia. I was working all week on my photographic assignments and my first job was at the science museum of Milan at the exhibition Alcantara Style and Italian Car Design. The exhibition testifies the stimulating relationship between a unique material like Alcantara and the creativity of major Italian car designers. The show revisits five decades of Italian car design, illustrated by 15 concept cars created by the great masters of international car design: Bertone, Giugiaro and Pininfarina. It was a fascinating journey, where the evolution of culture, aesthetics and fashion merge with the most innovative car design of the past fifty years. Above, is the beautiful sports car Birdcage 75th designed by Pininfarina. The concept of the Birdcage 75th, is a homage to the spirit of the dream car era, it is based on the road racing chassis of the Maserati MC12. The sports car, seeks to create a functional and dynamic automotive sculpture and to capture the ultimate expression of speed, sensuality and elegance. The contrast struck between its organic fluidity and the severe tension of its mechanicals, creates a dynamism seldom realized.

www.alcantara.com www.pininfarina.it www.giugiarodesign.it http://www.bertone.it www.maserati.com

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photograph by Manfredi Bellati

MILAN - FURNITURE FAIR

Fuori Salone - Heavy Light. This impressive event called Heavy Light, organized by Interni magazine in occasion of Milan Design Week had ten luminous installations scattered all over the city. Interni, supported by some leading companies, such as, S.Pellegrino and designers, made use of the Gates of the city to create luminous installations that changed Milan into a city of light, both in the strict sense of the word and metaphorically. On stage, the historical gates of Milan, as an opening and an expansion symbol of the city towards its increasingly dynamic and propulsive suburbs. Shown above, under the gate of Porta Garibaldi, in Piazza XXV Aprile is Jacopo Foggini's Plastic Palace a "majestical" chandelier made of plastic gold links, it was sponsored by Motorola. This Chandelier made it debut during the recent Turin Winter Olympic Games as a stage set for Luciano Pavarotti when he sang his most famous aria Nessun Dorma......"e' allora vincerooooooooooo"!

www.jacopofoggini.it http://www.sanpellegrino.com www.motorola.com www.lucianopavarotti.com

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photograph by Manfredi Bellati
VENEZIA

Restoration of the clock tower in Piazza San Marco. Or, when New York meets Venice. The Empire State Building is the last in a series of images on the sheeting that covers the scaffolding to the watch tower during it's restoration. The idea was conceived by photographer, Oliviero Toscani as a homage to the great towers of the world. Other famous towers depicted on the clock tower were, London's Big Ben - Paris's Eiffel Tower and the leaning tower of Pisa. What a great idea.

www.torreorologio.it www.olivierotoscani.it

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MILANO

At the IO DONNA 10th Anniversary Party. Look who was having a cozy "heart to heart" chat sitting on the sofa. An unusual couple, Miuccia Prada and Donatella Versace. What were they talking about? Fashion, Children, Love........ Donatella was last spotted, with Trudy Styler at the Prada show.

www.io-donna.it

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MILANO

Easter Eggs. Lula is a new space in Milan entirely devoted to chocolate. Fashion trend setter, Antonio Ponte conceived this shop as a "living room" where people can just pass by or have cultural exchanges, in a cozy atmosphere, reminiscent of the old chocolate and confectioners shops. The store takes it's name from his bull terrier, Lula. The assortment of chocolates and flavors are varied and unusual as is the ad-hoc exclusive packagings, like textile boxes or colored chocolate trays, decorated with thin papers and silk or velvet ribbons. Milk or dark, with nuts, almonds or dried fruits, but also rose or vanilla, ginger or lavender, red pepper or wild fennel, green tea or orange, lemon or limoncello flavored, chocolates are the protagonist here. For Easter, Antonio has designed these beautiful Faberge inspired, hand decorated eggs. As well as, chocolate eggs wrapped in one of a kind, vintage designer silk scarves that hold a hand written poem by Nicoletta Pallini Clemente.

www.lulamilano.com Lula - Via Archimede/Via Fiamma 17 - tel: 0270006915

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MILANO

Why not add rose petals to your food? It was the first time that I saw edible flowers among the fruit and vegetables in Italy. In fact, these flowers arrive twice a week from Les Halles in Paris and are sold exclusively in a "jewel" of a greengrocer in the heart of Brera. Called, Il Fruttivendolo, the Galantino brothers, Teo, Enzo and Tonio have been selling for the past twenty-five years, in and out of season fruit and vegetables to the trendy, hip and rich of the neighborhood. The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years. And, rose petals are so pretty. Delight your guests with: rose petal pickled peaches - rose petal ice cream - rose petal pears - rose petal soup - champagne jelly with rose petals and grapes - rose petal cupcakes - garnish ice cubes with rose petals or just sprinkle rose petals into green salads for a splash of color. The possibilities are infinite, just google rose petals and have fun!

