Presenting Milano Outside/Inside
Valextra for Milano: discover a story of refinement, founded in Milan
“In a close-knit dialogue between buildings, products, and personalities who have woven an intimate relationship with Milan, Milano Outside/Inside represents the connection between the city and the brand, and their relentless search for beauty”
Xavier Rougeaux, Valextra CEO
Valextra presents the second chapter of Valextra for Milano: Milano Outside/Inside, a special photographic project that encapsulates the inimitable Milanese lifestyle, its iconic architecture, and the impeccable craftsmanship of Valextra. Our 87-year-old brand is inextricably linked with the landscape and lifestyle of Milano, from its unique juxtaposing spirit to its classic and contemporary elegance, both enduring and palpable. This extends to the intimate relationship it has with its residents and guests.
To celebrate, we collaborated with the esteemed photographer Guido Taroni to create a celebratory publication that continues our Valextra for Milano series and shares the iconic style sensibilities of our hometown. In its pages, architectural landmarks and icons of the city’s creative community come together to illustrate the dynamic dialogue between the city and Valextra and the relentless search for beauty and artisanal savoir faire they share.
THE PLACES
In a city of iconic architectural landmarks, the curation for Milano Outside/Inside spotlights the locations that speak to the urban craft and engineered beauty that Valextra is famed for. Comprising styles that range from the Liberty to Brutalist eras – including the Palazzo del Corriere Della Sera, the Palazzo Castiglioni, the Stazione Milano Centrale, the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Villa Reale, and the Palazzo dell’Arengario – the collection provides a unique insight into their rarely seen interiors, their provenance documented by author William Dello Russo.
The latter, the Palazzo dell’Arengario, epitomises a particular refinement synonymous with Valextra.
The work of acclaimed architects Piero Portaluppi, Giovanni Muzio, Vico Magistretti, and Enrico Agostino Griffini it was imagined as two metaphysical propylaea for the new Piazza Armando Diaz, corresponding to its neighbour, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Erected in Candoglia marble and featuring huge windows and high reliefs sculpted by Arturo Martini, it sits at the crossroads of innovation and enduring design that are also the founding principles of Valextra.
“For me, Milan is a city filled with energy that is constantly evolving″
Francesca Ruffini Stoppani, pictured with the Milano handbag at the Palazzo dell’Arengario
THE PEOPLE
To highlight the synergy between Milan’s architectural masterpieces and Valextra’s exquisite leather goods, we invited personalities who reflect the aspirational style and mindset of the modern Milanese woman and man to share their love of the city that inspires us all.
We are honoured to feature Ramona Tabita, Fashion Director of STXDYOZ; the hospitality entrepreneur Carolina Fumagalli and her family; Alessandra Maestroni and Enrico Buonocore, Head of International Development and founder of the Langosteria restaurants respectively; the etoile Nicola Del Freo; the journalist Elena Clavarino and founder of LuBar Ludovico Bonaccorsi; Francesca Ruffini Stoppani, the Creative Director of For Restless Sleeper; Alessia Cappello, Councillor for the Economic and Political Work Development for the City of Milan; the famed jewellers, the Pennisi family; Founder of the Afro Fashion Association, Michelle Ngonmo; and the legendary singer, model and activist, Carla Bruni.
Sharing their astute insights into Milan, their stories, memories, and anecdotes culminate in a collective appreciation of a city we are all proud to call home in one aspect or another.
“Even if you weren’t born here, Milan embraces you if you embrace it. Its diverse community means you see faces like yours and find representation. Here, you can feel at home and a part of a vibrant, supportive community. Milan certainly means fashion, art, culture, creativity, and memories for some, but it can be home for everyone”
Michelle Ngonmo, pictured with the Milano handbag at the Palazzo Moriggia.
“I love Milan because it is a mysterious city that also embraces my youthful memories. It is incredibly Italian, but it's international, too, making it a unique city, filled with contrasts. There's also something melancholic about it, which, personally, I adore.”
Carla Bruni, pictured with the Milano handbag at the Istituto Toniolo Studi Superiori.
THE PERSONAL STYLE STATEMENTS
A Valextra handbag is an original icon of Milanese craft and design and symbolises our hometown’s reputation for discretion and dynamism alongside exquisite artisanal skill. For Milano Outside/Inside, we partnered our leather icons with the places and people with close affiliation and affection for the city, highlighting the multidimensionality of all three.
From our original icons, the Tric Trac and the Iside, to our recent refined examples of impeccable Milanese craftsmanship, the Milano, the Bucket, the ViVi and the NoLo handbags, our leather goods represent both the history of the city that inspired them and the modern-day aspirational lifestyle it nurtures.
“The refinement of Milan and its aspirational elegant way of life defines both Valextra’s ethos and impeccable craftsmanship”
Xavier Rougeaux, Valextra CEO
Alongside the publication, Milano Outside/Inside, Valextra is honoured to continue its work with the Comune di Milano in supporting the important preservation of the city’s monuments and safeguarding its precious cultural heritage. This year, Valextra has funded the restoration of the statue Il Santo, il Giovane, la Saggezza (Trilogia; Fontana della Vita) created by the Milanese sculptor Adolfo Wildt in the early 20th Century that is situated at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Villa Reale in Milan.
