From the Milan Furniture Fair

This year’s Milan Furniture Fair (April 16-21) has been fast-paced and full of parties. Milan, Italy’s largest city, is definitely the center of commerce. Compared to other European capitals it has a desire to achieve and work hard to make a name for it. As one of the three big fashion centers and by far the most noted for furniture, they understand that business is made by relationships and they want it to work.

The highlights so far have been Versace, where they threw a great party last week. Party guests were served saffron risotto while sitting in the house’s prototype for a custom helicopter interior with white woven leather walls, coordinating white seats and black leather tiles suspended within an aluminum grid. The palace at Via Gesu 12 was set up to with each room as a different city or place. London, Gstaad, New York, Milan, China and a garden of the muses.

They also dedicated three gigantic rooms just to textiles. It was amazing to see a 4-ft.-by-4-ft. elaborate pillow lying on the floor. Versace stresses luxury as the mantra for all of their products.

Elle Molchan set up a great introduction to all the events. Each room had a theme. I really liked the New York room. The paintings were of epic size. Two large transformers-like figures flanked the door. A German artist that Donatella Versace loved the work of did a collage piece of art. She then worked together with the artist to create the fabric that was used on a great safety yellow settee with collage print that was inspired by the art above it. It had gods from classical paintings with cut-out dog heads on them and a fantasy collage of Berlin. It was a brilliant juxtaposition to the typical ornamentation that Versace is known for. Everything was executed perfectly as you would expect.

I also visited their new home store at Via Borgospesso 15A and met with Luigi Giordano, the interior design consultant. I asked him about the development of the business and he said that 13 years ago, Gianni decided to take items that he had developed for his home, like comforters, and put them into the store. People went crazy for them and next went to accessories, china and lamps. Every piece of furniture is custom and you can choose any of the textiles to cover them. Versace is such an aspirational brand that people around the world want to not only have the clothes but they want the environment. He explained that this is especially true in the U.A.E. and Russia, where the new rich want to be able to express their affluence and Versace is the perfect vehicle. America ranks about fourth or fifth in sales for the home line.

America is No. 1 in Internet hits on the Versace site and so they are developing limited-edition numbered products to be sold exclusively online. This is a shopping niche they want to be able to tap.

Versace was the first fashion house in Italy to develop a home division and they are No. 1 in sales at about 68.5 million Euros. Fendi home is second and Armani comes in third for its home profits.

--Damon Johnstun, Guest Blogger