Projects

Gaëlle Paris Showroom - Milan

Paris meets Italy

In a luxury showroom in Milan, the sophisticated rigour of Italian black and white goes hand in hand with the glamour of French creativity
Author
Elena Pasoli
Photos
Alessandro Nassiri
Ceramic surfaces
COTTO D'ESTE
Year of completion
2021

The Gaëlle Paris fashion house, founded in 2009 with the idea of combining Parisian style and creativity with Italian quality, has built a strong international reputation for its joyfully aggressive character, its love of contrasts and its distinctive combination of luxury and streetwear, of floral and animal prints… in short for its unique way of engaging with a contemporary clientele that is youthful in age or spirit. It is a Parisian-style clothing brand that aims to instil a sense of positivity, joie de vivre, prosperity and satisfaction in its customers.
No prizes for guessing where it chose to locate its Milan showroom: naturally the Tortona district, the birthplace of style and design trends and home to the most innovative brands and the most experienced talent scouts. A truly global and unique area of Milan, this is a magical location where vintage craft studios rub shoulders with the most futuristic modern stores.
And while the location is no surprise, it’s also easy to imagine the most suitable backdrop for such explosive creativity: the timeless black and white used by the legendary interior designer Andrée Putman in her “signature statement bathroom” (in the words of the New York Times) featured in the unforgettable Casa Tile 84 exhibition held at the Italian Trade Center on Park Avenue in New York back in the mid-1980s.
For its own black and white decor, Gaëlle Paris chose ceramic tiles from Cotto d’Este in conjunction with Kerlite Easy, the first dry lay system certified with use with Kerlite superior quality ultra-thin ceramic slabs, a solution that delivers the flexibility, strength and lasting performance necessary for this type of space. In keeping with the style of the brand’s Parisian stores, the designers chose the Kerlite Black-White collection, and precisely 135 square meters in Ultra White Silk finish and 115 in Black Silk, both with satin effect. It is a line that masterfully interprets the extreme tones of black and white, its purity deriving from the use of high quality raw materials and production criteria. The ceramic tiles are transformed into an authentic architectural element, bringing dynamism and a sense of wonder to a space that skilfully alternates contrasts of light and shade.
The decor is completed by a profusion of plants and glamorous furnishings, including marble desks, black and gold accessories, 70s-style sofas and chairs and a chandelier that makes a tongue-in-cheek reference to the salons of Versailles.

Ceramic surfaces
Cotto d'Este
porcelain stoneware
Kerlite Black-White
Ultra White Silk, Black Silk
50x100 cm

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