Inside the Vogue Italia Offices, Which Have Been Given a Temporary Makeover for Design Week

Elise Taylor
Updated

Salone de Mobile, the annual design fair in Milan, is officially underway. And to celebrate, Vogue Italia is opening its incredibly chic doors—and closets.

The brand asked eight world-renowned creative forces—david/nicolas, Massimiliano Locatelli, Pierre Marie, Ana Kraš, Rafael de Cárdenas/Architecture at Large, Jonathan Anderson, storagemilano, and Studio Proba—to reinterpret their office, from the fashion closet, to meeting rooms, to the office of editor in chief, Emanuele Farneti. The result? A project called “Life in Vogue,” which explores the connection between fashion, design, functionality. . . and, well, fun. The exhibition is open to the public today through April 12.

A hallway is adorned with a custom and colorful print by Pierre Marie, who also put tapestries and a stained glass window in the office’s Talent Room. The Current Affairs Room is now part tidy meeting space, part plant-filled jungle—a commentary by storagemilano on how mankind needs both organization and chaos to create. Those looking for a snack can grab potato chips in Studio Proba’s custom packages in the Break Room.

If one has a meeting with Farneti, expect an office with dashes of both retro and futurist elements, with its geometric rugs, black lacquer bookshelves, and modern art. “When we approached this particular space we wanted to try and grasp the spirit of the Italian corporate lifestyle, elegantly simple yet sophisticated in its history,” said Beirut-based designers David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem of david/nicolas.

Another office is the brainchild of fashion designer and Loewe creative director J.W. Anderson. He mixed the past and present together, pairing objects like a 16th-century Henry VII aumbry cupboard with an iron-and-silk painting by Anne Low.

Then there's the centerpiece of the whole collaboration: a 360 degree wardrobe, which shows off the season’s latest fashions, shoes, and accessories.

“Life in Vogue” is in its second iteration, with the storied publication first undertaking the project last year. “It's a very special project because it has a dual value. First and foremost it allows our magazine to mark the publication of the new Casa Vogue, which coincides with the great city-wide festival that is Design Week—to build extraordinary collaborations with some of the most important creative voices in design, architecture, and interiors," said Farneti. “Secondly, for us, the event is an opportunity to open our doors to the wider public: a message of inclusivity which firmly underlines the most recent editorial developments at Vogue Italia.”

Inside the Italian Vogue Offices, Redesigned for “Life in Vogue”

An office by Jonathan Anderson, which includes a 16th-century Henry VII aumbry cupboard and an iron-and-silk artwork by Anne Low.
An office by Jonathan Anderson, which includes a 16th-century Henry VII aumbry cupboard and an iron-and-silk artwork by Anne Low.
Photo: Courtesy of Delfino Sisto Legnani
A door frame adorned with an original pattern by Pierre Marie.
A door frame adorned with an original pattern by Pierre Marie.
Photo: Courtesy of Delfino Sisto Legnani
The Break Room, by Studio Proba. “When we were tasked to bring new life to the break room, I first asked myself the question what a break room meant to employees, and why so often these rooms were—and still are—not at all inviting as a place to spend more time in, rather than to grab a quick snack," said Alex Proba of his creation. "We focused on creating a space that distracts and maybe even confuses you as soon as you step inside. A space filled with an overload of colors and patterns."
The Creative Director’s Office by Ana Kraš, which features a glass bench, her "Bonbon" lamps, and a textile wall hanging.
The Creative Director’s Office by Ana Kraš, which features a glass bench, her "Bonbon" lamps, and a textile wall hanging.
Photo: Courtesy of Delfino Sisto Legnani
The Current Affairs office by storagemilano is called "The Golden Love.” It features a section that is tidy and contemporary, and another that is natural and messy. Here, the organized portion.
The Current Affairs office by storagemilano is called "The Golden Love.” It features a section that is tidy and contemporary, and another that is natural and messy. Here, the organized portion.
Photo: Courtesy of Delfino Sisto Legnani
Here, the "nature" side.
Here, the "nature" side.
Photo: Courtesy of Delfino Sisto Legnani
The Vogue Italia editor in chief’s office by David Nicolas.
The Vogue Italia editor in chief’s office by David Nicolas.
Photo: Courtesy of Delfino Sisto Legnani
An office by Rafael de Cárdenas Architecture. For this space, he had a futuristic vision: “In 2039, an elite selection of individuals was granted intimate residency with an alien fossil from the most distant object ever explored, Ultima Thule. On its arrival 20 years ago, the monolithic cabin opened to reveal a rhythm of audible notes and semiotic light patterns. Although getting closer to complete translation, the projected message is interpreted as fantastic speculations. The more we understand, the less our physicality appears," he said. "This intoxicating paradox is the exclusive source of inspiration for human legacy as it fades into insignificance. In this office, we advise caution when experimenting with your future.”
The wardrobe, a 360 degree room with the season's latest fashions, accessories, and shoes.
The wardrobe, a 360 degree room with the season's latest fashions, accessories, and shoes.
Photo: Courtesy of Delfino Sisto Legnani
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