MILAN–More and more what you put into your mouth has become just as fashionable as what you wear. And that has never rung more true than it does today, now that the Milan Expo is upon us. “Feed the Planet. Energy for Life,” is the theme for the Universal Exhibition that will commence May 1 and run until October 31. Over the next six months, Milan will transform itself into a global showcase, with more than 140 participating countries.
An expected 20 million visitors will flock to the Expo grounds to catch a glimpse of the latest innovations in the culinary arena. Fashion companies are stampeding to assert themselves as 360 degree companies whose range offers everything from couture to culinary fantasia.
And in Italy alone, recent acquisitions: Prada’s majority stake in Milanese Caffe’ Marchesi, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey’s majority stake in Via Montenapoleone’s Pasticceria Confetteria Cova and the Marzotto family’s takeover of Peck a.k.a. Milan’s “Temple of Gastronomy,” have raised a few eyebrows and proven fashion’s intentions to conquer all possible aspects of what we consider “luxury.”
It is no surprise that Prada will be opening its new museum in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in tandem with the Expo and Giorgio Armani will open the EXPO as a Special Ambassador. In-line with festivities, the legendary designer will celebrate 40 years of his eponymous label with a show that reportedly will be his biggest yet.
The upsurge in luxury investments in Italy’s historic gastronomic treasures beg the question: will Italy’s gourmet foods one day become as coveted as much as its prized leather handbags and silk textiles?
This week we focus on the blurred lines between the culinary world and design, highlighting the phenomenon’s vast potential.
BACI,
Sofia
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: ERA Olive Oil: Liquid Gold, Gnam Box: The Hipster’s Dinner Party, EXPO GUIDE TO MILAN, Mumbai’s Le 15: Chewing on Couture, Alessandro Enriquez of An Italian Theory , Interview with Russian Oligarch Yelena Baturina, Brigitte Niedermair on Man’s Fixation with Fashion, Food
