Baco » EXPO

THE EXPO ISSUE: Where Fashion and Food Mingle

Sofia Celeste — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 19:50:44 +0000

MILAN–More and more what you put into your mouth has become just as fashionable as what you wear. And that has never rung more true than it does today, now that the Milan Expo is upon us. “Feed the Planet. Energy for Life,” is the theme for the Universal Exhibition that will commence May 1 and run until October 31. Over the next six months, Milan will transform itself into a global showcase, with more than 140 participating countries.

An expected 20 million visitors will flock to the Expo grounds to catch a glimpse of the latest innovations in the culinary arena. Fashion companies are stampeding to assert themselves as 360 degree companies whose range offers everything from couture to culinary fantasia.

And in Italy alone, recent acquisitions: Prada’s majority stake in Milanese Caffe’ Marchesi, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey’s majority stake in Via Montenapoleone’s Pasticceria Confetteria Cova and the Marzotto family’s takeover of Peck a.k.a. Milan’s “Temple of Gastronomy,” have raised a few eyebrows and proven fashion’s intentions to conquer all possible aspects of what we consider “luxury.”

It is no surprise that Prada will be opening its new museum in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in tandem with the Expo and Giorgio Armani will open the EXPO as a Special Ambassador. In-line with festivities, the legendary designer will celebrate 40 years of his eponymous label with a show that reportedly will be his biggest yet.

The upsurge in luxury investments in Italy’s historic gastronomic treasures beg the question: will Italy’s gourmet foods one day become as coveted as much as its prized leather handbags and silk textiles?

This week we focus on the blurred lines between the culinary world and design, highlighting the phenomenon’s vast potential.

BACI,

Sofia

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: ERA Olive Oil: Liquid Gold, Gnam Box: The Hipster’s Dinner Party, EXPO GUIDE TO MILAN, Mumbai’s Le 15: Chewing on Couture, Alessandro Enriquez of An Italian Theory , Interview with Russian Oligarch Yelena Baturina, Brigitte Niedermair on Man’s Fixation with Fashion, Food

The Expo Guide By Milano State of Mind

Sofia Celeste — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 19:21:58 +0000

MILAN–Alessia Zampano, co-founder of Instamag Milano State of Mind, maps out the fashion capital’s must see spots during the Expo 2015 fair, which will run here from May 1 to Oct 31.

WHERE TO STAY:

The Yard

Founder Alessandro Cesario restructured an old Milanese building, just a few steps from the Naviglio canals, and turned it into a refined guest house that mirrors his hobby as a collector.

Each suite are luxurious parallel worlds of sport: hunting, horseback riding, boxing, golf, rugby and tennis. The lobby is reminiscent of a gentleman’s club in old colonial regions like Rhodesia. It is also a local social pulse, where tourists and city dwellers alike can bond over a cocktail or a game of backgammon.

Piazza XXIV Maggio, 8

WHERE TO EAT:

Ristorante Berton

Ristorante Berton by chef Andrea Berton, is a testament to Milan’s modernist revamp. Located in the ultra-contemporary Porta Nuova district, the Michelin-starred restaurant’s cuisine is in-line with the architecturally-forward buildings in the area. Outfitted with expansive, warmly-tinted windows and oak tables and VIP aspects like a table for two in the kitchen,Ristorante Berton is a must-see stop.

Viale della Liberazione, 13

WHERE TO DRINK:

Ceresio 7

The rooftop bar owned by designers/twin brothers Dan and Dean Caten of DSquared2 sits atop of 1930’s-era building, indicative of the powerful Fascist-Era design of Italy’s Mussolini days. With a Hollywood setting — its outdoor pools and 360-degree panorama view of Milan, it is definitely one of the best people-watching spots in the city. The bartender serves up impeccable cocktails as luxurious as the 1950’s-era furniture in the dining room.

Via Ceresio 7, 4th floor

WHERE TO SHOP:

Imarika

The Bevilaqua sisters: Benedetta and Maria are united by their passion for researching the best brands in fashion. The small boutique, ruled by a 1979-sense of elegance sells the best of the runway: Stella Jean, Paul Harden, Jil Sander, COMME des GARCONS, Nina Ricci, Mina Perhonen, Anya Hindmarch, Rochas and Tsumori Chisato are just some of the labels that reflect their sophisticated and curated taste.

Via Giovanni Morelli, 1

Barbè

Barbè is a small perfumery with retro allure. The shop windows and the interiors speak to another era. Phaedon, Laboratorio Olfattivo, CBN cremes, Tokyo Milk products and Beauty for Real lip glosses, as well as bijoux jewelry from Dag e Tataborello, are just some of the beauty treasures they have in their store.