Il Fruttivendolo: Via Solferino 12 - tel: 02 6599730 -www.google.com

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PIXEL
is already looking out for my next blog............ Pin It

MILANO Pret-a-Porter
Autumn/Winter 2006/2007

TIME TO GO HOME
the next Milan Fashion shows are
September 23rd - October 1st, 2006 Pin It

GORIZIA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAI. Ottavio Missoni 85th birthday last month, was celebrated with the exhibition Caleidoscopio Missoni, until June 4th, at Palazzo Attems-Petzenstein museum in Gorizia. Curated by Luca Missoni, the exhibition presents forty big patchwork tapestries designed by Tai together with knitwear, dresses, objects and decorating fabrics installed to give a sensorial kaleidoscopic effect.

www.provincia.gorizia.it www.missoni.com

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MILANO Pret-a-Porter

Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - backstage at Missoni. Champagne flowed backstage to mark Angela's 10th "Birthday"! Since she took over from her parents, Angela Missoni has been designing the Missoni ladies line for ten years and 20 collections. Her greatest indulgence is to spend more time with her boyfriend, Bruno and not do anything. Her father, Tai would like to spend more time with his friends and her mother, Rosita would like to go into the woods and pick wild chicory.

www.missoni.com

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MILANO Pret-a-Porter

Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - Missoni. This was one of the best Missoni shows. Angela Missoni's 20th Collection. A new egg-shaped silhouette was shown, as well as lots of mini and low waisted knee length dresses, capes and hooded cardigans in the famous striped Missoni knits. The leggings and high heels worn with everything, made the collection young, modern and bold. And, as Missoni is a family run business, there couldn't be a better "slot" to tell you about family and children related greatest indulgences; For Missoni's men's creative director, Luca Missoni - Diadoro's CEO, Enrico Mambelli - top manager, Giulia Ligresti - Donna Tania Ruffo di Calabria - I-D magazine editor in chief, Terry Jones - Canale 5's anchor woman, Cristina Parodi and socialite, Katherine Mondadori all would love to spend more time with their children and families. And, art critic, Mariuccia Casadio's greatest indulgence are her four "adopted" Tamagotchis!

www.missoni.com www.diadora.com www.i-dmagazine.com www.mediaset.it/canale5

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - Missoni. Angela Missoni's daughters, Teresa and Margherita pose with Italian actress, Eliana Miglio before the Missoni show. Eliana's latest film "But, When Do The Girls Get Here?" directed by Pupi Avati came out last year. Eliana's greatest indulgence she says is "Love." Whilst, Margherita's greatest indulgence is "Boys." And, Teresa says she would like to spend more time with her family.

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Zelens Creams. Lunch at Katherine Mondadori's with Marko Lens. I was lucky that they were both in town as Katherine is usually in NYC these days and Marko practices between London and Milan. I was dying to hear more about the creams. So let's get serious and let me be the first to tell you about these new incredible creams. Zelens Day and Night creams were created by Harvard and Oxford educated plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Marko Lens. The creams arise from Dr. Len's extensive research in skin cancer and they owe their anti-ageing properties to the fullerene C60 molecule, a powerful antioxidant that won its creators a Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1996. They also contain twenty other naturally-occurring ingredients. Marko won't have much trouble promoting the creams because, A) they are fantastic and B) they have already been endorsed by such Hollywood stars as; Melanie Griffith, Ursula Andress and by socialite Katherine Mondadori. He also has an impressive list of patients, amongst whom are clients who send their jets for him. And, the icing on the cake, is the beautiful "Zen-like" jar and packaging, designed by talented and internationally renowned Anouska Hempel or Lady Weinberg, for the social columns. You can buy the creams online or in London at Selfridges and in Milan prior to the Italian launch at Milano Make-Up. Health related greatest indulgences are: Nilufar's, Vazanine Yashar loves to indulge in beauty creams - socialite, Marchese Marta Brivio Sforza and New York Times, Stefano Tonchi both would like to spend more time at the gym - Pitti Immagine's CEO, Raffaello Napoleone's greatest indulgence is sailing - stylish, fashion and home retailer, Rosanna Orlandi and design consultant, Chiara Dal Canto Brandolini would both love to indulge in a Spa, but Chiara would also love to take with her Oscar winning actor, George Clooney!
www.zelens.com www.selfridges.com Milano Make-Up - Via Santa Margherita www.nilufar.com www.nytimes.com www.pittimmagine.com Rosanna Orlandi Via Matteo Bandello 14-16 www.georgeclooney.org

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - Gianfranco Ferre. I asked Gianfranco Ferre to describe his collection in a nutshell and he told me " Severe, Regal and Modern." It was all of those and more it was luxurious, glamorous and very red carpet. It spelled "Hollywood". At the academy Awards this year, the Italian director, Cristina Comencini wore Ferre, she was a candidate in the Best Foreign Language Film category with her film 'Don't Tell'.

