bottega veneta's galleria vittorio emanuele store is a modernist spaceship

inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II store by bottega veneta

Bottega Veneta opens its latest Milan store in the historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping gallery, a landmark location set between the Duomo and Teatro alla Scala. The two-story store, designed by the fashion brand’s Creative Director Matthieu Blazy, combines three essential elements: glass, Italian walnut wood, and green Verde Saint Denis marble. The combination picks up and evolves the aesthetic of the brand’s Avenue Montaigne flagship in Paris, which opened in September last year, pairing traditional Italian materials with a modernist sensibility. It also joins other locations in Milan, namely on Via Montenapoleone and Via Sant’ Andrea. The store will stock Bottega Veneta leather goods, shoes, and women’s ready-to-wear.

all images courtesy Bottega Veneta

blending walnut, glass, and marble into a modernist interior

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II store design by Bottega Veneta (see more here) centers on geometric grids, with industrial square glass blocks integrated into the walls and ceiling, framed by walnut wood panels. The floor extends the grid arrangement, with walnut paneling outlining the Verde Saint Denis marble. Walnut also distinguishes the store’s curved stairway, as well as tables, display cases, and shelving. Soft textures are found in leather seating and wool carpets throughout the space, while modular shelving units build a sense of discovery and play. ‘There are different experiences of space in the store,’ shares Matthieu Blazy. ‘I wanted to express the idea of a domestic interior referring to Italian modernist architecture that contrasts with the aesthetic of a spaceship. And to capture the intimacy and the imagination of getting dressed.’

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II store combines glass, Italian walnut wood, and green Verde Saint Denis marble

To celebrate the opening Bottega Veneta has pre-launched three key looks from its Summer 2024 collection exclusively in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele store: Kalimero Cha Cha and Città bags in signature Intrecciato, and the Cha Cha shoe. In addition, the store offers a limited edition of five unique Kalimero Città bags in python, as well as 15 ceramic handle Sardine bags. Each Sardine is numbered with an interior brass plate.

the design centers on geometric grids