It’s Valentines Day and I am meeting Antonella Salvucci at Zanzara, a trendy bar near the Vatican. We are standing outside when Keanu Reeves walks past us and gets into the passenger side of a vintage Fiat 500. I look at Antonella and she exclaims, “This is Rome!” Antonella Salvucci’s interest in […]
“Jewelry is not fashion. It has to last, not be discarded as soon as something else comes along.” Elsa Peretti, world class jewelry designer, has been with Tiffany & Co more than 40 years. At 76 years of age, her life has been an epic adventure. She ran in the same circles of art giants such as Dali, […]
Finishing the last sip of my espresso, I notice the cafe’s lavatory is out of order, so on my way through Piazza Del Popolo, I clean espresso and pastry sugar from my hands in the water pouring from a lion’s mouth, next to an obelisk the first emperor of Rome took from Egypt more than […]
The luxury retail experience is nothing new in Rome. Everyday, shoppers flood into the center and crowd the streets around Piazza di Spagna and beyond. High-end garments finished with the finest embellishments and partnered with the most coveted catwalk accessories adorn the windows of the biggest fashion houses. Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Versace, all the big […]
“We are the Ferrari of leather jackets.” Soon after I enter the Puntopelle showroom, it becomes clear that Sefa Sezgin and Tiziana Perso are very proud of the unique business they’ve created. Originally I had assumed I would be interviewing the owners of a clothing store that sells high-end leather jackets, but that’s not really […]
This year marks the 160th anniversary of fashion icon, Burberry. Since its birth in 1856, the company has gone through continual transformation, but their two foundational elements, the trench coat and the distinctive tartan pattern, have remained the icons of the Burberry line. Originally, the company’s products were geared towards outdoor wear. In 1880, […]
Secluded, quiet, and surprisingly leafy green for a street in the center of Rome, Via Margutta has a reputation as being the road of artisans. In 1953 this quaint street was thrown into the world’s consciousness by the popular film Roman Holiday. Once the world saw Gregory Peck and […]
A single, surprisingly simple square of silk, an Hermès scarf is sold somewhere around the world every 25 seconds. In the 79 years since the first Carré was designed by a friend of the family, the Hermès Carré has become a cultural icon. Queen Elizabeth II wore one in the portrait used for the 1966 […]