THE SAS MAGAZINE SINCE 1972 WWW.FLYSAS.COM NO.04/2013 SCANORAMA England s gardens Portuguese wine Left Bank luxury Smoking cava Gourmet pizza Designer ice cream ANTIQUES ROADSHOW Design spotting in Copenhagen 10 PERFECT SUMMERS From surfing to wreck diving 91 INSIDER TIPS ARTY PARTY The definitive guide to Berlin Shop like a Milanese! Follow in the heels of a true fashionista
La Géode theater as seen from the Cité des Sciences et de l Industrie in the Parc de la Villette Cin cin: Toasting a job well done at enoteca N Ombra de Vin SHOP LIKE A MILANESE Words by IVAN CARVALHO Photographs by GAIA CAMBIAGGI MILAN Italy s fashion capital has everything la signora could possibly desire, but where to begin? Jewelry designer Nathalie Jean opens her little black book SCANORAMA APRIL 2013 83
Rome and Venice may have a wealth of attractions built long ago but to see the treasures Italy is making today requires a trip to Milan. One of the world s leading fashion and design capitals, the city s calendar is packed with runway shows that parade the latest trends in clothes, bags and shoes for both sexes, and every April more than 300,000 visitors turn out for the weeklong Salone del Mobile, the world s biggest furniture fair and a showcase for Italian craft and creativity. Yet beyond the catwalk and big-name boutiques the city can seem a little standoffish, its scores of fashionistas taking cover behind sunglasses. But a little perseverance goes a long Shopping around (clockwise from top): Trying on looks at Antonia; Jean and daughter Agata at Fioraio Bianchi Caffè; the food hall at Coin Excelsior 84 APRIL 2013 SCANORAMA
way. Just ask jewelry designer Nathalie Jean. The Montreal native moved to Milan 25 years ago to work for the industrial designer Ettore Sottsass and wound up staying for life. Like many she, too, found the city drab at first. The public facade is very gray but there are lots of great places hidden from view, she says. An architect, Jean switched from skyscrapers to store interiors, dressing up shops for Alberta Ferretti and others. In 2000, she scaled down to necklaces and rings in gold and sterling silver, selling pieces to Carla Sozzani s über-hip concept store 10 Corso Como and working with brands from Versace to Christofle. When not busy with clients in her atelier, she indulges in the popular Milanese pastime of shopping, sometimes partnering with her daughter, Agata, and friends. www.nathaliejean.com Shop till you drop For retail therapy, Jean s first stop is Antonia, a boutique in the Brera district run by Antonia Giacinti with a well-curated mix of luxury brands and emerging labels. Next door are accessories: Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin heels, both emblazoned with Made in Italy tags, and handbags. She has great taste and there are always new discoveries, Jean says. Male companions, meanwhile, peruse Antonia Uomo around the corner for cult Italian brands (Aspesi and Incotex to name two). If Jean finds herself in the quadrilatero della moda, Milan s ground zero for glitzy fashion, she pops into Gianvito Rossi at Palazzo Bagatti Valsecchi, a shoe boutique housed in a Neo-Renaissance residence turned museum. I love his boots: knee-high, ankle boots; you can t go wrong. For a big store experience, Jean bypasses Rinascente next to the Duomo ( too touristy ) and opts for Coin Excelsior, a Jean Nouvel-designed department store inside a former cinema that boasts street fashion, wearable pieces from Marni to Valentino, Borsalino hats, a bistro, and an immaculate basement food hall where locals stock up on South Tirolean fruit juices, artisanal chocolate from Turin, and biscotti. Another hideaway off the main thoroughfare is retailer Wait and See. It s for wealthy Milanese women who want to keep a low profile, Jean says. Inside an 18th-century convent on a quiet cobblestoned street, owner Uberta Zambeletti sells everything from Italian knitwear to Spanish ballet flats. To keep tabs on interior design trends, Jean heads to Spazio Rossana Orlandi. Presided over by Rossana Orlandi, the local doyenne of On a mission: Jean, Agata and their friend Louise check out fashion and home accessories at Antonia ( left) and Spazio Rossana Orlandi Studio line: Jean s necklaces 86 APRIL 2013 SCANORAMA
Between shops: (clockwise from left): Jean with design maven Rossana Orlandi; lunch at Pisacco, plus dolce design, the store occupies an old necktie factory and features ceramics, glassware and furniture. It s a wonderful shabby chic space. Again, hidden from the street in a courtyard. So very Milanese. Antonia 1 Via Ponte Vetero. www.antonia.it Gianvito Rossi 7 Via Santo Spirito. www.gianvitorossi.com Coin Excelsior 4 Galleria del Corso. www.excelsiormilano.com Wait and See 14 Via Santa Marta. www.waitandsee.it Spazio Rossana Orlandi 14 Via Matteo Bandello. www.rossanaorlandi.com Affordable luxe For a stylish stroll, Jean wanders through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a grand shopping arcade with an ironand-glass roof that houses Gucci, Tod s and Prada, the latter about to add a second boutique at this coveted address. Heading toward La Scala, she window-shops at Valextra, the local luxury goods maker known for pricey, no-logo purses and calfskin briefcases. For bargain hunters, Jean recommends the company s outlet, out of sight in a little downtown alleyway, to pick up a beauty case or wallet. 88 APRIL 2013 SCANORAMA
Bags down: Aperitivo at N Ombra de Vin D Magazine Outlet, meanwhile, carries a wide range of labels and habitués have been known to come away with brand-new Dolce & Gabbana boots for next to nothing. Valextra 3 Via Manzoni (store); 11 Via Cerva (outlet). www.valextra.it D Magazine Outlet 44 Via Manzoni. www.dmagazine.it Chic eats and drinks Before any shopping excursion, Jean and her daughter begin their day at Fioraio Bianchi Caffè with a cappuccino and brioche. Originally a florist, this small boho eatery is part bistro part café and still sells flowers on the side. Jean never says no to lunch at Pisacco, a restaurant opened last fall by a team backed by Michelin-starred chef Andrea Berton. In place of tasting menus, the kitchen turns out delectable, and affordable, dishes of grilled calamari with avocado purée, oven-roasted ribs, and a dessert waffle with vanilla gelato and apricot sauce. They have super-fresh ingredients and an exceptional wine list, Jean says, sipping a glass of Vitovska, a dry Slovenian white. To round out the day, any self-respecting Milanese goes for an aperitivo, the locals version of happy hour. One of Jean s preferred watering holes is N Ombra de Vin. From the outside, the enoteca is un assuming but venture downstairs to the cellar a 90 APRIL 2013 SCANORAMA
refectory once used by Augustinian friars and you ll find 3,000 vintages from Barolo to Bordeaux lining the walls. In the evenings, sophisticates sip robust Italians reds, prosecco and champagne the house bubbly is sourced from the family of former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin. Fioraio Bianchi Caffè 7 Via Montebello. www.fioraiobianchicaffe.it Pisacco 48 Via Solferino. www.pisacco.it N Ombra de Vin 2 Via San Marco. www.nombradevin.it GO TO MILAN Book your trip at Flysas.com. Use money or EuroBonus points, or both. SCANORAMA APRIL 2013 91