SEARCHING FOR HATS IN ROME

May and June are the classic monthes for weddings. If you are not the bride you will need a hat or as the french say "A serre tete". In April everyone admire Melania Trump's white sombrero during the visit of the french President Emmanuel Macron in Washington D.C. It was custom made, for the First Lady, by Pierre Hervé. The skirt suit was from the american designer Michael Kors.

In Italy, especially in Rome,  you will notice that Laura Biagiotti designed a very similar white sombrero. Now the brand is in the hand of her daughter Lavinia, as unfortunatly, Laura passed away last year.  Everybody misses her a lot, because She was one of the most gentle designer in the fashion business, not only in Italy but worldwide. But life must go on and Lavinia opened, around Christmas, a new boutique in Rome in via Belsiana 57. The store is quite big and gives a great experience of shopping, especially for pull over, dresses, parkas. If you go there you will notice that they have a fantastic approach to embroideries and a high level of craftmanship. In the picture below a  model from Laura Biagiotti that will be available soon. It is from the upcoming fall winter collection

If you like hats, by the way, there are in Rome different spots. One is Troncarelli near piazza Navona. They were founded in 1857. In this season lots of Panamas and straw hats. Another spot is, obviously Borsalino. The store I prefer is near the Hotel de Russie, off piazza del Popolo.

If you are looking for new upcoming designers go to Barbara Guidi. Her shop is in Prati, in via dei Gracchi 106. She has reasonable prices and lots of creativity. At the moment She is very busy designing hats for the wedding season but also for Ascott. We are very proud to say that it is one of  this precious address discovered by www.grandtourshopping.com.

A MUST HAVE TO GET IN ROME : THE BIZANTINA BAG

Craftmanship and creativity. Shopping in Rome can be an exclusive experience especially if you manage to buy a Bizantina Bag. A lovely evening pochette big enough to put inside a cell phone, keys and some make up.

The designers are mother and daughter : Benedetta Lignani and Caterina Mancinelli. Benedetta is one of the most creative woman I know. She is journalist, PR , interior decorator and designer. Her daughter Caterina has fashion in her DNA and now is a successful student at Rome University graduating in Fashion.

The Bizantina was born on a journey on the Bosphorus.The silk velvet ikat is woven on the traditional looms of Bukhara in Uzbekistan. The tortoise-shaped clip made of brass and silver, is handmade in Istanbul inspired by an ancient Ottoman design. The silk satin inner lining is made in Italy and sewed by an italian couturière. Benedetta and Caterina often go to Istanbul to choose the fabrics.

Each bag is numbered and unique. Not particularly expensive: around 250 euros. Every Bizantina has a soul and a story. It is an artisanal creation and may have minor irregularities as it is an hand-craft objets d'art.

Major italian newspapers such as Corriere della Sera and Sole 24ore wrote about it. The best way to try to have it is to get an appointment with Benedetta and Caterina writing an email to bizantinabag@gmail.com and get an appointment. Everything depends on the availability as, every collection is a capsule. 

Some of our clients from www.grandtourshopping.com had the opportunity to get a Bizantina. We organised a custom made rendez vous. Especially ladies from Australia and United States. By the way, Benedetta and Caterina know exactly where the Bizantinas are around the world. Some clients have it in Miami, New York, Gstaad, Moscow and Tel Aviv. In Italy the pochette became a status symbol owned by socialites, actresses and fashion editors. A must have in Rome, Palermo, Milan and Naples. No doubt about it.

THE FEMININE STYLE OF LOUIS VUITTON SOON IN ROME

Shopping in Rome in the Louis Vuitton store is a great experience. The boutique is in piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina. 

The flagship store has be done, few years ago,  by the american architect Peter Marino and used to be a movie theatre. There is still a small part of the boutique with a screen and few rows of seats. They show short movies, documentaries etc...  In front of the seats different books including the extremely useful city guides : Rome, Paris, London, Milano, Prague. The boutique offers bags, men's wear, shoes and luggages. Sometimes I accompany clients there, especially american, not only because they love it but also because they can take advantage from the tax free. The procedure in the boutique is quick and also the attention for the packaging is very accurate.

The designer of the women collection is Nicolas Ghesquière, an extremely talented french couturier who used to be for years at Balenciaga. Personally I miss Marc Jacobs who was, for years, the women designer of Vuitton but I must admit that Ghesquière's work is very precise, elegant and feminine. He has an amazing respect for women. He also studies the archives and then proposes a contemporary fashion without overdoing.

The autumn winter collection will be available in Rome in few monthes. In Paris, in a disused courtyard of the Louvre, Louis Vuitton had his fashion show in March. Among the guests the architect Marino and the actress Catherine Deneuve. On the catwalk, and soon in the stores, a  lot of skirtsuits, cropped jackets, gold chains on sweaters and tops for the evening. There were also a series of new flat envelope bags and a good choice of black and white shoes. Everything was wearable and elegant. No wonder, Brigitte Macron, the french first lady is often dressed by Louis Vuitton. She made a good choice because, on her, it is very flattering.