Wallpaper* & Sergio Rossi unveil ephemeral boutique in Milan

The interior of the ephemeral Sergio Rossi store, designed by Antonino Cardillo

(Image credit: Antonino Cardillo)

Wallpaper* and luxury footwear brand Sergio Rossi stepped up the fashion game during the Salone del Mobile by launching an ephemeral men's shoe boutique in Milan, designed by acclaimed Sicilian architect Antonino Cardillo.

The Cathedral-like configuration, housed within an existing store, is a work of art made from tulipiè wood and billowing velvet. It pays homage to the 'Sergio Rossi Man' - an independent, free-thinker, who is on a constant voyage of discovery.

The temporary structure is akin to a theatre set within the dark void of the original store. Its linear forms, softened by the velvet curtains, echo modernist buildings, such as Milan's Velasca Tower by BBPR.

Sergio Rossi's S/S 2010 men's collection is displayed like sculpture on tall wooden plinths. The brand's Creative Director, Francesco Russo, has reimagined classic silhouettes and formal footwear this season, playing with proportions and creating new shapes with deconstructed uppers, flexible soles and polished finishes.

Wallpaper* has worked closely with Sergio Rossi and Cardillo, acting as creative consultants and developing the design and identity for the store. Open for two seasons, the boutique is the beginning of a men's footwear world tour for Sergio Rossi. Every stage of the journey will be marked with an equally unique architectural configuration.

&#65279;The existing structure was stripped back to its bare bones before the temporary structure was installed — The existing structure was stripped back to its bare bones before the temporary structure was installed

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Malaika Byng is an editor, writer and consultant covering everything from architecture, design and ecology to art and craft. She was online editor for Wallpaper* magazine for three years and more recently editor of Crafts magazine, until she decided to go freelance in 2022. Based in London, she now writes for the Financial Times, Metropolis, Kinfolk and The Plant, among others.