It’s the roaring twenties. Life is fueled by jazz, gin, and seemingly unlimited potential for prosperity. Domestic appliances such as refrigerators and electric irons begin to be used in households across the US and UK. Previously unknown hours of leisure time are now spent participating in mass culture; flappers raise hemlines to knee-level and […]
People will stare. Make it worth their while. – Harry Winston Harry Winston clearly had an eye for precious stones from a very young age; in a way, his career as a jeweler began when he was 12 years old. The year is 1908 and Jacob Winston asks his son Harry to run an errand […]
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 […]
“It’s not about us and our style, it’s about the customer’s.” – Irene Garau I’m late when I arrive at the AMG studio. A beautiful young woman pauses her phone conversation to welcome me. While I wait, I admire the store. It’s a small space, intimate, elegant. Honey-colored light filters in through tall windows. Handmade […]
This June, as the summer blockbuster season begins, Francesco Cinquemani’s action thriller, Andron: The Black Labyrinth will be arriving at theaters in America. The cast includes notable figures such as Alec Baldwin, Skin (singer of Skunk Anansie), and Clara Pasieka who recently appeared in David Cronenberg’s film, Maps to the Stars. Whenever I think […]
“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 […]
The Chinese New Year has always been an interesting, yet far away festivity; as Paolo Gorrieri (Manager Chinese Culinary Institute) stated, ”Their New Year is more like our Christmas.” Since it is so far away, the holiday is celebrated in most ethnically diverse cities around the world. Italy, having always been considered a country […]