www.gianfrancoferre.com www.oscars.org www.labestianelcuore.it

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - backstage at Ferre. The Italian royals. His Royal Highness Prince Serge of Yugoslavia is flanked by his wife, Princess Eleonoire on his right and by Princess Helene, his twin sister on his left. They are being interviewed by anchor woman, Illaria Grillini for Rai, Italian state television. Prince Serge runs a public relations and consulting firm, as well as a charitable foundation to aid the poor in Turin. He also served as local ambassador for the Torino Olympic Winter Games. Prince Serge and Princess Eleonoire's greatest indulgence would be to spend a quite weekend, with no social engagements watching a dvd. Whereas, Princess Helene's greatest indulgence would be to take a trip with her enfant.

www.gianfrancoferre.com www.lavitaindiretta.rai.it www.torino2006.org

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - backstage at Ferre. After the Gianfranco Ferre show, french actress, Roxane Mesquida hangs out backstage wearing a very sexy dress by the designer. Her latest film, Sheitan by Kim Chaprion has just been released. In the horror movie she plays a foxy young temptress and co-stars with Vincent Cassel. Her greatest indulgences are the parts she chooses to play, because they are always tragic parts, the "Opposite to what I am in real life."she tells me.
www.gianfrancofere.com www.lesheitan.com www.roxane-mesquida.com

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - Gianfranco Ferre. Milva, also known as La Rossa (the red), is definitely the only Italian singer who was able to entirely express her talents in music, theatre and comedy. She is being interview by ex rock star and now Tv Moda's presenter Jo Squillo while Ornella Vanoni listens in. They are sitting in the front row waiting for the Gianfranco Ferre fashion show to begin. Milva's, like Vanoni's and Paoli's greatest indulgence is sleep. While, Jo's is reading.

www.gianfrancoferre.com www.milvalarossa.it www.tvmoda.it

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - Gianfranco Ferre. Italian actress Anna Falchi is so beautiful in real life that when she was being photographed before the Gianfranco Ferre fashion show, someone cried out "She is our Brigit Bardot". Like Prada's Patrizio Bertelli her greatest indulgence is work.

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - Gianfranco Ferre. Italian pop "nobility", Sapore di Sale's Gino Paoli and Senza Fine's Ornella Vanoni sit side by side, in the front row of the Gianfranco ferre fashion show. They have often been a twosome on and off stage. Their latest cd and dvd together "Vanoni Paoli Live" sold 80,000 copies. It was issued last September to co-inside with their 70th birthdays. They also have the same greatest indulgence which is "Sleep", could it because they are both night people and therefore treasure sleep more?

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - backstage at Ferre. In between shows Gianfranco Ferre sits backstage grinning like a "Cheshire cat", because he already knows that his collection is a success. While, his staff, well trained by Rita Airaghi, are taking care of every last detail for the star studded second show.

www.gianfrancoferre.com

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - backstage at Ferre. Here is the most sought after top models of the moment. Lily Cole, the flame-haired Londoner, has been touted as the new Kate Moss. She is featured regularly in the top international fashion magazines as well as ad campaigns. In 2004 the British Fashion Awards named her 'Model of the Year'. Lily has been cast to star in Phantasmagoria, an adaptation of Alice In Wonderland which will be directed by shock rocker Marilyn Manson. Lily would like to study Politics at University, and backstage at the Gianfranco Ferre show she was reading "Political Ideologies". For the "foggy eye" make up Gianfranco Ferre was inspired by the gothic post punk group Siouxsie And The Banshees.

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - backstage at Ferre. I have know make-up artist, Vicky Ceschi a Santa Croce since she was a little girl. So, it's always fun to bump into her at the shows and chat in English, she was brought up bi-lingual. She now lives in Tuscany where she owns and runs, with her man, Pietro, a luxury bed and breakfast in an ancient convent, which dates back to the XVII century, called La Cappella. Backstage a the Gianfranco Ferre show she is retouching top model, Andrea Nemcova's make-up. Vicky's greatest indulgence is make-up " I go to New York especially to stock up on make-up. I love Nars and Laura Mercier. I also love to go to all the little boutiques downtown where transvestites buy their make-up. It's a great inspiration point for me."

www.gianfrancoferre.com www.lacappellalucca.it http://www.nextmodels.com http://www.lauramercier.com www.narscosmetics.com

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Autumn/Winter 2006/2007 - backstage at Ferre. In between shows at Gianfranco Ferre, models, Katia Kokoreva and Anna Carolina grab a nap. Other V.I.P's whose greatest indulgence is sleeping are; Armani's social P.R., Contessa Giovanna Borletti - Jewelry designer, Carla Maria Orsi Carboni - International Herald Tribune's, Suzy Menkes - Italian Vogue's editor in chief, Franca Sozzani - Italian singers, Gino Paoli, Ornella Vanoni and Milva - Russian show girl, Natasha Stefanenko - French photographer, Thribaut de Saint Chamas - Gianfranco Ferre's right hand, Liborio Capizzi.

www.gianfrancoferre.com www.giorgioarmani.com www.iht.com www.ginopaoli.it www.ornellavanoni.it www.milvalarossa.it www.condenast.com www.natashastefanenko.it www.supermodels.nl/katiakokoreva

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