A love of art, wine & Italy brings inspiration to create unique artisan collection pieces.

Camille Meola Designer/Owner

These artisan creations are available exclusively online at CAMILLE MEOLA Collections

Even affluent consumers enjoy a great bargain – and Italy has it’s share of designer outlets.

By Frances Uzzi -

Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani. The list of designer high-end Italian fashion brands goes on and on. Known as leaders in the fashion industry, these brands are some of the most sought after by people all over the world. Unfortunately, prices for Italian brand name clothes, shoes, and accessories are extremely high, often costing thousands of dollars for just one item. These high price tags are usually out of reach for the average consumer – but not always! Twice a year there are huge sales throughout northern and central Italy on designer brands.  In an effort to make room for new inventory many shops and boutiques offer goods at extremely discounted prices. The first sale season, and probably the best time to go is from early January until mid February. This time is especially favorable because it is not a high season for tourism, so travel costs will be lower than usual and the crowds more bearable as well. The second sale season is usually from early July until August. If you plan to go to Italy in July, be prepared for major crowds.  Also, it is important to note that most Italians go on vacation during the month of August so many stores are usually closed for a good part of the month.

Some popular stores and outlets for sales are Il Grifone in Turin, Castel Romano in Rome, and Il Salvagente in Milan. There are numerous more stores, as well as a large selection of outdoor markets in all of the major cities and outlying areas. Shoppers can certainly find quality products at great prices at the outdoor markets, but may not necessarily find all name brands. For the well-known Italian brands, it is better to stick to the stores and outlet shops.

If you can make it to Italy during one of these sale seasons you (and your wallet) won’t be sorry. Thanks to greatly discounted prices, high-end boutiques and stores are a shopper’s paradise, and you can walk away with a suitcase full of Valentino and Fendi. If you don’t know why these Italian fashion brands are sought after by people all over the world, you certainly will once you fall in love with your first shirt, jacket, or handbag. These sales offer everyone the chance to enjoy the luxury and sophistication that is Italian fashion.

BVLGARI will soon introduce a specially-designed silver and ceramic ring in support of BVLGARI’s 2010-2011 pledged commitment of $7.4 million (6 million Euros) to support quality education for the world’s neediest children.

The new ring emulates the unique design of the B.zero1 jewelry line, and is the second one-of-a-kind design created to benefit Save the Children, following the successes of the Rewrite the Future Campaign in 2009 which already raised more than $9 million (more than 6 million Euros).

BVLGARI’s 2010-2011 commitment will help support key education programs through Save the Children such as teacher training and the Healing and Education through Art (HEART) programs in Haiti, the U.S. and other countries.

The ring will be sold from the Fall of 2010 through 2011 in BVLGARI stores worldwide, select department stores, and on BVLGARI’s e-commerce website (active in the USA and Japan) for $370 (€350) each, of which $75 (€60) will be donated to Save the Children.

Visit: Bulgari – 125 anniversary

by Loraine Pavich – July 15, 2010 -

Anthony Lombardi owner of the Anthony Roberts Salon in Verona, NJ is just a regular down to earth old-fashioned guy.  His wife Patty and his 17-month-old son Anthony Gerard are his whole life.  He loves to relax with his family at the Jersey Shore hitting the beaches of Wildwood and Long Beach Island.  His Italian roots hail from Sicily and Naples, and he loves to have family and friends over for big Italian dinners (Anthony does a lot of the cooking).

He is grateful for the opportunity that was given to him to be a part of the hit show Jerseylicious.  Anthony says he does not do it for the fame.  He wants us to know he truly loves doing hair and wants to give his family a good quality life based on traditional hardworking values.  He has an extremely hectic work schedule (he also goes back and forth to the The Gatsby Salon in East Green Brook, NJ), so when Anthony needs time to get away from it all just to be alone, he heads to the track to watch the horses.

Anthony also confessed to me he has never visited the Italia Living website before, but has now added it to his list of favorites and checks out the site everyday.  He enjoys working with the cast and crew of Jerseylicious and is excited about the 2^nd season premiere this September.

