When Milan-based fashion brand Sunnei sent models marching down Via Privata Pietro Cironi this past February, each clutching oversized, branded shopping bags, the spectacle was more than a mere unveiling of its A/W 2025 collection. The doorway from which they emerged wasn’t just another nondescript office on a dead-end road; instead, it marked the debut of Sunnei’s latest venture, a hybrid café and concept store housed on the ground floor of Palazzina Sunnei, the brand’s Aquabella district headquarters.
‘Sunnei has always been about creating an immersive experience that goes beyond fashion, and this move is a natural extension of that philosophy,’ founders Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo tell Wallpaper*. ‘More than just a store or a café, this hybrid space dissolves the boundaries between conception and consumption, allowing visitors to shop just steps away from the people who designed the pieces.’
Inside Sunnei’s ‘adaptable’ Milan store and café
Sunnei founders Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo
Designed by Milanese architecture firm 2050+ (also behind the Corso Como revamp we explored in 2024), the interiors embrace a pared-back restraint that prioritises adaptability. ‘We knew 2050+ could translate our vision into a tangible reality. We had already collaborated with them on some of our most iconic show sets, and the synergy was undeniable,’ said the duo, referring to projects that include their A/W 2022 runway show, which saw models running at full tilt down a street in Porta Romana, watched over by guests standing on stadium-like bleachers with balloons hovering overhead. ‘They brought an open-minded approach, using their expertise to push our concepts even further.’
The firm devised a system of modular white walls constructed from scaled-up pegboard, allowing shelving to be repositioned at will. Described as ‘an abacus of geometric elements’, the space, when viewed from above, unfolds into a grid of squares (café tables, box-shaped suspended lighting, and display cases), lines (clothing racks), and circles (curtained fitting rooms).
The café, curated by Tommaso Vergano – who helms a boutique distillery specialising in vermouth and non-alcoholic aperitifs – and Anastasia Posca, the founder of Turin’s beloved wine bar Isola, orbits around a set of pale wood risers that double as seating. By day, they function as a casual gathering space; by night, they can be reconfigured to accommodate talks and intimate performances.
Beyond the shop and café, Sunnei has ambitious plans to expand the venue’s footprint to include an on-site gallery, reinforcing its role as a cultural nexus. ‘Too often, we’ve searched for a certain kind of event or gathering in Milan, only to realise it didn’t exist. So we thought – why not create it ourselves?’ said the founders. ‘This space allows us to bring added value to the city by hosting creatives from our community whose work enriches Milan’s cultural landscape. Neither of us is originally from Milan, but the city has welcomed us, and now it feels natural to contribute something in return.’
Sunnei, Via Privata Pietro Cironi, 1520133 Milan.
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