LOCALS’ ROME
The day job
Via del Boschetto, in Rome’s fashionable Monti district, is a street where the
pedestrian pace is always slower than the city average. For some it’s due to
the challenge of navigating stilettos over the cobbles, but mostly people are
detained by the myriad shop windows: filled with striped bowties, bold
flower-print kimonos, bell-jar lampshades and other alluring goods.
Halfway along Boschetto, boutique Sufir is a rainbow of bright dresses,
rich leather handbags and Dior-style double-sided earrings. Equally
colourful in her brogues and Fanta-orange jacket is the shop’s husky-voiced
manager, Federica Monciotti. Her enjoyment is palpable as she assists
customers who are trying things on. ‘Bella questa!’ (‘That’s beautiful!’), she
exclaims frequently, making minor adjustments to help show the wearer
to their best advantage.
‘People come to Monti because they’re looking for unique pieces, not
mass-market items,’ says Federica. ‘Milan might be Italy’s fashion capital
but in Rome, we’re confident to try out our own style.’
‘I love selling good quality things,’ she says, indicating the superiority of
the fabric from which all Sufir’s clothes are made, with materials sourced
from Lake Como and Prado. ‘For me fashion isn’t just about clothes – it’s in
everything. Good design and careful attention to aesthetic details are part
of an Italian way of life.’
OSufir, Via del Boschetto, 96The day off
For sartorial inspiration, Federica visits Via del
Governo Vecchio, a street of vintage shops. She’s
particularly drawn to Cinzia, a store that’s heard
before it’s seen. Approaching it, Rome’s typical
soundtrack of rumbling Vespas and church bells
is interrupted by the synthesised sound of ’60s
band Question Mark & the Mysterians. Inside,
’50s rockabilly skirts hang next to a knitted ’60s
mini-dress and a Chanel blouse from the ’80s,
all carefully selected by Cinzia herself, a former
costume designer. ‘It’s a fantasy just to see this
place,’ raves Federica, ‘Their pieces would have
been special even in their own time.’
Federica’s taste for vintage extends to her
favourite bar, too: Suburra, a ’30s-themed joint in
Monti that’s owned by a cinema producer. Props- including a gramophone, a typewriter and a
pair of moose horns guarding the toilet mirrors - set the tone. Fringed by glass, the counter
looks like a giant chandelier. Behind it, waist-
coated bartenders pour amber-coloured gin and
red vermouth martinez and other classic
cocktails into etched martini glasses. Beside the
carefully arranged pyramid of bottles is an open
window, through which drinks are served
straight out onto the street-side terrace. In
summer months, films are screened here, al
fresco. ‘It’s so good I’ll even come by myself
sometimes,’ Federica admits.
Another regular fixture of her evenings is a
post-dinner visit to Il Gelato di San Crispino, an ice
creamery that specialises in natural, quality
ingredients gathered all over Italy. As a child,
Federica frequented the Trevi branch but reckons
the one by the Pantheon, with its Art Deco glass
ceiling, is the most stylish. ‘You can feel it’s made
by a designer,’ she says. ‘It’s so elegant.’ Most
customers, however, seem too focused on
choosing a flavour to notice the décor. Faces
pressed up to the glass countertop, they agonise
between the Piedmontese hazelnut, Amalfi
lemon and Sardinian honey flavours. In Rome,
style is important, but food always comes first.
OCinzia, Via del Governo Vecchio 45
OSuburra1930.it; Piazza della Suburra 13–15; cocktails
from US$8.60
Oilgelatodisancrispino.com; Piazza della Maddalena; ice
cream US$2.90
‘ROME’S TYPICAL
SOUNDTRACK OF
RUMBLING VESPAS
AND CHURCH BELLS IS
INTERRUPTED BY THE
SOUND OF 1960S ROCK’
FEDERICA MONCIOTTI BOUTIQUE MANAGER