Be sure to visit Anthony’s salon at: www.anthonyrobertsalon.com

For more information visit Jerseylicious online.

An Interview with Anthony Lombardi, by Loraine Pavich

What inspired you to become a hairdresser?

There was really no inspiration. I did it initially to meet girls.

Did any of your friends or family discourage or ridicule your choice of profession?

My family has always been supportive in everything I’ve always done. My friends were a little not discouraging but i got my balls busted a little from the guys with me being a straight guy and getting into the beauty business.

What is it like working with all women at The Gatsby Salon? (it seems it can get very catty and competitive with tons of drama)

I’ve been working with primarily women my entire career. So for me the cattiness and drama are just another day at the office. But I can’t say enough great things about all of them.

We have seen your temper flare on the show do you have a softer side?

It takes alot to see my temper. But yes I do have a softer side. Like when I’m home with my wife and son and our dog.

What is a typical Sunday dinner in your home?

Sunday dinner consists of me, Patti, Ant jr, my mom and dad and my sister brother in law and my nieces either at my house or my parents. Big bowl of macaronis all the meat, sausage, pork, braciole, meatballs followed by a big bowl of salad. Topped off with espresso and Sambuca and alot of love and laughter.

Do you prefer cannolis or cream puffs?

Cannolis all the way.

What is your favorite restaurant in New Jersey?

I gotta say that I have two – Luce in Caldwell and The Belmont Tavern in Belleville.

Do you feel reality shows today shine a bad light of negativity on Italians in NJ?

Reality shows don’t shine a bad light on Italians in NJ. Certain Italians on reality shows shine a bad light on themselves.

Which celebrity you think needs an updated  hair look and what would you do?

I would love to do a KeraSmooth anti frizz treatment on Sarah Jessica Parker. Dont want to remove her curls but just wanna relax them a bit.

Is there one cast member of the Jersey Shore you’d like to go out to dinner and drinks with?

Not really. And i mean no disrespect to them i’m sure they are all real lovely people but i’m gonna be 38 and do i really need to be hanging out with them? We are in different places.

If you were not a hairdresser what would you be doing?

If i said playing centerfield for the New York Mets would you believe me? Seriously i think i would probably be doing something in the restaurant business.

What are the 3 biggest accomplishments in your life?

Becoming a husband, becoming a father and opening my business.

One thing no one knows about you that would surprise us?

Anthony: I still think that there is a future for me in the WWE as a professional wrestler – even though i’m 5’8 190 lbs.

What can we expect to see on the 2nd season of Jerseylicious?

The drama is is bigger, the stories are better, the hair is fuller and the girls are tanner.

Learn more about Loraine here: Italia Living Contributor Loraine Pavich

July 2010 -

Bulgari has partnered with actress Isabella Rossellini to launch a new lines of handbags aptly called the Isabella Rossellini collection.

For several months, Rossellini worked in close contact with Bulgari designers to create a bag that would express her personality. The end result is the “Rossellini” which is a sleek yet modern handbag distinguished by simple, essential lines and a twist lock decorated with semi-precious gemstones.

The partnership makes sense. Rossellini is an influential style icon who is also a long-time client of Bulgari. The daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini, she grew up in Rome and began visiting Bulgari’s Via Condotti shop with her mother. As her acting and modeling career developed, Rossellini was frequently photographed wearing Bulgari jewels, appearing on the covers of Vogue and countless other international magazines.

The Isabella Rossellini Handbag Collection for Bulgari will be offered in a variety of colors and materials, including leather, pony hair and calfskin. The collection is hand-made in Florence, Italy, by Bulgari. Prices range from $1,700-2,600 and will be available in all BVLGARI stores by early August.

July 10, 2010 -

Legendary Italian fashion brand VALENTINO has daring plans for growth and reinvention. The CEO of the company and its owners wish to see the brand, which has been rather crippled after parting with its designer and founder Valentino Garavani, catch up with its primary adversaries and pursue worldwide expansion.

