MILAN — Valentino and its creative director Alessandro Michele are introducing a new cultural and immersive architectural experience at the brand’s Madison Avenue boutique.
Called L’Atelier Sonore, the couture house on Thursday will unveil an intimate listening room with a bespoke sound system.
The store’s mezzanine floor will be transformed into a sonic space reflecting Michele’s vision. It was conceived in partnership with Italian cultural collective Terraforma, founded by Ruggero Pietromarchi. The soundscapes curated by Terraforma, a platform for experimentation in sound and ecology, are crafted by sound designer and streetwear veteran Giorgio Di Salvo.
“I really like to work with musicians, because the sounds, music and everything that is impalpable are part of my work,” Michele told WWD.
“Music directly interacts with the mise-en-scene and the creation of objects. My creative life is made of sounds, and music is a powerful language that suits me and that I love to employ.”
Giorgio Di Salvo, Alessandro Michele and Ruggero Pietromarchi.
The set up was designed in collaboration with architect Francesco Lupia and is built around three core elements: a bespoke sound system, a handcrafted multifunctional listening console inspired by traditional cabinet-making and modular seating with velvet cushions.
Each is sheathed in a patchwork of finely veneered woods.
“I feel about this collaboration as a meaningful cultural encounter, where aesthetics, sound and design engage in an elevated dialogue. L’Atelier Sonore is an immersive listening experience that unfolds organically across a rich spectrum of sound and textures,” Pietromarchi said.
“The space itself becomes a sonic extension for expression and exchange, embodying Terraforma’s ongoing exploration of sound as a spatial practice, in deep resonance with Alessandro Michele’s distinctive aesthetic sensibility for Maison Valentino. This project is driven by a shared commitment to pushing creative boundaries and reimagining the ways we experience and inhabit space through sound,” he added.
Valentino’s L’Atelier Sonore
Photo by On White Wall
To mark the opening, Valentino and Terraforma will present a 10-hour live program, beginning at 2 p.m. on Thursday. The event will feature a series of listening sessions joined by international artists, including Laraaji, Lea Bertucci, Laurel Halo, Lizzi Bougatsos, Chuquimamani-Condori, Kevin Beasley, Veronica Vasicka and Physical Therapy.
Valentino will also offer a limited number of entries for the public to experience the opening event, with registration on the brand’s website starting Friday.
Between performances, the curated playlist, conceived by Terraforma for Valentino, will play in the background and will continue to be available to visitors in the days following the event.
From May 16 through the end of August, the space will remain open daily and on select occasions, the room will host listening sessions with friends of the house, who will share personal music selections from their own collections.
Terraforma is a hub for cross-disciplinary cultural activities, established in 2014 as an international festival of experimental music oriented toward sustainability. Its projects range from “Terraforma Exo,” a cultural manifestation uniting leading thinkers, musicians and artists who operate within the spectrum of sound and ecology, to “Terraforma Symposium,” fostering open discussions to reflect on sustainability through new practices, and “Terraforma Journal,” an editorial project blending sound, art, ecology and contemporary culture.
