In partnership with Brioni
A spirit of slow luxury defines Roman house Brioni, which has showcased feats of technical craft since its founding in 1945 by master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and his business partner Gaetano Savini. Now led by the hand of Austria-born Norbert Strumpfl, Brioni’s design director, such principles continue to define the House’s output – effortless, modern, but deeply rooted in Italian craft.
As part of Milan Design Week 2023 – which takes place in the Italian city this week – Brioni celebrates the reopening of its Milanese flagship on Via Gesù with an immersive installation featuring textile works by MITA (Manifattura Italiana Tappeti Artistici). Founded in 1926 close to Genoa, Italy, the nearly-century-old company is known for its classic hand-knotted rugs and textiles, with close links to the Futurist movement and its architectural forces, from Paolo Buffa to Tomaso Buzzi.
Brioni and MITA at Milan Design Week 2023
Part of the week’s Fuorisalone calendar, the installation – running from April 18-23, 2023 at the flagship – will chart Brioni’s own longtime collaboration with MITA, having included carpets, wall tapestries and textiles from the company in over 15 Brioni locations worldwide (since 2019, every store the House has opened or renovated has featured contributions from MITA).
The various designs – which feature signature colourful midcentury motifs and patterns – are selected from MITA’s textile archive, with considered links to the city and country that the store is in, and links to the boutiques’ various Italian design furnishings from the 1930s to the 1980s. As such, each store becomes a one-of-a-kind destination, a reflection of Brioni’s Bespoke services.
The installation will take place throughout in the Milanese flagship’s courtyard, featuring a number of MITA works with motifs which include still-life scenes, landscapes and geometric patterns. A selection of historical ephemera from MITA is displayed alongside, showing the nexus of the various pieces.
Mehdi Benabadji, CEO of Brioni, says: ‘Together with MITA, we wish to celebrate our longstanding support to their foundation. Milan Design Week is the perfect moment to give visibility to its history as a manufacturer and its extraordinary heritage of original graphical design by Italian artists, which Brioni aims to keep alive through in-store carpets and tapestry, making each boutique a destination in itself. In this way, MITA designs continue to be an inherent part of our store concept.’
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