Cavalli e Nastri Store
MILAN, Italy — I woke up still exhausted after a long week of work and a mid-night flight from London to Milan, but to make the most of my time there I had to get moving as an old friend of mine was waiting for breakfast at the famous Pasticceria Gattullo, a must-stop for a good capuccino and a traditional brioche ‘alla crema’. We would have stayed for a degustation of small pastries but we had a long day ahead of us as our tour of vintage stores was about to start. We moved to Corso Porta Ticinese, a fashionable quarter with lots of small boutiques, vintage stores and emergent designers. Although we were enchanted by beautiful vintage pieces and unique accessories we found along the way, our destination was one of the most famous vintage store in Milan, Cavalli e Nastri located in the Brera district, a hidden treasure of art galleries, coffee bars and elegant shops.
Cavalli e Nastri has been in Via Brera 2 since 2001. This unique store offers vintage garments and accessories as well as a selection of new items from emergent designers. Each year Cavalli e Nastri chooses a new line for dresses to be displayed in their vintage collection; for 2012, the Spanish line Hoss was the winner. Also available are pristine collections of Chanel, Gucci. and Bottega Veneta bags as well as Hermès foulards to mention but a few. Glass drawers containing broaches, earrings and other vintage pieces surround you with inspiration of vintage fashion styles. We found Yves Saint Laurent pieces, and Givenchy suits from the 1950s and were able to try on many beautiful dresses from the same era. My favourite one, a gorgeous red chiffon dress with an internal corsetry to accentuate the waist from Fernanda Gattinoni, a famous designer and a favourite of Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn, amongst others. Also on display was a well preserved brown leather Gucci bag with a rare gold locking clasp complete with two little keys.
Gattinoni Red Dress
Many items on display have been hand-selected from around the world with a razor-sharp eye and others have been brought by the fashionable ‘Milanesi’. The items are only accepted if they are in perfect condition and offered at an appropriate price.
Many actresses bring us their dresses and accessories to be displayed, affirmed the owner, Claudia JesiWhen asked about how she chooses her pieces, Claudia told us directly that she “does not research vintage styles or look specific designers, but rather looks for high quality garments that she personally finds beautiful and are made from good material that has been carefully preserved over the years”.
Cavalli e Nastri has two additional shops in Via Gian Giacomo Mora 12 and 3 in the Ticinese district. The store at number 12 is a women’s vintage store that sells strictly vintage garments that date back to the late 1800. It has a very fine selection of pieces that belong to traditional designers such as Balenciaga, Valentino, Pirovano, Poiret and many others giving its visitors the possibility to delve into a world of old garments and retro styles. The store at number 3 is the men’s corner with a big selection of tailored suits, a fine collection of Hermès ties and many bags not to mention the unique selection of furniture from 1950 to 1970. “The strongest items in our men collection are the Hermès and Marinella ties” Claudia explained.
Gucci Leather Bag
“Our store is visited from people of all ages from 15 to 60 years. Many women visit our stores but also many men who are in search of a that unique piece of high quality and perfect cut. Our famous clients have included Naomi Campbell. Marta Ferri, Ornella Vanoni and Camilla Raznovich as well as countless stylists in search of distinct pieces for their stars.”
Having fallen in love with so many pieces, I left Cavalli e Nastri disappointed that I couldn’t carry more! Once again, Milan had brought out my inner shoppaholic and I couldn’t resist the temptations of the Milanese vintage chic.
For the look of the moth Cavalli e Nastri suggests a 1960s dress for the office or an in vogue 1980s dress with a matching 1920s coat that could be worn on any occasion.
By Elizabeth Deheza
Courtesy of Claudia Jesi for
Cavalli e Nastri
www.cavallienastri.com