When asked whether one of the co-owners, equity fund PERMIRA, is looking for buyers for the company, the Chief Executive, Mr. Stefano Sassi replied: ‘No. I don’t think so. There is a job to be done. The recovery is just starting.’ Sassi expects Valentino to register a 10% growth in 2010, by widening its entry-level offering and expanding its second line, Red. According to the brand’s CEO, the Valentino label used to be too exclusive. Now the plans are to make it more accessible, but in the same time keep the brand values alive.

The fashion house’s artistic direction has been slowly regaining the hearts of fashion critics under Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri, the label’s designers for the past two years.

As for expansion, China and the Middle East are on the top of their list of priorities. Valentino, which owns 75 shops worldwide, will open 5 more this year in China, one in Europe, one in the US and one in Japan.

June 20, 2010 – Designers such as Italian duo Dolce & Gabbana and Belgian Dirk Bikkembergs are hoping to lure crisis-hit shoppers back by staging fashion events in Milan’s most popular squares.

Male models and celebrities strut catwalks and red carpets in more than 30 shows and dozens of showroom collections during the Milan spring/summer 2011 fashion week, which runs until Tuesday and takes place amid timid signs of economic recovery.

Sales of tailored suits, ties and leather shoes declined by 11.3 percent to 8 billion euros ($9.91 billion) in 2009, one of the worst years ever for Italian menswear, said Sistema Moda Italia, a body representing Italy’s clothing and textile industry.

However, wealthy spenders were back in the shops in the first months of the year and should help raise global luxury sales by more than 4 percent in 2010, according to U.S. consultancy Bain and Co.

“This edition will be particularly important to assess the pace of recovery, which is certainly under way, but whose vigor has to be strengthened,” Mario Boselli, president of Italy’s National Chamber of Fashion, said in a statement.

The image of Italy’s fashion capital, competing with cities such as London, Paris and New York, will enjoy a boost from significant anniversaries marked by Ermenegildo Zegna and Dolce & Gabbana.

However, a shadow was cast over the shows by the death of a catwalk model, 22-year-old Frenchman Tom Nicon, whose body was found in the courtyard of a building in central Milan Friday. Police said they were investigating.

GLAMOUR AND TRADITION

Dolce & Gabbana celebrated the 20th anniversary of their menswear line with an exhibition at the City Hall, in front of La Scala opera house.

“We want as many people as possible at our exhibition, we want Mr Brambilla (a typical Milanese name) to come and see our history,” Domenico Dolce told a joint news conference with Milan’s Mayor Letizia Moratti Friday.

Glamour and tradition mingled at the duo’s celebratory show, with extra-light washed silk jackets and sweaters in woven jute inspired by Sicilian sensuality.

Models in classic and traditional summertime suits cheered a performance by British singer Annie Lennox and Hollywood was represented by stars such as Rachel Weisz, Morgan Freeman and Matthew McConaughey.

Zegna, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year, hosts an exhibition on the importance of style.

In an unofficial kickoff Friday, Bikkembergs showed on a big screen in central Duomo Square, a popular tourist spot, its South Africa-inspired “sport couture” collection.

The fashion industry, with an annual turnover of about 100 billion euros, is central to Italy’s economy.

Turnover for the sector fell by 15 percent last year to 56.5 billion euros. An improvement is forecast for this year. – from Reuters Life!

Tiffany & Co. today announced that tennis champion Maria Sharapova will wear Italian designer Elsa Peretti® earrings at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, June 21 – July 4 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

The earrings selected for Wimbledon are a sterling silver design from Elsa Peretti’s celebrated Diamonds by the Yard® collection. Introduced in 1974, the collection is a classic of modern jewelry design, its fine shimmering chains and bezel-set stones lauded as the look that changed forever the role of diamonds in fashion.

“Wearing Diamonds by the Yard on the court is a perfect example of how Elsa Peretti made diamonds fashionable anytime and anywhere,” Ms. Sharapova said. “It’s a pleasure to wear her signature of elegant simplicity.”

The partnership between Ms. Sharapova and Tiffany & Co. covers the four Grand Slam events: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. During each event, the tennis champion wears earrings from Tiffany for Maria Sharapova, a select group of earrings that are available at Tiffany & Co. stores around the world.

