The Parisian Dolce & Gabbana store is a plunge into the Napoleonic era: marble, precious woods, glass mosaics and enamel: the brand’s new boutique is a time capsule that brings back the splendour of European courts. A luxury from Ancien Régime that ranges from the gold and red of the Baroque, to the powdery and pastel colors of Rococo, a maximalist décor with embroideries that recall tapestries and wall paintings of the Renaissance. Expressing this aesthetic of pure extravagance are not only the collections of clothing, accessories and jewellery, but also the mosaic created by Friul Mosaic in the newly restored Parisian boutique on Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré in the heart of Paris by architect Eric Carlson of the Carbondale studio in Paris.
Napoleon Bonaparte and Joséphine de Beauharnais accompany the men’s and women’s boutiques respectively, in their handmade glass and enamel mosaic reproductions of Baron François Gérard’s portraits. A red Rouge de Roi marble staircase connects the two floors of the store, where the design at times reflects French and Italian aesthetics.
“It took 4500 hours of gluing and 200 hours of laying to complete a realization that is a real eulogy to beauty – says Barbara Bertoia, one of the owners of the workshop in San Martino al Tagliamento founded by her father William – a project that makes us proud, especially since Dolce&Gabbana have chosen us again after a first positive collaboration for their boutique in Venice“.
Friul Mosaic’s team of artisan artists worked there for three months, using gold tesserae and Venetian enamels, being careful to maintain high levels of quality and detail as well as respecting the tight deadlines requested by the client.
The Paris project is a testimony of how beautiful and precious Italian craftsmanship can be all over the world. In the near future of Friul Mosaic there are new orders from the sector. “Haute couture – concludes Barbara Bertoia – is an area that is requiring many exclusive mosaics and with which, therefore, we are collaborating positively”.
For more information, visit www.friulmosaic.com.
Photo: Alessandra Chemollo
