After a long career creating textiles for the fashion industry, Rossana Orlandi opened her eponymous space in Milan in 2002 with the goal to host new design talents & rising stars (like Hillsideout or RUX). During the annual Design Week in Milan, designers flock to her space to check out what’s new and cool. And indeed, Orlandi’s space in a former tie factory is a real ‘Wunderkammer’ since the Grande Dame of Italian design has the outstanding ability of spotting young talented designers and showcasing their work side by side with the objects of already well-established names.
Whatever one’s looking for, be it a cookbook or a chaiselongue for € 30.000, Spazio Rossana Orlandi is the right place for anything fine design. What I love most about this place is that you won’t see trendy soul-less plastic objects chasing you today, only to be useless tomorrow. Which does not mean that only the rich and famous can afford to treat themselves to a piece of good design. It is a great mixture of very well curated objects within everybody’s means. Once I even found a chair designed in the 1990s by Verner Panton for IKEA, with the sticker of the Swedish brand still on it.
When Milan becomes the global epicentre of design for 1 week in April (09-14 April 2019), Spazio Rossana Orlandi is one of the spots not to be missed. Always surprising & inspiring, never boringly re-cooking last year’s trends. Last but not least, there’s a lovely veranda to have a rest and a cappuccino.
