Tom Dixon showcases new collections in a Milan restaurant: The Manzoni

Good designs should be displayed of course but can benefit greatly from being shown off in a commercial setting that showcases their functionality.

This is the thinking behind London designer Tom Dixon's new venture in Milan as he has chosen to show off his new collections at The Manzoni currently until Sunday 14th April 2019 to coincide with Milan Design Week.

The Dining Hall in The Manzoni, a restaurant and also an experimental space cum a theatrical backdrop of Italian food and an international stage to present the designer's latest innovations and best sellers.

The Manzoni, a formal dining experience in the centre of Milan. Tom Dixon design meets Italian cuisine, expressed in a Restaurant, Showroom and Shop.

Tom Dixon has returned to Milan after a year's absence and decided that a better strategy for showcasing his design brand is to embed itself into the heart of Italy's commercial and cultural capital.

The Manzoni is a new 100-cover restaurant created by Tom's Design Research Studio.  It is pre-opened this week to coincide with Milan Design Week; after the fair it will re-open as a permanent restaurant and a showroom for his new collections.

The Jungle inside The Manzoni, Milan.

The Manzoni is open for Salone del Mobile from Tuesday 9th — Sunday 14th April 2019, and will re-open permanently after Design Week.

Tom Dixon says The Manzoni will be the brand's first mainland European home.
He says: "After years of doing 5-day exhibition in Milan, we finally decided that we had enough of putting such huge energy into pop-up interventions.  We wanted to look at different ways of being present in Milan.  With the city being so active and engaging right now, it is the right time to forget being temporary and build something permanent.

Tom Dixon's restaurant and showroom in Coal Harbour, London.  Photo by Lucia Carpio.

"Just like in London, we don't think it's enough to just have a showroom.  We need a place where people slow down and experience our products in a live setting.  There is nothing dustier than a conventional lighting and furniture showroom.  But with The Manzoni, people are able to experience our new collections in an active context.

Another view of the Dining Hall, in The Manzoni, Milan.

The bar and shop.

The Manzoni is a restaurant and also an experimental space, a theatrical backdrop of Italian food (lunch is by invitation only) and an international stage to present the designer's latest innovations and best sellers.  New collections on show include FAT, SLAB, OPAL and SPRING.

Every element of The Manzoni is an exploration of traditional and new materialities and manufaturing processes, according to Tom Dixon.  The materials have been sourced from different regions of Italy; stone from Mount Etna in Sicily, marble from Verona and flowers from Sardinia, for example.

The entrance of The Manzoni features a monolithic block of granite, which serves as the foundation of the bar.  Exotic lava stone tiles decorate the wall, which complements the materiality of the Testi stone bar.  New lighting range Opal illuminates the space with an ethereal glow.

The dining hall features monastic cork dining tables where guests are invited to dine in a communal setting for lunch and dinner.  Tom Dixon's new FAT dining chairs upholstered in Raf Simons latest collection for Kvadrat are shown here along with SPRING pendant light installations suspended from the ceiling.

In the gallery is a dense jungle of greenery supplied by Sardinian florist, Art Flowers Gallery.  Palms and vines flourish from spun aluminium planters and cluster together to create a wild overgrown oasis.  In the centre of The Manzoni is a courtyard which features a custom-made forest green marble table designed by Testi and JKL Design Studio.

Images of The Manzoni from Tom Dixon.

WHITE fashion trade fair in Milan concluded with an increase of international attendance, report organisers

The January 2018 edition of the WHITE MAN & WOMAN fashion trade fair, staged from 13th January to 15th January 2018, in Milan’s Tortona Fashion District, was deemed a great success.  

Under the banner of quality, the inventive displays projecting an open, creative atmosphere, along with new showroom concepts for the eclectic mix of new fashion forward brands - considered unique hallmark of WHITE - had attracted trade visitors from around the world. 

The organisers concluded that international buyers' attendance had grown by 3% growth.  The largest group of buyers had come from  Japan, Korea, UK, Germany and France respectively.   Visitors from Canada and the United States were also prominently felt.  However attendance from its own Italian market registered a slight drop compared to last January.

Massimiliano Bizzi, Founder of WHITE, said he was pleased with the results and this season's success had been brought about by focusing on the womenswear pre-collections at the trade-fair and with strong connection with the showrooms.  Furthermore, he also said the teaser event WHITE STREET MARKET has opened up new prospects.

Come June 2018,  the next edition will see the first B2C and B2B sportswear & streetwear trade event, and will, for the first time, gather together buyers from across the globe, in Milan who will also be attending Milano Fashion Week, as well as end-users or consumers.

