An arty tour of some of the Foundations of the main Italian fashion brands, during Milan Fashion Week.

Since ancient times, <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/travel/holidays-italy-villages-to-discover-unknown-destinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Italy</a> has been the cradle of transcendental artistic movements that have marked the history of art. Its cultural heritage and historical legacy are present on every corner, in every town and city. From the Renaissance, with the artistic splendor of figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael, to the Baroque, with Caravaggio and Bernini, Italy has set trends in the art world, redefining the aesthetic canons of its time and establishing the foundations that continue to influence art and world culture. Over the centuries, it has maintained its artistic prestige, and in contemporary times, the relationship between art and fashion has taken on particular relevance.
Today, major Italian brands integrate art into their offerings, creating synergies that explore aesthetics from different perspectives. Contemporary designers draw on Italian artistic heritage not only as inspiration, but also as a constant dialogue between fashion and classic forms of artistic expression. Spaces such as the Fondazione Prada and the Armani/Silos in Milan function as points of convergence where art and fashion can meet and nourish each other. As part of <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/hommes/milan-fashion-week-men-2024-events-exhibitions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milan Fashion Week</a>, which runs from 17 to 23 September, lovers of fashion, design and art can take a tour of some of the foundations of the main Italian fashion brands.
Prada Foundation
Founded in 1993 by <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/miuccia-prada-bio-age-lady-miu-miu-fashion-icon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miuccia Prada</a> and Patrizio Bertelli, this foundation supports and promotes contemporary art and culture. It has two offices, one in Milan and one in Venice, and an observatory in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, where art and new technologies intersect.
Convinced that art and scholarship are essential to understanding the changes taking place in the world through new perspectives, the Milan headquarters opened in 2015 and was designed by the OMA studio, led by Rem Koolhaas. Artists such as Robert Gober, Louise Bourgeois, Thomas Demand, Jean-Luc Godard, Andreas Slominski and Dan Flavin are permanently exhibited there, and temporary exhibitions of emerging artists are constantly held there.
In 2011, the 18th-century Ca' Corner della Regina, the Venice exhibition space, was opened following a restoration process aimed at preserving its artistic and architectural heritage.
Since 2018, the Fondazione Prada has further expanded its reach, presenting its activities in three international centers in China, Japan and the United States. Prada Rong Zhai in Shanghai, Prada Aoyama in Tokyo and Prada Broadway Epicenter in New York regularly host a series of projects such as research exhibitions, monographs, artistic commissions and public meetings with scholars and cultural figures, presented by Prada with the support of the Foundation.

Prada Foundation - Milan

Prada Foundation - Venice

Fondazione Prada - Observatory

Armani/Silos A Giorgio Armani exhibition space, opened in 2015, which traces the designer&#39;s 40-year career, displaying a selection of his most iconic works. Located in Milan, the building was originally a grain silo of an international company, built in 1950, with a surface area of approximately 4,500 square meters spread over four levels. The foundation features a permanent collection on display that showcases a selection of nearly fifty years of unique Giorgio Armani fashion creations, grouped around recurring themes in the designer&#39;s work, highlighting travel and glamour as two great creative universes. The space also has a temporary exhibition space where displays related to the designer&#39;s life and work are held, a café and an archive and research space.

Armani/Silos

Gucci Garden An interactive museum and exhibition space, located in the Palazzo della Mercanzia in Florence, celebrating the brand&#39;s legacy, designed by Alessandro Michele, former creative director of the house. The museum features thematic rooms, curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, that narrate the current brand vision and archive material such as advertising campaigns, images of artisans and objects. The space offers an immersive experience that fuses art, fashion and culture, presenting a collection of pieces that reflect the various facets of Gucci’s style over the years. In addition to permanent and temporary exhibitions, the space features an exclusive boutique and a restaurant run by Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura, creating a multidimensional experience that connects fashion with gastronomy and contemporary art.

Gucci Garden

Salvatore Ferragamo Museum Dedicated to the life and work of the famous shoe designer, the museum shows the evolution of shoe design and its impact on fashion. Located in the medieval Palazzo Spini Feroni, which for centuries was the centre of Florentine high society, since 1995 the Ferragamo family created this exhibition space with 7 rooms and a collection of more than 10,000 shoes created since the late 1920s. In addition, part of the photographic archive, sketches, wooden lasts and other construction materials of the pieces are on display. The museum also regularly exhibits temporary exhibitions that showcase, for example, shoes created especially for some of Hollywood&#39;s greatest actors, such as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.

Salvatore Ferragamo Museum

Palazzo Fortuny The Venetian Gothic Palazzo Fortuny was the former residence of Mariano Fortuny, a prominent textile designer and creator of luxury fabrics used for clothing, especially for his famous Delphos dresses, a flowing, pleated garment that became a fashion icon in the early 20th century. This Venetian Gothic palace, built by the Pesaro family in the 15th century and known as Palazzo Pesaro degli Orfei, was acquired by Fortuny in 1902 and is today home to the Fortuny Museum, part of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. The museum displays paintings, fabrics, lamps and the brand&#39;s archive, which showcases the history of the Fortuny palace and workshop.

Palazzo Fortuny

Missoni Archive Located in Sumirago, Varese, Missoni Archive is a space dedicated to preserving and exhibiting the history of the Missoni brand, founded by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni. This archive-museum houses a vast permanent collection of pieces, sketches and fabrics that tell the story of the Missoni house over the decades. The space is dedicated to preserving the legacy of its founders and showcasing the evolution of its signature zigzag patterns, innovative use of colour and artisanal techniques that have made the brand a global benchmark.

Art and fashion in Italy

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