hone Ava Gardner’s style), Roberto Capucci,
and of course Valentino Garavani commanding
the world’s attention. Capucci, best known for
his kaleidoscopic plissé ball gowns, relaunched
this season as Capucci Roma. Under the di-
rection of Luisa Orsini and Antonine Peduzzi,
the debut fall collection aimed to bring the
’50s couturier into the twenty-first century.
Quirky suiting, slinky evening dresses, and a
distinctive color palette of mossy greens and
shocking pink (a nod to native daughter Elsa
Schiaparelli?) feel distinctly Roman.
In fact, the city’s legendary light and color
scheme are frequently cited as an inspiration
by artists and designers alike. Interior designer
Ilaria Miani is no exception. A favorite of direc-
tor Wes Anderson (and the talent behind the
much-buzzed-about Monteverdi resort), Mi-
ani respectfully breathes new life into historic
properties to create colorful, modern spaces
with an effortless sophistication.“Ciao, Alessandro!” a group of teenagers shout
at an eclectically outfitted, bearded man stroll-
ing Rome’s Via del Governo Vecchio. Soccer
star? Hardly. The latest pop sensation? Nope.
It’s just a typical passeggiata for the Gucci
creative director through the city’s biggest
treasure trove of vintage shops. Fashion ar-
chaeologist that he is, it should come as little
surprise that Michele calls the Eternal City
home. In May, the designer staged an ode to
pagan antiquity at the Musei Capitolini for the
brand’s 2020 cruise collection. Shortly after,
Gucci pledged a reported 1.6 million euros to
restore and maintain the Belvedere Garden at
Villa Tarpea. Whether it’s the layers of history
or the geographical distance from more com-
mercial Milan, creativity thrives in the capital
city, as I discovered this summer.
Long before Milan took center stage, Rome
was the hub of Italian fashion, with talents
such as sister act Sorelle Fontana (who helped
Speaking of a certain sprezzatura, it’s hard
to mention Italian design without bringing up
tailoring. Though a lawyer and a PR director,
respectively, husband-and-wife duo Gerardo
Cavaliere and Margherita Cardelli launched
Giuliva Heritage Collection due to their shared
love of Neapolitan tailoring and Cardelli’s habit
of borrowing Cavaliere’s clothing. In a similar
vein, Micaela Calabresi Marconi of Saddlers
Union is continuing the legacy of the leather
goods house founded in 1957. Beloved for its
bucket-shaped handbags, the Via Margutta
boutique boasts Gianni Agnelli and Audrey
Hepburn among its storied clientele.
Few can lay claim to such deep Roman
roots as Lucia Odescalchi, the former model
turned principessa turned jewelry designer
(whose husband’s family tree includes a pope
or two). Though Odescalchi’s base is a studio
in a seventeenth-century frescoed palazzo,
her creations are comparatively avant-garde:With the revival of several heritage brands
and a host of homegrown fashion talents,
Italy’s capital city could very well give Milan
a run for its money. By Naomi RougeauALL ROADS
Lead to Rome
FROM LEFT: THE FARNESE
GARDENS ON ROME’S PALATINE
HILL; MAP OF ROME (PICK UP
YOUR OWN AT THE MERCATO
DELLE STAMPE, WHERE
VENDORS SELL VINTAGE
AND ANTIQUE PRINTS).FARNESE GARDENS: POWEROFFOREVER/GETTY IMAGES; MAP: TONTO RUGA/GETTY IMAGES; GIULIVA HERITAGE COLLECTION: BILLAL BARUK TARIGHT; ROOM BY ILARIA MIANI: HOMEBASE ABROAD; GUCCI: WWD/SHUTTERSTOCK; VINTAGE SHOP AND VESPAS: JESSICA STEWART/GETTY IMAGES; CAPUCCI ROMA: VITO FERNICOLA; REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE DESIGNERS.