Strictly Italian

Since their launch in the 1970s’ Moon Boots by Tecnica have become the iconic footwear in the snow. Not only they are made of super lightweight materials, but they are water resistant and very warm; all important qualities in a snow boot. Light and warm, they are extremely fashionable to make you look cool even in extreme weather conditions!

A leading name in skiwear, Colmar has been producing high quality gear for winter sports for over 80 years. The company continues to design high performance products with the latest trends in technical advancement thanks to the continual investment in the research of materials. The 2009/2010 winter collection offers a colourful range of practical, comfortable, highly technical and fashionable skiwear for men, women and kids. read more…

Fashion on and off the piste during this winter’s ski break with Gucci goggles and Sunglasses. The goggles come in white or black polyurethane frame with green/red/green elastic web. The silver anti-fog dual mirrored lenses give 100% UVA/UVB protection.

The Gucci sunglasses collection for winter 2010 is as rich as usual. Just pick your look amongst the wide selection of large square frames, large or medium round frames or classic aviator shades. They are all cool and classy. I like the large square frame sunglasses with crystal marina chain detail on temple, but at £330 they are on the pricy side. The large square frame sunglasses with interlocking G and signature web detail on the temple are just as effective and at £135 they are definitely more affordable. They are available in white plastic frame or black, purple and black, white and black and tortoise. 

Bottega Veneta is a name associated with luxury leather accessories the world over. This Italian Luxury label launched in the north of Italy in 1966 for leather handbags today is a worldwide symbol of style. Since the early days Bottega Veneta has enriched its collection with the ready-to-wear lines for men and women, but its iconic product is the woven leather handbag. Understated without excessive badges, the pure classy interwoven leather is immediately recognized as the Bottega Veneta trademark and is often seen on the arm of Hollywood stars.

Who says radiators have to be dull? Scirocco designs offer great radiator and towel warmers solutions to fit the modern home with style. I love the giant paper clips – Graffe – made of stainless steel and available in a vast range of colours and the stainless steel Snake. Designed by Franca Lucarelli and Franca Rapisarda, Snake is a small collection of unusually designed steel towel rail heaters. My favourite heater is the latest product by designer Marco Baxadonne. Lego Brick is a small coloured brick with a technological heart, a radiator that internally conceals copper pipes and aluminium plates, which adds versatility and thermal efficiency. read more…

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Dolce & Gabbana have truly gone overboard with these amazing shoes, stilettos with funky platforms. The 14.5 cm heel and the 5cm platform call for training courses. The novice girls are advised to take trial runs before dancing in them all night. So if you can afford to spend the best part of a 1000 Euros on these super cool high rises and you can actually walk in them, these shoes will make you stand out and up.

I love the contrast of the stiletto heel covered in printed leather with the round toe and platform enriched by the metal studs.  

If we were playing an association game and you said Milan I would say shopping. Milan is no doubt one of the world’s shopping capitals. Most famous shopping spot in Milan has to be Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II that links Piazza Duomo with Piazza della Scala also known as Il Salotto di Milano (Milan’s Lounge) with Prada and Luis Vitton stores in the centre don’t expect to find any bargains there. Shopping in Milan can take many forms and like everywhere else in the world you’ll find bargains in the right areas. One of the shops recommended by Time Out Milan is 10 Corso Como, which is situated in the outskirts of the city and located within a beautiful setting in the inner courtyard of a traditional building. 10 Corso Como is a complex that includes the main store, a bookshop, a cafe/brasserie place and a lovely boutique hotel called the 3-Room hotel. The main store opened back in 1991 in a converted garage and is now one of the trendiest places to shop in the city; although prices are not cheap the display of designer goods is worth your while. Merchandise includes men and women fashion, accessories, handbags, shoes, homeware, books and music. For those people looking to buy some good designer items at a good price, the 10 Corso Como outlet is definitely the place to go. Not far from the main store and still within the shopping complex the outlet shop opening times are 11 am to 7 pm Wednesday to Sunday. The main store is open every day between 10.30 and 7.30pm with late shopping hours on Tuesday and Thursdays when it closes at 9pm.

I am not a fan of chandeliers; shiny pieces of crystal hanging from the ceiling gathering dust are not my idea of style. When it comes to lighting I like modern pieces and there is no substitution for good Italian designs to put style and modern shapes together. I like aluminium and frosty glass and especially I like the shadows that unusual shapes can create.  Mercury by Artemide designed by Ross Lovegrove is one of my favourite suspended lights. Shiny aluminium floating like mercury hanging from an aluminium plate is my idea of style and it is the perfect central piece for any modern home.  The floating pieces reflect the light on each other creating a superb light effect.

Another piece by Artemide, which is at the top of my list, is Pirce by Giuseppe Maurizio Scutella. This is a suspended ceiling light made of aluminium discs falling downwards in a spiralling way creating magnificent light and shadow effects. read more…

The Twin-Set brand by Light Force is designed by Simona Barbieri who is the driving force behind a line of knitwear that began in the early nineties and quickly became popular with women who seek a style that is both sexy and romantic.  Not your traditional knitwear dresses but true fashion pieces with trendy colours and non conventional prints. Soft shapes and strong colours make this season’s collection appealing to the stylish modern woman. Fine detailed embroideries and handmade appliqué enrich the vibrant designs while the contrast between dark and light colours is one of this season’s strong points.   read more…

Brighten up your table with the colourful Guzzini tableware. I love the Gemme collection which is available in a variety of colours including lime green, yellow, fuchsia and orange. The collection features plates, bowls, two tone glasses, coffee cups with saucers and teaspoons, cutlery set, colourful bowls of different sizes and salad serving spoons.