Loro Piana Unveils Installation with Dimoremilano During Milan Design Week

MILAN — Loro Piana surprised visitors walking into the luxury brand’s headquarters in Milan with an immersive installation unveiled Monday.

Partnering for the first time with Dimoremilano, Loro Piana recreated a fully furnished house inspired by an apartment from the ’70s and ’80s, revealed through a play of lights and sounds. The entrance of the building was transformed into the foyer of a vintage cinema with deep red velvet curtains, leopard-spotted carpeting and brass appliqués.

Inside, the apartment displayed furniture designed by Dimorestudio for Loro Piana Interiors; new and classic pieces from Dimoremilano upholstered with Loro Piana Interiors fabrics; items from the Loro Piana The Art of Good Living Collection, and antique pieces and art. Dimoremilano is the label that encompasses the furniture, fabric and lighting collections by Dimorestudio founders Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci.

“I’ve known Emiliano and Britt for some years and we’ve always thought that one day we would do something together,” Loro Piana chief executive officer Damien Bertrand told WWD. “I love their sophistication and refinement, and they have a point of view which is always unique and very unexpected, surprising.”

While he admitted the duo have been working with materials such as glass and metal not traditionally used by Loro Piana, their quality and creativity is aligned with that of the fashion brand, he said. “For me this was a kind of an obvious choice, and working with them has been a fantastic experience.”

Like in a film — conceived and directed by Dimorestudio — the cinematic twist of the installation fanned out across an entrance, a dining room, a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom and a small garden. Details like water overflowing from the bathtub, rain pattering on a window, a phone ringing and a piano playing contributed to the realism of the experience.

Bertrand underscored “this mise en scene is very different from what we’ve done in the past, but it was very important that the presentation shine a light on the key elements of Loro Piana, the textures, the senses. [Moran and Salci] pushed the boundaries and I think that was very interesting for us. Design Week is also a way to explore, like we did over the past few years.”

Bertrand highlighted the legitimacy of Loro Piana in this category. “We just needed time to develop it. It takes time, and we wanted to do it well, and we can go even wider. This is very strategic for us. I can’t give you numbers, but we’ve been accelerating very strongly, to the same level as the rest of Loro Piana.”

He said Loro Piana has also been active in the design of interiors of private jets and high-end yachts. “We have a huge demand for this. Furniture is still something that we could develop more and because we explored it from a creative point of view, I think it’s very interesting.”

Case in point: Loro Piana introduced a new tableware collection called “Punti a Maglia” handcrafted in Limoges, each piece decorated with a pattern of knotting threads — a reference to the brand’s expertise.

Distribution has been expanded, as seen by the opening of a dedicated home store at Harrods, he pointed out.

Showcased at the installation were the new furniture pieces conceived by the design duo for Loro Piana Interiors that included the Quarona poufs and coffee tables, made with curved wooden bands and padded seats in Ladakh cashmere and wool and alpaca.

The Valsesia oval in the dining room stood out with its lacquered wood top and wool and cashmere fabric. A tubular steel element appeared in the Varallo round bed and mohair velvet headboard. The Locarno cabinets in three different heights were inspired by museum showcases, and the velvet Trivero armchairs and chairs featured lacquered wooden legs, satin brass jewel details, and padded and quilted backs.

Dimoremilano pieces crafted in Loro Piana Interiors fabrics ranged from the Bullet ceiling lamp to the Block desk, the Carl low table and the Corner modular sofa, armchair and pouf. Alongside these new creations, signature Dimoremilano designs like the Tavolo 089, the Dega, the Sciura and the Patty armchairs were reinterpreted in Loro Piana Interiors’ luxury fabrics.

The installation is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday.

“Milan transforms completely during this week. You feel the creativity in the air, and you feel this is a very special moment,” concluded Bertrand, who, as reported, on June 10 will move to Louis Vuitton to become CEO, succeeded by Frédéric Arnault at Loro Piana.