Ceo of FF Design

Alberto Da Passano Ceo of FF Design

the in-store exPerience remains irrePlaceable for communicating brand values

Undoubtedly the pandemic has given a strong impetus to the omnichannel approach, but I believe that real shops remain an essential component of the interaction between the physical and virtual worlds. Not by chance, we have recently inaugurated the first

Fendi Casa flagship store in the heart of Milan: a fundamental stage in the journey undertaken by the Roman fashion house and Design Holding, which teamed up at the beginning of last year to create FF Design, a joint venture dedicated precisely to the development of the Fendi Casa world. The new 700-square-metre shop has 13 large shop windows overlooking Piazza della Scala, a few steps away from Brera and the Quadrilatero and, for the first time, hosts the entire Fendi Casa collection in a dedicated space. It has an interior design that combines the iconic elements and distinctive features of Fendi’s identity, through a play on solids and voids, light and shadow and material contrasts, capable of conferring an elegant sense of monumentality to the environment. On the other hand, the in-store experience remains an irreplaceable way of communicating the brand’s values to the consumer, even if the latter must evolve and take into account the multi-channel approach customers are increasingly using to interact with the brand. The new modes of interaction must therefore be designed to allow customers to move easily between offline and online. Specifically, Fendi Casa is characterised by a complete and varied collection, which has its core business in furniture, but includes a wide range of accessories and will soon also

«new ways Of interacting under the banner Of a multichannel apprOach must be designed tO allOw custOmers tO mOve easily between Offline and Online»

include a lighting collection. I am convinced that the best way to communicate the brand and the experience linked to it is through a network of single-brand stores, concentrated in the world’s major cities and with a surface area that allows the collection to express itself to the full. In our project, the shops will be partly managed directly, and partly through qualified partners who share the brand’s long-term strategy. Another fundamental aspect is sustainability: nowadays it is no longer an option, but a duty we have towards ourselves and future generations. Retail, like all the other supply chains, will therefore have to research and find new ways to align its business model as closely as possible with the requirements of sustainability. Finally, what does the post-Covid retail scenario hold in

►▼Fendi Casa in piazza della Scala, Milan

FF Design

Photo by Andrea Ferrari

store for us? Honestly, I see more opportunities than threats. While the pandemic has clearly accelerated the movement of customers from offline to online, I am also convinced that the two modes of interaction with brands are closely related and complementary. For our industry, I think the focus on the home, which has definitely increased during this period, will also continue in the future. The importance of the home as a safe place to feel good, work and spend quality time will remain valid, also in the years to come. •