Corso Concordia, 11

Rossana Orlandi

A meeting point of refined taste and elegance that transcends today’s fashion world, is a store filled with design treasures curated by the infallible taste of Rossana Orlandi.

A magic universe that is in constant evolution, her store, art gallery, caffe and restaurant are all facets of this labyrinth of high-brown taste. On show are some of the best emerging designers artistic minds. Don’t forget to check out the caffe’ and restaurant that is run by Marta Pulini, founder of catering company Bibendum and chef of Massimo Bottura’s gastro-bistrot.

Via Matteo Bandello, 14-16

WHERE TO GO:

Palazzo Lombardia

The region of Lombardia, in honor of the Expo and the City of Milan, are allowing tourists to enter the doors of this new landmark designed by architects of the Pei Cobb Freed & Partners studio. Every Sunday, pilgrims can enjoy the view of the 39th floor of this structure that embraces all of Milan’s past and future.

Piazza Città di Lombardia

Sunday, 10:00 – 18:00

Villa Necchi Campiglio

With its tennis court and outdoor pool,Villa Necchi is a true anomaly in this urban jungle of apartment buildings and commercial businesses. The estate was built in 1932 in Art Deco style and was designed by Piero Portaluppi with accents of 30’s-era cruise ships. The villa was owned by the Necchi Campiglio sisters, whose family struck its fortune in the sewing machine business. Stepping into the doors of Villa Necchi, is like taking a trip back into the world of the city’s aristocracy.

Via Mozart, 14

An Italian Theory: Alessandro Enriquez

Sofia Celeste — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 07:44:21 +0000

MILAN–Alessandro Enriquez’s homage to Italian cuisine in the form of a women’s wear collection and capsule home collection came just in time for the upcoming food-themed Milan EXPO.

During Design Week here the 32-year-old designer who is the brain behind 10x10AnItalianTheory and moonlights as a journalist and author, presented a capsule collection designed for luxury carpet maker Illulian at Milan’s legendary Biffi Boutique. The rugs were adorned with images of Italy’s most iconic foods: from farfalle pasta to Neapolitan baba’ desserts. Crafted with Himalayan wool, natural silk and vegetable dyes, Illulian carpets are truly an artisanal product.

His fall winter 2015/16 women’s collection that was presented in Milan’s upscale 5Vie district in February was envisaged in a similar spirit. Playful skirts, head scarves, accessories and sweat shirts were made with Bonotto fabrics and emblazoned with an Italian breakfast themed prints – brioche and Sicilian cassata cartoonish patterns, among others.

“There were many artisans that went into making these collections. There were craftsmen in Tuscany that worked on the accessories and seamstresses in Puglia that worked on the clothes,” Enriquez said. “It is 100 percent made in Italy.”

His collections are fruit of his love for cooking and his book “An Italian Theory,” which was published by Lombardi Editori and is a journey through the personal tastes of some of the biggest names in fashion like Ennio Capasa, Anna Dello Russo, Margherita Maccapani Missoni and Rossella Jardini.

“I have always had a passion for food. I wrote a book about food in 2012. I had no idea at that time the Expo would be in Milan. It was pure coincidence.”
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: ERA Olive Oil: Liquid Gold, Gnam Box: The Hipster’s Dinner Party, EXPO GUIDE TO MILAN, Mumbai’s Le 15: Chewing on Couture, Alessandro Enriquez of An Italian Theory , Interview with Russian Oligarch Yelena Baturina, Brigitte Niedermair on Man’s Fixation with Fashion, Food

Mumbai’s Pooja Dhingra: Chewing on Couture

Sholeen Damarwala — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 23:33:15 +0000

MUMBAI – When Pooja Dhingra launched her first patisserie in Mumbai, India the concept of a macaron was as exotic as necessitating your everyday fashion needs at a Prada. She was fresh out of Le Cordon Bleu, Paris and the year was 2010. Luxury in India was still reserved for those who spent summers in London and spring in France.

For the rest of us, a cupcake was a novelty and Zara a splurge. Fast forward 2015, four stores and countless collaborations later, Pooja Dhingra has officially made the macaron a lasting fashion statement in a country that constantly changes its opinion on what’s ‘in’ and what’s ‘out’.

