vudafieri-saverino combines flemish and italian aesthetics for delvaux's first milan boutique

vudafieri-saverino partners combines the stylistic features of milanese tradition with the belgitude of delvaux for the leather luxury goods house’s first flagship store in milan. located in a quaint street off of the fashionable via montenapoleone, the boutique occupies the ground floor of the beautifully restored palazzo reina and can be accessed through a courtyard, a traditional feature of milanese architecture. 

photos by santi caleca 

founded in brussels in 1829, delvaux is said to be the oldest leather luxury goods house in the world and the inventor of the handbag, being the first to officially register a patent for a handbag design in 1908. for each of its hand-picked retail locations around the world, the company aims to create a unique universe that combines its leather creations with local architecture elements and decorative arts pieces of museum quality. for delvaux’s first boutique in milan, italian architecture studio vudafieri-saverino partners has combined refined materials such as marble, white-gold leaf and velvet with references to historic pieces signed by milanese designers of the 20th century, including max papiri, angelo lelii, ignazio gardella, corrado corradi dell’acqua, and luigi caccia dominioni.

bathed in strong light, the boutique extends over 200 sqm and is subdivided in a series of salons of different dimensions and aesthetic qualities. upon entering, customers are met with a room whose marble panels on the walls reference the typical entryways of 20th-century milanese palaces. its ceilings and walls have been decorated by the artist filippo falaguasta, who has created a lozenge-shaped drawing next to the existing patina walls that evokes the image of an original fresco.

in the second room, the boutique’s iconic wardrobe, normally made in white plaster, stands out in a unique version of macassar ebony, hand-painted on site by two scholars and the director of the van der kelen school of brussels. in the third and last room, a five-meter-tall walled bookcase is inspired by an iconic 1960s building in milan’s piazza carbonari by italian architect luigi caccia dominioni. various delvaux accesories are displayed on it, along with a precious collection of 20th century ceramic vases, while a large 1970s mosaic by artist charles gianferrari adorns the opposite wall.