Our guest blogger today is Beacon Hill Design Director Alexis Audette. Globetrotting since the year began, Alexis just returned this week from Italy. We asked her to share a few of her impressions from this trip to a country known for its great design.
Alexis Audette
I have just returned to New York from beautiful Italy. Although torrential rain, a weak dollar, and volcanic ash added texture to my trip, nothing could dampen my ardor for the land of Caserta silks, Fabriano paper and the limoncello digestif.
My first destination was Proposte, the renowned textile exhibition on the shores of Lake Como. After gathering up fabric confections for upcoming Beacon Hill collections, I headed for Milan, that city of gothic cathedrals and visionary design. Wandering through the quadrilatero, Milan’s premier shopping district, I was enchanted by how Milanese contemporary fashion harmonizes with historic buildings, arcades and piazzas; rich layers of past and present form Milan’s magic.
Prada, The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
This graceful interplay between old and new provides the backdrop for certain recurring design approaches and motifs. Over time, the Milanese have imagined and re-imagined the following subjects and ideas to exquisite effect.
Floral Embellishment
The Duomo Dolce and Gabbana, Quadrilatero
Collage
The Biblioteca Ambrosiana Missoni, Via Monte Napoleone
Play of Light
The Duomo Sergio Rossi, Quadrilatero
Blue Outerwear
The Duomo The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Strappy Sandals
The Duomo A Quadrilatero Boutique
I left Milan delighted by the Milanese art of reinventing motifs and design approaches, and inspired to try the same at Beacon Hill.