Much like toting a Starbucks cup makes your morning rush seem legit, a Le 15 patisserie macaron box instantly gives you the air of a well-travelled, well-fed evolved Indian. Eventually it’s all perception. And Le 15 is perceived as food for the fashion God’s.

Sounds a bit exaggerated? Ask Dhingra to elaborate and she can tell you how she caters to almost every dessert table at the cities exclusive fashion soirees, besides of course dropping a jewellery line inspired from her desserts. Oh did we also mention capsule collaborations with the city’s up and coming designers? Her recent collaboration with Masaba though, isn’t just visually delightful; it’s also easy on the waistline. Wittingly called Jump, equal attention was paid to packaging as much as taste and quality. After all no one better than Dhingra to know the perks of dressing up your wares. It’s not that the macaroon was a stranger to the Indian palette. But before Dhingra put it in a glass wall housed in a candy pink white striped store we really never gave the French delicacy much thought. Add to her vision, a smart wielding of social media mediums, and you have a business maverick who is able to transcend her product to cult status.

BACO Contributor Sholeen Damarwala talks to Pooja Dhingra on how you require just more than flavor to launch a trend!

BACO: How did the journey to building a fashionably conscious dessert brand in India kickstart?

Pooja Dhingra: The first meeting I had with my design team starting Monday, around six years ago, we decided that we would treat Le15 like a fashion brand. We would have seasons and change the product based on them. We changed our packaging to match each season and that’s how we started building our little brand.

BACO: How important do you think is the visual appeal of a product besides the quality of the product?

PD: I feel it is extremely important. When we were in culinary school our chefs always told us one thing – you eat with your eyes first. For any food product not just the visual appeal of the product but the way it’s presented and packed is extremely important too.

BACO: Why is it so easy for you to collaborate with fashion designers?

PD: Our first food and fashion collaboration was with Nachiket Barve. Nachiket was working on a collection called Caravan, which was inspired by the silk route. Using the spices from the silk route we created a line of macarons that looked like his designs! Food and fashion seem to be a great fit.

BACO: Your latest collaboration with Masaba has been hugely talked about and widely appreciated. How did you both manage to retain your individual aesthetics while creating one singular product?

PD: I feel that food and fashion make for a great combination. Especially desserts! We were both involved in the food testing (and tasting) process as well as picking a look and design for the box. But I think we had the most fun making our teaser videos for instagram!

BACO: The packaging is another standout factor from this collab. Tell us a little bit about the creative process?

PD: The concept of Jump is not so much about low calorie desserts but about bringing wholesome goodness and balance into your life. The idea was in my mind for a long time but I really felt the urgency to implement it when I started training for the marathon last year. For someone who is so obsessed with dessert, I still wanted a sweet fix but didn’t want it to affect my training and so I thought of coming up with a line that will not only taste good but will also give you some nutritional value. I’ve worked with a nutritionist on the entire menu and the entire focus was not about cutting calories, but adding value. Once I explained this to Masaba we both worked towards a design creative that fit with our vision for Jump – fun, energetic and happy. I’m a big fan of not only Masaba’s work but also the person she is and felt that she fit perfectly with the concept of Jump.

We created Jump to give consumers that extra energy you need to make it through crazy manic days and satisfy your sweet cravings at the same time.

BACO: Besides the Masaba collaboration, Le 15 has always focused on little details like packaging, colours and dessert boxes. Has blending design with quality desserts always been a conscious decision?

PD: When I lived in Paris, what I loved about the pastry shops there was their eye for detail. I loved the little touches not only on the dessert but the boxes, branding and other packaging and knew that when I started my own store we would pay attention to all the little details.

BACO: Tell us about the rather adorable jewellery line you are working on?

PD: It’s still very nascent and we are working on it. It will be a line inspired by our goodies and a full line will launch very soon.

BACO: Lastly, what next can we look forward to from you?

PD: A very interesting collaboration with another fashion designer who I admire and respect but I can’t reveal much now. We are also looking at more stores, collaborations and another book soon.

“The Big Book of Treats” by Pooja Dhingra is available on Amazon.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: ERA Olive Oil: Liquid Gold, Gnam Box: The Hipster’s Dinner Party, EXPO GUIDE TO MILAN, Mumbai’s Le 15: Chewing on Couture, Alessandro Enriquez of An Italian Theory , Interview with Russian Oligarch Yelena Baturina, Brigitte Niedermair on Man’s Fixation with Fashion, Food

Russian Oligarch Yelena Baturina On Handmade

Sofia Celeste — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 12:56:10 +0000

BACO’s Editor-in-Chief Sofia Celeste chats with Russia’s richest woman, Yelena Baturina about her BE OPEN philanthropy, a think tank that cultivates and connects the greatest minds of the 21st century: artisans, philosophers, sociologists, designers, architects, writers, businessmen and opinion leaders, as well as promising emerging talent.