Photos: WHITE/Getty Images

WHITE Milano billed a major success; next stop Shanghai

WHITE, Milan's fashion-forward trade fair saw record number of international visitors, giving the organisers much optomism for further success.

Models at SSHEENA’s urban captivating catwalk show at the iconic Piazza Duomo, Milan.

(Photo by Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images for White)

Organisers said WHITE has concluded this  September's edition with a record of 26.611 visitors, 20% more than the September 2016 event. Italian buyers increased by 22% while overseas buyers were up 40%. The overall number of buyers increased by 31% (compared to the same edition of the previous year), thus confirming the key role this buyer-oriented event plays; the only one under the aegis of the Municipality of Milan and in partnership with Confartigianato Imprese.

Models at the SSHEENA show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2018 on September 25, 2017 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images for White)

“This edition’s numbers, achieved also thanks to the timing, extended to 4 days, make us starkly aware of what WHITE represents today and also of Milan’s potential, when there’s cooperation and a shared strategy," said Massimiliano Bizzi, Founder of WHITE.  "Milan is as open to fashion, as never before and WHITE has enthusiastically taken up the challenge. The two new locations in Tortona 31 and within Camera Italiana Buyer Moda, and the outstanding fashion show, have shown the active role trade-fair plays both for the Italian fashion system, and for the city”.

The show was organized with the support of the Ministry for Economic Development, ITA, Italian Trade Agency, Confartigianato Imprese - partner of WHITE - and under the aegis of the Municipality of Milan.

Next stop: Shanghai

WHITE Milano will be trekking to Asia, presenting a selection of 56 Italian brands over the course of Shanghai Fashion week, which will take place from October 11 to 18.

Bizzi told Fashion Network: “The idea is to open up the Chinese market to our companies in a very concrete way. The format will therefore not only be that of a normal trade fair but it will also offer individual meetings between our entrepreneurs and local distributors alongside traditional stands and talks.”

Thus the organisers have carefully selected brands taking into consideration the trends and tastes of the market and choosing authentic Italian products which can best showcase the knowhow of "Made in Italy" .  In other words, brands that focus on well-made and artisanal products such as Faliero Sarti shawls, Casadei footwear, and emerging designers like Daniele Carlotta and Ssheena.

I'M Isola Marras under new direction showcased at WHITE Milano this weekend

WHITE - the Milan trade show for women’s collections and directional international brands has opened  and is expanded into three exhibiting areas at 27, 35 and 54 via Tortona within the Tortona Fashion District.

From left: Michele Scannavini President of ITA, Massimiliano Bizzi Founder of WHITE, Brenda Bellei Ceo of M.SEVENTY, Cristina Tajani Councillor for Fashion and Design for the municipality of Milan, Ivan Scalfarotto Undersecretary of the Ministry for Economic Development

The show dedicated to womenswear and accessories is held from 22nd to 25th September 2017, in partnership with Confartigianato Imprese and under the aegis of the Municipality of Milan.

The four-day show boosts a record number of 532 exhibitors (368 from Italy and 164 from abroad, namely a 6,4% increase), and this is a special edition in many ways, as WHITE has gone the extra mile to support the teamwork strategy undertaken by MISE, aiming to coordinate and streamline the whole cycle, thus bringing together in the calendar of Milan Fashion Week the most prominent fashion happenings.

One of the special features this season's WHITE is the presence of Efisio Rocco Marras (left picture) as the Special Designer, providing the new direction for I’M Isola Marras. 


The project marks I’m Isola Marras's revival, according to Efisio.

"My dream is seeing my items being worn at a Patty Smith gig, or in an innovative and contemporary street version, maybe for a drink at the bar round the corner. I draw inspiration from every day life, mostly from my peers. "

Describing his collection showcased in a special installation at WHITE, the designer explained in an interview organised by the trade fair organisers: "I have created a one-fabric (exclusively cotton) collection, completely white, with exceptionally accurate stitching and details, buttons and buttonholes.  (As a keen photographer) Each single item has been conceived to be matched with photo prints of images I shot during the several travels and experiences that have brought me here.

He continues: “Walking life: is an interactive path of creativity and life, recounting my story and the faces I met. 30 items, a sort of hybrid in the world of collections, something really new. The chance to present it at WHITE, which is synonym for quality and research, is really grand, in my view."

Photos: White Women's Collections + accessories SS 18 on September 22, 2017 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images for White)