TIFFANY & CO. operates jewelry and specialty retail stores and manufactures products through its subsidiary corporations. Its principal subsidiary is Tiffany and Company. The Company operates TIFFANY & CO. retail stores and boutiques in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe and engages in direct selling through Internet, catalogue and business gift operations. For additional information, please visit Tiffany.com.

Actor Michael K. Williams & Domenico Vacca. Williams wears "St. Tropez" jeans and "St. Barths" Polo from Domenico Vacca Denim Collection.

Stylish men in need of jeans have a new place to shop in Beverly Hills, New York and Palm Beach – just to name a few spots. Domenico Vacca unveiled his celebrity inspired DV Denim Collection on May 25, 2010. Recent Dancing with the Stars contestant Chad Ochocino was among the sports stars and celebs who showed up to check out the flagship store on Rodeo Drive. DV Denim’s celebrity-inspired jeans including the Jeremy Jean named after Jeremy Piven; the Mickey Jean named after Mickey Rourke and The Forest Jean named after Forest Whitaker.

In an interview with the LA Times, Vacca explained that the DV Denim jeans, which sell for $340 to $595 and are limited to about 200 pair each have all sort of high quality details. Some use Italian and Japanese selvedge denim and are carefully distressed, embellished and embroidered with what Vacca refers to as “sartorial touches.”

For more information visit:

http://www.dvdenim.com &  http://domenicovacca.com

Madonna isn’t just the face of Dolce & Gabbana these days, she’s also a co-designer. The pop superstar worked with the Italian company to product six pairs of sunglasses that will be released in May. The eyewear features an MDG logo and will be produced and distributed by Luxottica. The frames will retail for between $248 – $298 and will be available at Dolce & Gabbana stores, Sunglass Hut locations and select optical shops.

Madonna is the face of the MDG ad campaign shot in New York by Steven Klein.

The campaign features Madonna as the mysterious and sensual star of a noir film caught on camera in the company of an intriguing man played by super model Tyson Ballou.

To lend a cinematographic feel, the campaign was shot with a video camera and the snapshots appear as frames of a short film while the layout of the prints recalls that of an old-fashioned movie film. The voyeuristic images metaphorically evoke the essence of a star such as Madonna: admired, spied, adored, pursued and desired, but never fully revealed, shrouded as she is in dark glasses and mystery.

For more information: Dolce & Gabbana MDG

The Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2010 collection is a tribute to the Sicilian way of life and the classic beauty in all of its reincarnations. Not only the beauty of the body and soul, but also an homage towards the hedonistic beauty of a sartorial suit studied to its finest and provoking sensuality with the use of lace, crochets and floral prints. The symbol which embodies and ultimately fulfills this desire for beauty is transparency, the main element of the collection, found on dresses, skirts, camisoles and shoes. The pursuit of perfection is a stimulus to look into the future and discover the ideal concept of an impeccable and timeless elegance.

Madonna plays Italian housewife in new Dolce & Gabbana ad campaign-

Top Italian fashion designers DOMENICO DOLCE and STEFANO GABBANA had to think twice before approaching MADONNA and asking her to be the new face of their luxury label, because they feared a business deal would sour their friendship.

Madonna was unveiled as the spokesmodel for Dolce & Gabbana’s spring/summer 2010 campaign last year (09) when black and white shots of the pop superstar, taken by noted photographer Steven Klein, hit the Internet, and the celebrated designers admit they hesitated at the thought of working with the Material Girl.

Gabbana tells W Magazine, “There was a sort of fear on our behalf of asking Madonna to do anything business. We thought it could impact our relationship, and Madonna is one of the few people we’re really in awe of. To have Madonna in our campaign is a dream come true.”

For more visit Dolce & Gabbana online.

From this powerful fashion capital, Milan Fashion Week 2010 has made it clear that the Italian designers are ready to move forward by going back in time – showcasing a perfectly presented blend of timeless elegance and saucy touches. Their 50th Dolce & Gabbana collection was a romantic and poetic salute to their heritage of clothes for the sensual woman, both dressed and undressed.