For the Expo, BE OPEN has decided to focus on the world of fragrances in an event entitled “A Journey Through Scents,” that shines a spotlight on historic perfume brands, and some extinct ones like the French label Biette and Lundborg, which is famous for its Liberty style advertisements.

Located in Milan’s Orto Botanico, the event will run until May 24. The organization of the exhibit has been spearheaded by designer and architect Ferruccio Laviani who has created an interactive tour for visitors to experience the basics of olfaction. The Houses of Wonders embraces 8 installations by 8 designers who worked on fabled brands applying their own personal vision in an effort to rebrand them.

BACO: Your BE Open Made in project has been promoting craftsmen in the creative arts and fashion since 2014. What are the sort of challenges the luxury sector faces in perpetuating traditional craft?

Yelena Baturina: The luxury sector, of course, faces some challenges when involving traditional crafts into their business, but these challenges are usually referred to production and marketing. The risks of the craftsmen, on the contrary, are much more fundamental.

As we all know, luxury brands have recently rediscovered crafts thus giving traditional techniques and their adepts a remarkable chance to survive and flourish by way of integrating into the huge and extremely profitable fashion industry of today.

Our recent project in India provided us with extensive information on the interrelation between local crafts and international brands. We are convinced that craftsmen themselves should in the first place be aware of their value and build up their relationship with the brands they work with on adequate terms. What we are focusing on with our MADE IN program is that craftsmen are not just suppliers of goods, they are carriers of unique and rich traditions that constitute an important part of local culture, and this can be enhanced and preserved through the luxury sector. I think the biggest challenge for craftsmen is to become active players in the contemporary creative and marketing process, and this is what our current projects are about.

BACO: Do you think luxury consumers in your home country appreciate handmade quality products or are they looking for more trusted names?

YB: I suppose Russia is like any other country in the world, in this respect. Of course most consumers rely on big brands because they represent quality. On the other hand, more and more people get tired with homogenised mass production, trying to find options that would illustrate their unique styles and personalities. So the demand is definitely shifting to small-numbered, handmade individual items. This is especially true with such an intimate and deeply personal sector as fragrances – and here in search of exclusivity and self-identification top consumers turn to tiny niche brands that are in fact nothing else than crafts.

BACO: What countries are of interest to you in terms of supporting artistic talent?

YB: Artistic talent has no home, no nationality, no continent. The BE OPEN Foundation was created with the exact idea that in order to look at our common future with different eyes you have to be open to everything, look for ideas everywhere, involve creative people from all over the world. I am sure that the most prominent ideas are born on the joint of various disciplines. The multidisciplinary approach, the ability to wash out the borders between creative people and ideas of diffirent countries, backgrounds and spheres is what males BE OPEN so strong.

BACO: Italy is the home to the finest luxury craftsmen on the planet. How can we help Italian talent grow and protect itself from its talent being monopolized by large conglomerates?

YB: Italians have developed some of the most amazing and exquisite traditional technical productions. There is nothing wrong in these techniques being acquired by conglomerates per se: I am business women and I understand the needs and mechanisms of the markets. What we are concerned with is establishing a wise and balanced approach to these aquisitions: acquiring traditional craft productions makes sense only if their skills, knowledge and most importantly attitude behind them are carefully preserved. So the most important thing is to balance the needs of the markets with the generations-old traditions that make the hand crafted products so unique.

BACO: At the Garden of Wonders you will be supporting perfume? Why is the Expo the ideal place to promote artisanal craftsmen?

Expo is about sustainabilty this year, and crafts are one of the most sustainable manifestations of human activities – craftsmen mostly use local natural materials and preserve their supplies with care in order to pass their productions to future generations. In this regards fragrances are the perfect object, as they have such strong links both to natural materials and handcrafts. It is our alternative way of looking at the main EXPO theme, and we hope our Garden of Wonders project will be interesting both for the visitors and industry players.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: ERA Olive Oil: Liquid Gold, Gnam Box: The Hipster’s Dinner Party, EXPO GUIDE TO MILAN, Mumbai’s Le 15: Chewing on Couture, Alessandro Enriquez of An Italian Theory , Interview with Russian Oligarch Yelena Baturina, Brigitte Niedermair on Man’s Fixation with Fashion, Food