Bottega Veneta opens boutique in historic Milan shopping center

February 6, 2024

The creative director of the house designed the two-story shop. Image credit: Bottega Veneta/François Halard

Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta is welcoming luxury consumers to a new space.

On Jan. 30, the maison opened a boutique inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan’s historic shopping center. At 2,583 square feet, the store sells shoes, women’s ready-to-wear and leather goods across two levels.

“There are different experiences of space in the store,” said Matthieu Blazy, creative director at Bottega Veneta, in a statement.

“I wanted to express the idea of a domestic interior referring to Italian modernist architecture that contrasts with the aesthetic of a spaceship,” Mr. Blazy said. “And to capture the intimacy and the imagination of getting dressed.”

Making moves in Milan
Situated in the center of the city, the boutique sits between the famed Duomo di Milano cathedral and the Teatro alla Scala opera house.

Mr. Blazy designed the two-story shop, which is the third Bottega Veneta location in Milan. The others have addresses on Via Sant’Andrea and Via Montenapoleone.

The new store has a staircase and florals that match the ones in the Paris boutique. Image credit: Bottega Veneta/François Halard

However, this is the first in the urban locale to be dreamt up by the French-Belgian creative director, who took over for his predecessor Daniel Lee in the autumn of 2021 (see story). The talent was also behind the maison’s expanded flagship at 12 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, revealed in September 2023.

Bringing together both traditional and modern Italian concepts, the look of this latest opening is defined by three characteristics: Italian walnut wood, Verde Saint Denis marble and glass.

The aesthetics and materials build upon the work Mr. Blazy did at the Paris boutique, which likewise heavily involved glass and wood. The Milan space additionally has florals and a winding staircase to match.

Bottega Veneta is pre-launching three styles from the summer 2024 collection exclusively in the new touchpoint, including the Cha Cha shoe. The Kalimero Cha Cha and Città bags are also available in the brand's signature Intrecciato.

A limited edition of five Kalimero Città bags in Python and 15 ceramic-handle Sardine bags with numbered interior brass plates will be stocked in-store as well.

Green shades, marbled textures, leather furniture and gold accents adorn the store. Image credit: Bottega Veneta/François Halard

Operating every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the retail spot is now a part of Italy’s oldest active shopping gallery.

Totaling four stories in size, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is home to many other luxury sites. Italian fashion label Gucci is among them, which, like Bottega Veneta, is owned by French luxury conglomerate Kering (see story).

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