In a move as stylish as it is strategic, Louis Vuitton reopened its Milan flagship this spring, perfectly aligning the reveal with the city’s world-renowned Design Week. The freshly transformed four-story store isn’t just a retail destination—it’s a cultural statement, a celebration of Italian elegance, French heritage, and global design innovation.
The transformation was spearheaded by acclaimed architect Peter Marino, known for his bold aesthetic and rich architectural vocabulary. Marino took on the ambitious three-year renovation of the historic 1835 Palazzo Taverna on Milan’s prestigious Via Montenapoleone. Respecting the building’s origins, he preserved the original neoclassical elements—graceful Ionic columns and ornate tympani—while doubling the space and radically reimagining its interiors. His design pays homage to the casa di ringhiera style, a classic Milanese configuration in which living spaces surround a central open-air courtyard.
At the heart of this reimagined space is a stunning staircase, inspired by the elegant lines of Villa Necchi Campiglio, a beloved Milanese architectural landmark. The ground floor now welcomes visitors with a bright atrium housing the Da Vittorio Café Louis Vuitton, where the scent of espresso mingles with the gleam of monogrammed tiramisu and the rustle of silk and leather.
The timing of the store’s reopening also coincided with the debut of Louis Vuitton’s expanded Home Collections, a bold venture into lifestyle design. Building on the brand’s Objets Nomades line, the new collection introduces furniture, lighting, tableware, games, and textiles. The top floor of the flagship now serves as a dedicated showcase for this line, featuring standout creations like Cristian Mohaded’s sculptural seating, Studio Campana’s playful foosball table, and Charlotte Perriand-inspired textile designs.
French designer Patrick Jouin was given a creative challenge: to envision the essence of a Louis Vuitton home. His response took shape in a collection of playful, elegant designs that blend sophistication with a sense of whimsy—from a spacious, serpentine sectional to a sleek leather armchair that locks shut like the brand’s iconic trunks. Speaking of trunks, Marino and his team have reconceived them for modern living—as flower vases, game tables, and even display cabinets.
Throughout the store, design and art exist in dialogue. Contemporary works by artists such as Peter Halley, Carla Accardi, and Katherine Bernhardt animate the space, adding layers of creativity to every corner. On the lower floor, Bernhardt’s eye-catching Pink Panther painting presides over DaV by Da Vittorio, the store’s formal dining space.
Milanese landscape architect Marco Bay contributed lush greenery, installing zinc planters bursting with asparagus ferns that soften the palazzo’s elegant geometry. Not every room bows to Milanese tradition, however—one standout space channels the spirit of the Vuitton family’s historic home in Asnières-sur-Seine, France, with Art Nouveau charm, pistachio walls, and whimsical plasterwork vines.
“It’s meant to be fun, fashionable, and fabulous,” says Marino. And it is. The new Louis Vuitton Milan flagship isn’t just a store—it’s a museum of modern luxury, where history, design, and imagination converge.
