Antonio Marras Brings Whimsy to Milan With Ephemeral Store on Via Montenapoleone

MILAN — “It’s unexpected, and surprising,” says Antonio Marras of his new temporary store on Milan’s Via Montenapoleone. Indeed, inaugurated during Design Week, when the city is flooded with novelty and eye-catching windows, the store had its fair share of attention. The cuckoo clocks in the window at the entrance attracted curious looks and made for plenty of social media moments.

“The cuckoo clocks evoke memories from when we were children, and reawaken the playful side that we each have,” Marras said during a walk-through. “The involvement is not only visual but touches all the senses.”

The womenswear collection is displayed in a room that is a replica of the Hall of Mirrors in the royal Palace of Versailles, which is equally unexpected, although entirely aligned with Marras’ skills as a set-designer, witnessed over the years at his fashion shows.

Asked for a reason for choosing Versailles in particular, with a shrug and a laugh, he said: “Who knows and why not?”

Dubbed Ephemeral because the store will be open for a year ahead of the permanent flagship further down the road on Via Montenapoleone, his wife Patrizia Marras said “there is some logic in this nuttiness, because ephemeral takes away some seriousness and responsibility. Of course, the tension been creative freedom and functionality remains.”  

“After all, I was born as a shopkeeper,” chimed in her husband. “The store has to be functional.”

Following the acquisition of the brand by Oniverse — previously known as Calzedonia Group — Barbara Calò succeeded Patrizia Marras as chief executive officer in September last year. She joined from Marni, where she held the same role.

In her first interview since then, Calò said the priority has been “to fine-tune the machine to accelerate the business. We reviewed all the processes in support of the several and important store openings we’ve had so far.”

To be sure, since taking a majority stake in September 2022, Oniverse has opened stores in Turin, Florence, Rome, Venice, Forte dei Marmi, Alghero and Verona, “all in the most beautiful locations,” the designer underscored. Just before Easter, a boutique will open in luxury resort town Porto Cervo and by the end of May or early June in Bari. A store in New York’s SoHo will open this summer, likely in July, said Calò. The brand was previously mainly distributed through the wholesale channel.

“We strengthened the production process for timely deliveries and to create different selling moments during the year, and special projects or collections,” said Calò, such as a lineup of parkas for the Ephemeral store.

Synergies have been created with the Oniverse group, which also comprises the hosiery, innerwear and beachwear brands Calzedonia, Intimissimi, Intimissimi Uomo and Tezenis; cashmere specialist Falconeri; bridal label Atelier Emé; restaurant and wine store chain Signorvino and producer and distributor Oniwines, and premium yacht-maker Cantiere del Pardo, the producer of the Grand Soleil, Pardo and Van Dutch yachts.

Oniverse closed 2024 with a 13.5 percent increase in sales to 3.5 billion euros.

The Ephemeral 3,240-square-foot store houses the women’s, men’s, accessories and fragrance collections and dedicated one-of-a-kind pieces.

The Marras couple praised the support and foresight of Oniverse founder and chairman Sandro Veronesi, who has left the designer free to fuel his creativity and helped him develop additional categories such as accessories and, naturally, hosiery. While ready-to-wear remains the core business, Calò said sales of accessories have “grown exponentially.”

The atelier in Alghero, Sardinia, where the storied Marras headquarters are based, has been strengthened, she continued. “Our strategy to be directly in charge of our stores has been extended to further internalizing our production, which allows us to be more flexible and fast, and support our stores.”

She praised the designer’s “talent in connecting different forms of art” and his ability to offer a real experience in his stores.

“Each location is different but you can see they all stem from the same person, who likes to be surrounded by beautiful things and likes to share them with his customers, welcoming them into his world, transforming the store concept into a daring artistic and emotional experience that can’t be replicated,” Patrizia said.

Separately at his Nonostante Marras store, the designer unveiled an outdoors furniture collection co-branded with Nodo Italia.