Everyone was crazy about the “King” Giorgio Armani, his Palazzo Orsini in via Borgonuovo in Milan and the wonders it contains. In a single morning, more than five hundred people had already visited the building and, in the afternoon, the line started from via dei Giardini, and thousands of people had entered at the end of the night. It is not surprising, we had to take the opportunity to visit this building for free, which is one of the most prestigious noble residences in the city.
Mr. Armani manages to stand out even in his absence (we want to imagine him peeking, with extreme sympathy, right from one of those windows) opening his house to the many guests who had the opportunity to see some furniture of precious craftsmanship in the rooms decorated with frescoes on the noble floor (where the workshop of the Giorgio Armani Privé haute couture collection is located. ). Meanwhile, in the “secret garden” of the main courtyard, entirely arcaded and decorated with stucco, is the new outdoor collection.
“Opening the doors of the brand’s historic headquarters to the public and presenting the new Armani/Casa collection in such an intimate place,” explains the designer, “is a way to highlight this process, as well as the variety of the proposal, from outdoor furniture to pieces of excellent workmanship.” “My work, both in fashion and design,” he adds, “is a constant search for balance that arises from the choice of material and the dexterity of the hands that work it.”
We have confirmation of this by starting our walk from the garden, which picks up the light colors of the building, fitting perfectly into the surrounding environment. It is there that the first Armani/Casa collection entirely dedicated to the outdoor is revealed, expression of an unmistakable aesthetic with the series of solid teak furniture that includes the sofa and armchair with the Terence pouf, the Timothy lounger, the large Thomas table, Turner and Terry coffee tables and the Thelma folding chair.. The essential and pleasantly rounded lines are counteracted by the wood surfaces ‘dressed’ by a particular decoration obtained by engraving, which reproduces the interlacing of an embossed texture. The magnificent cushions and padded parts upholstered with a jacquard Armani / House of pleasant and bright touch, specifically designed to resist and enjoy the outdoors to the fullest. All in intense colors with stylized palm tree motifs inspired by the patterns of the collection. The Armani, unique and always original prints, is refined and essential.
We follow the path, cross the courtyard and the portico and move to the rooms on the noble floor, after having climbed the staircase illuminated by lit torches that sharpen the emotions. The interiors that are revealed in front, richly decorated and realized by Luigi Canonica with frescoes by Andrea Appiani (Love triumphant – 1787) date from the late eighteenth century. Here appear the wicker pieces of sinuous lines, the elegance and rigor that he loves so much and that are also present, are his special way of configuring the house where the living space is amplified in an absolutely recognizable aesthetic continuity. We highlight the Pretty sofa bed, the Sharon, Melrose and Ted tables, with tops in fine Taj Mahal quartzite and brass details, which are added to the pieces already existing in the catalog, such as the Nelson table and the Riesling furniture, also exhibited in the Corso Venezia boutique.
The refined lightness and interweaving of forms and materials continues in the following rooms where we find some of the most elaborate pieces and reissues of iconic furniture, made in precious materials and with the same craftsmanship as an Armani Haute Couture creation: from the Sofia chair in the Antoinette coiffeuse and the Camilla desk, unique furniture that reaffirms his love for the Orient and for Art Deco. The jacquard silk variants Toledo, Tashkent and Toyama are examples of this.
The carpets and textile accessories are taken care of in detail and the trim that closes the pillowcases are really splendid, the accessories in neutral colors with touches of agave green, cobalt blue, orange, gray and red lacquer. Murano glass vases stand out alongside Tale tarot cards and Tool meter, while the stone-shaped resin mirror with leather cord is conceived for Armani’s genius to wear as a necklace. Highlights include cylindrical candle holders with metal mesh and the Treccia Tea Set that includes wicker and leather-coated cups and hourglasses to measure infusion times. Time, which is lived daily, is essential and must be used in the best possible way. The real luxury, according to his words, lies precisely in the slowness, and even seeing this new collection dedicated to the home, not only for his garments, we had confirmation of it. Eccentricity – “which is independence of thought and action” – is also necessary, has and must have its place, and here – magically more than elsewhere – it has fully found it.
