In the “elegant, austere” studio of Durazzi Milano

Despite its short three years in existence, Italian fashion label Durazzi Milano has cultivated a mood of elegance and sophistication that belies its status as a so-called emerging brand – a term that more often brings to mind scrappy and DIY. This is largely due to the pedigree of the designer behind it, Ilenia Durazzi, a graduate of the Polimoda fashion school in Florence who later worked at Maison Margiela, Balenciaga and Tod’s and has the ambition to build a brand that can compete with the likes of Hermès in Construction and design.

“Working for the big maisons in Paris has given me the ability to keep to a very strict schedule. “Then through experience I learned the art of prioritizing and I never panic,” she told Wallpaper* in 2023, when we first introduced Durazzi Milano as a brand to keep an eye on. Inspired by rationalism, her collections combine a mood of sensual elegance with the practicality of equestrian clothing, a particular love of Durazzi. Each piece in the collection is carefully crafted in collaboration with traditional Italian artisans, but the results are elegantly contemporary. “Elegance and rigor.” “This is the cornerstone of the style that I want to convey with my creations.”

In the “elegant, austere” studio of Durazzi Milano

Now Durazzi brings this sophisticated approach to a new multi-purpose studio and headquarters in Milan, marking a new chapter for the label. Located in Via Rosolino Pilo near Porta Venezia, an area of ​​the city historically known for its links to crafts – traditionally it was a place of woodmakers, cobblers and potters – it has recently become one of the most artistic centers of Milan, with many gallery openings. “I like the idea that our studio is a place where things happen, a place of creativity, where there is a mix of people,” says Durazzi, pointing out that the neighborhood is lively after work nightlife exists. “The street is very lively, that’s why we chose it.”

It used to be a space where people played boules before becoming a bicycle saddle repair shop and finally a restaurant. The industrial space was completely transformed by Durazzi into an elegant, light-filled studio with gray concrete or white plaster walls, a microcement resin floor, glass walls and steel accents. Lighting is provided by hidden neon lights, while storage space – such as wardrobes – has been cleverly built into the walls. “It’s industrial but sophisticated,” she says. A winter garden with ferns, bamboo, eucalyptus and stipa, visible through the glass walls, ensures a pleasant interplay between indoor and outdoor space. “You can really escape the city.”

Durazzi designed the space herself, even though she had no experience in architecture or interior design. “I’m not an architect, but I think within me there is this dialogue between geometry and functionality,” she says. “That really helped me realize what Durazzi Milano is.” I define it season by season – we learn who we are. Not just the clothes, but also a lifestyle, a broader view of the brand.”

She also plans to use the space as a community arts center by using the street-facing space at the front of the studio as a gallery for artists’ work and hosting a series of salon-style evening events and happenings (a program). is already in the works, as is a possible collaboration with one of the city’s more traditional institutions). “I always imagined the studio as more of a gallery space,” she says. “I wanted to connect the people who wear my clothes…to make it like a connected circle.” And sometimes I wanted to do something after work, so I thought, “I can do that.”

The desire to create something that should exist but doesn’t yet is at the core of Durazzi’s approach to space. For this reason, she designed her own furniture, much of which is modular and can be moved around the room on cleverly hidden wheels, rather than selecting from the list of Italian design classics one would expect to find in a typical Milan studio. “I wanted to design for 2024, not just pick a vintage design piece,” she says. “I think to think for the future you really have to be the future.”