Vincent Van Duysen’s first Molteni store in Milan

Jul

JUL

Vincent Van Duysen’s first Molteni store in Milan

Milan is undoubtedly one of the worldwide cities we can easely say, capital of fashion and design. And as you might expect,where there’s a lots of design and industry goings-on, there’s a space to be fill with stores as well. For one of these spaces, Molteni saw an opportunity, and encharged Vincent van Duysen to become the creator of his first flagship store. Welcome to Molteni store, at via Cavalotti in Milan’s new Durini design district.

Van Duysen, who was named as the brand’s creative director last year, was asked by the Italian design brand to create a “secluded home from home”, and did so through his choice of materials and lighting.

Black oak panelling on warm grey walls creates a warm and welcoming environment for visitors, while wooden ceiling beams that match the floor are intended to blur the boundaries between the various living and dining spaces.

The new flagship, which opened during Milan design week in early April, encompasses both the Molteni&C home living collections and Dada, the Molteni Group’s luxury kitchen brand.

During the design week, the store played host to many of the brand’s new product launches. These included the Welcome Collection of small tables designed by Rodolfo Dordoni, Teorema, a new storage unit designed by Ron Gilad, Sloane, a new modular sofa by MDT and a new series of wardrobes and walk-in closets designed by Van Duysen himself.

Among the new launches were two new reissues of Gio Ponti designs – one of which caused a legal battle between Molteni and fellow Italian brand Cassina over who had the rights to the 1950s chair.

Van Duysen is known for his minimalist style across architecture, interiors and design projects, including Aesop’s Hamburg store and a number of Belgian farmhouses. He was appointed creative director of Molteni and its luxury kitchen brand Dada in April 2016.

The hire followed a spate of new, international leadership appointments at Italy’s major design brands, including Patricia Urquiola to Cassina and David Chipperfield to Driade.