ANTONIA LANDS IN MACAO

Further raising its brand awareness and international visibility, luxury retailer Antonia opened a sprawling new store in Macao on Sept. 13 together with Modern Avenue Group, a publicly-listed Chinese retail group and renowned luxurygoods distributor. Antonia Giacinti and Maurizio Purificato are the power couple behind the independent multi-brand Antonia retailer, considered one of the world’s most directional and influential. Housed inside the landmark 17th century Palazzo Cagnola, it continues to thrive in an ultra-competitive market. Steered by the vision of Purificato, Antonia recently transformed its online shopping platform into an editorial and e-commerce site, spotlighting brands carried at Antonia and the store’s numerous exclusive collaborations, as well as posting daily news and style posts. Antonia regularly joins forces with top-profile international brands to develop exclusive limited-edition pieces and one-off collaborations. Since 2011, Antonia is also the partner and driving force behind the avant-garde fashion selection of luxury department store Excelsior in Milan. Designed by Italian architect Vincenzo de Cotiis, the two-level Macao boutique measures 3,000-square meters and is located inside the Parisian Macao conglomerate at the Cotai Strip Resorts Macao. The high-impact décor includes colored mirrors, smoky glass, steel and brass and edgy Led lighting, all jazzed up with flashes of pink, sky blue, sage and emerald green. Poised to become the largest and most prestigious boutique in all of Macao and of Greater China, Antonia will become the go-to shopping destination for locals and tourists thanks to a signature and inventive brand mix that includes Gucci, Valentino, Saint Laurent, Off white, Sacai, Rick Owens, Giuseppe Zanotti, Versace and Undercover. The selection will be personally curated by Antonia Giacinti, who will also oversee the merchandising, visuals and lifestyle image. In the expansive mall, home to the mono-brand stores of Jil Sander, Marni, Martin Margiela, D-Squared, Isabel Marant, Stella McCartney, Neil Barrett, Alexander McQueen, Carven and Versus, among others, the new Antonia boutique steals the spotlight in terms of vision, size and position. Dedicated to men’s and women’s clothing and accessories lines, it will also house a handful of corners dedicated to the edgier labels. About Antonia Established in 1999 as an upscale accessories store, Antonia quickly expanded its range to include womenswear. In 2007, Purificato opened a companion menswear store down the street and in 2013, the two boutiques were combined under the Palazzo Cagnola roof but preserve their individuality, aesthetic and vision. Designed by renown Italian architect Vincenzo de Cotiis, the 600-square-meter boutique is a contemporary and visionary expression of art and fashion that seamlessly brings together the past with the future. Three distinct selling areas house the men’s, women’s and accessories collections, framed by plush velvets, exposed timeworn walls, Plexiglass fixtures, marble and bronzed furnishings. About De Cotiis Milan-based architect and designer Vincenzo De Cotiis was born in Gonzaga. After training at the Milan Polytechnic, he established Vincenzo De Cotiis Architects in Milan.
An innovative appropriation of salvaged and reclaimed materials, complete with signs of age and use, combined with the new, precious or industrial, rough or raw, define De Cotiis’s original style. A perfect imperfection, achieved through deconstruction, recon-struction and re- appropriation of salvaged textile, metal, wood, leather and stone.
Residential projects include works for private clients in Italy, UK and China, hospitality includes the Straf Hotel and T’à Bistro in Milan, Le Chiavi d’Oro in Arezzo and the new Upperhills Boutique Hotel. In retail clients include the most important multi-brand retailers in Italy including Antonia in Milan and Excelsior Milano concept store. Latest projects are the new Krizia store and the brand new Aesop in Milan, and has fashioned stores for I.T in Hong Kong, stores in Vienna, Moscow, Bucharest, Barcelona. Under the Progetto Domestico label, De Cotiis designs and produces one off and limited edition pieces.