VENICE — Trussardi warmed up the cold and rainy Venetian night on Thursday with a party celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Fondazione Nicola Trussardi at the Tesa 113, a 13th century warehouse in Venice’s Arsenale. The location, where all ships sailing from the city’s harbor were originally assembled, was transformed into a “refined, Fifties-inspired, British night club,” said Trussardi creative director Gaia Trussardi — but with a few twists, like multicolored stripes covering the windows. For the occasion, Trussardi introduced the Mini Lucinda, a limited edition small version of the brand’s bestselling bag.
The event saw fashion shows’ sound designer Misty Rabbit, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey, along with electronic duo 2ManyDJ’s, taking turns at the DJ console. The 15 artists who have worked with Fondazione Nicola Trussardi over the last decade to develop projects under the supervision of Massimiliano Gioni, artistic director of the foundation, took part in the celebrations bringing special gifts to the party. Maurizio Cattelan showed his baking skills, offering an irreverent multicolor cake decorated with chocolate cigarette butts; British artist and musician Martin Creed sang one of his songs, and London-based Darren Almond realized pralines engraved with the motto “Remember…everything.”
Neil Barrett, Francesco Russo, Giambattista Valli, Lucilla Bonaccorsi and Martina Mondadori rocked the dance floor while Jessica Chastain, with her Italian boyfriend Gian Luca Passi, chatted with Franca Sozzani. “It’s my first time at the Biennale, but I’m just arrived in Venice and I won’t be able to see anything around,” said Chastain, who was wearing a white and black checkered Trussardi silk shift dress. “I’m leaving for London tomorrow because I’m presenting Chime for Change this weekend.” After London, Chastain was due to fly back to the U.S. to film Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” science-fiction movie.
The atmosphere was definitely more religious and spiritual at the event organized by Swarovski inside the 16th century Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore on the San Giorgio Island, where classic music group Trio Albrizzi welcomed guests, including Angela and Margherita Missoni and Delfina Delettrez, with Baroque music.
To fete the launch of the Swarovski Foundation, which will operate in three different main areas — creativity and culture; health and human rights, and environment — Swarovski collaborated with John Pawson to install “Perspectives,” a semi-spherical reflective object using the largest Swarovski lens ever made. It was designed by the British architect in 2011 for St Paul’s Cathedral, beneath the central cupola of the landmark church designed by Palladio.
“This is not a work of art, it’s a device to look at the reflected surfaces in a different way,” explained Pawson, who said he is currently working on the construction of a hotel in Jaffa, Israel.
The Swarovski Foundation will donate funds to the Basilica di San Giorgio to finance the restoration of the Statue of San Giorgio.
“Over the years, Swarovski has developed many projects related to culture, health and the environment, so we thought they needed to be collected under one umbrella,” explained Nadja Swarovski, chairperson of the Swarovski Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Among upcoming projects to be promoted by the foundation are the creation of The Swarovski Learning Centre, an educational center for design which will be part of London’s Design Museum. The foundation will also bring its well-established Swarovski Waterschool, a charity teaching children to properly manage water, to South American countries.
After the cocktail party, Swarovski hosted a private dinner at the new Aman Canal Grande Venice Resort, officially opening at the beginning of June, where Nadja and Fiona Swarovski, Bianca di Savoia, Luisa Beccaria and other personalities from the international art business surprised jewelry designer Osanna Visconti with a cake to celebrate her birthday.
According to van Raemdonck, Louis Vuitton will open another Espace in Munich either late this year or in early 2014.