ANTONIA X AU DEPART

Antonia and Au Départ have teamed up for the first worldwide retail debut of the storied French trunk maker that also kicks off the house’s ambitious turnaround project. For the occasion, until Dec. 2 the Antonia windows will be decked out with a curated selection of Au Départ’s high-end handbags and ultra-luxe trunks featuring the new signature black Box monogram. They will be available in-store and on Antonia.it. The launch was celebrated with an exclusive private event and dinner by three Michelin-star chef Enrico Bartolini, attracting a high-profile crowd of influencers, top clients and press hosted in Au Départ’s Milan home on Via della Spiga. “We aren’t reinventing the design of our trunks but transforming the idea of what trunks were in the past to align with today’s contemporary lifestyle,” says Gianfranco Maccarrone, Chairman and CEO of Au Départ. “We are glad to introduce our brand in Antonia’s boutique environment and to see our new sophisticated project seated next to the coolest and most established brands of the moment.” Founded in 1834 at the crack of the Industrial Revolution, Au Départ is one of four original Parisian luxury trunk makers that included Louis Vuitton. Its success quickly thrived, driven by the house’s ability to address the travel needs of the Gilded Ages’ changing society. And now, thanks to the backing of a group of Asian private investors, Au Départ is ready to return to its glory days by targeting today’s luxury client who moves rather than travels.