Design and fashion: never has there been a happier union. In recent years, the worlds of design and major fashion brands have created a synergy that has generated increasingly evocative and original collaborations and influences. From decoration to furnishings, this intertwining has explored multiple forms of expression, demonstrating how creative freedom, a tailor-made approach and absolute quality are the common thread that unites these two dimensions.
This is the scenario that defines the recent projects of Fantini Mosaici, a company that has transformed handcrafted surfaces into luxurious artistic compositions. Fantini Mosaici has collaborated with Bvlgari and Louis Vuitton on their new boutiques in Milan, confirming the company’s vocation for extremely refined, personalised and increasingly fashion-oriented design. The two projects come to life in the bourgeois heart of the city, in the exclusive Via Monte Napoleone, each telling in its own way the company’s ability to interpret the distinctive soul of the two brands and to apply its ancient savoir-faire in contexts with contemporary and glamorous appeal.
Da Vittorio Café Louis Vuitton, Via Monte Napoleone, Milan
Fantini Mosaici’s expertise has ancient roots and a long tradition. Founded in 1900 by master mosaicist Domenico Fantini, the company has dedicated itself to creating handmade surfaces, reviving techniques that date back to the mosaic art of the Roman Empire and the refined craftsmanship of the Greek tradition.
In recent times, its know-how has expanded thanks to technological innovation and the integration of advanced processes, such as water jet cutting to ensure maximum precision. Mosaics, terrazzo floors and pebble finishes: the processes preserve precious knowledge, enriched by fine materials such as marble, glass and gold, and interpreted using techniques such as Venetian and Palladian mosaics. This atmosphere of timeless elegance is revived in the design of the Bvlgari flagship store inside the renovated Palazzetto Taverna Radice Fossati. In the heart of the boutique, Fantini transforms the floor into a visual narrative: in the Rotonda, a circular space reminiscent of the Temple of Minerva, he has created a harmonious mosaic design that brings together the precious veins of Calacatta marble with curved brass inserts – a meticulous work that took three weeks of work by specialised craftsmen.
In this context, Fantini’s art extends to the flooring adjacent to the spectacular monumental staircase: intertwined bands of golden Travertine and light Verde Alpi marble frame a refined terrazzo floor composed of Botticino, Breccia Aurora, Onice Rosso, Verde Ming and Onice Rosa. The result is a true homage to the beauty of the material and its exciting chromatic suggestions.
Boutique Bvlgari, via Monte Napoleone, Milano
Da Vittorio Café Louis Vuitton, via Monte Napoleone, Milano
Equally sophisticated is the design for the exclusive Da Vittorio Caffè Louis Vuitton, located inside the historic Palazzo Taverna (at number 2 Via Monte Napoleone), now reborn thanks to the vision of architect Peter Marino. The courtyard – designed as a refined jardin d’hiver – features flooring in the centre that is both a work of art and a testament to Italian craftsmanship.
The original design by artist Martin Klein comes to life through a composition of natural marble pebbles, worked according to the ancient technique of reverse mosaic on paper. The stones, all of Italian origin, include Carrara, Occhialino, Giallo Siena and Fior di Pesco marble, selected to create a shade that ranges from white to grey and black. The company thus continues its collaboration with Louis Vuitton and the brand’s boutiques around the world – from Portofino to Dubai, from Atlanta to Madrid, to Florence and Rome – expanding its portfolio of prestigious projects and extending its boundless creativity.