Dolce & Gabbana dramatically broke from the lascivious excesses which have been dominant at Milan fashion week in recent years and returned to the world renowned principles of Italian style: perfect tailoring and sophistication with a nuanced appreciation of sex and sensuality. The collection called ‘Sartorialita, Sicilianita, Sensualita’, for autumn/winter 2010, revisited the brand’s signatures of tailoring, corsetry, the age-old black garb of the Sicilian woman updated in knits and lots of lingerie and satin dresses. “The collection is a return to our roots: Sicilian heritage, sensuality and sartorial clothing,” said Stefano Gabbana.

To broadcast their back-to-basics message, Dolce & Gabbana harnessed modern technology, posting a behind-the-scenes video on YouTube before the show in which the designers whittled their look into three simple words: Sicily, Tailoring, Black. Backstage preparations and the show itself were live-streamed on to the brand’s website and to iPhones.

As the the Dolce & Gabbana Fall/Winter 2010-2011 women’s catwalk in Milan began – the cinema-sized stage screen cut to a shot of the house seamstresses in white coats, spectacles and tape measures strung around their necks, while Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana worked their creative magic on the catwalk pieces that will soon wow the audience.

Dolce & Gabbana Winter 2011 Women’s Collection – Part 1

Dolce & Gabbana Winter 2011 Women’s Collection – Part 2

The show closed the same way it started – with a video. But instead of showing the designers at work, the bow belonged to the thirty-something tailors who work in Dolce & Gabbana’s Milan atelier. The audience of 1000 broke into satisfying applause.

The number of wonderful alluring fragrances in the world seem endless – and one might wonder how new scents can enter the market so often, and not be the same as another but with a different name put on the bottle. Not all, but many of the fragrances today in fact do smell like another, and new one’s entering the market don’t smell very unique.

If you really want to strive to make a statement to those around you with a scent that is different, here are three luxury fragrances from Italy you must know – Bois 1920, Odori and Laura Tonatto. The entire creation and development process of these fragrances from start to finish, including the bottle itself – is unique and a work of art.

In 1920, Guido Galardi followed his nose and his passion, experimenting with the many perfumes and natural fragrances that had long enchanted him. He soon realized his dream by opening the Bottega Italiana Spigo in Florence, spotlighting his special blends and attracting perfume lovers from all over the region.

Guido’s dream ended and the perfumery closed just five years later in 1925 when his own son, Renato, showed no interest in continuing the family business. Fate skipped a generation for Guido, though, when Renato’s son, Enzo, found himself drawn to the art of fragrance and its structure and he began to study it in earnest as a young teen.

Enzo entered the business in 1985, and in 2005 he founded Bois 1920 in honor of his grandfather, reinterpreting Guido’s original formulas using only the finest raw materials, creating modern and unique scents with true lasting power.

The Bottle, a jewel by itself

When they are combined, light and shape give life to an exclusive jewel made by a master glass-blower.

The Frosting

The quest for exclusivity also extends to the striking decorations. Opalescence multiplies reflections and creates plays of light that enhance the nuances of each eau de toilette.

The Stopper

The stopper blends harmoniously with the bottle. It is made of ebony color wood and is embellished with the delicately engraved Bois 1920 logo.

The Collection

Each creation is a special blend of magic. It is unique in the sensations it wants to arouse. It comes from an ancient culture of fragrance that insists on exceptional raw materials to create unusual, precious versions. Fragrances that highlight the olfactory character of the essence to the fullest; fragrances designed to last.

One year after launching Bois 1920 to international acclaim, Enzo Galardi began his new project, Odori. Each perfume in the line is not only pulse-raisingly unique and lasting…they each are the embodiment of Florence, Italy, the first place that Enzo’s grandfather Guido opened his small perfumery, Bottega Italia Spigo. From the herbs drying outside the city walls and on quaint home terraces of Florence, to the fragrant, narrow alleys where the ancient Guild of Leather Crafters made their crafts to the soft tobacco-scented hands of the women who work with the leaves, Florence flows through all of his creations. Each perfume is presented in a beautiful wood encased glass bottle, decorated with details of finest leather from Florence, entirely prepared and finished by hand.

A whole collection of Florence aromas are available in six new fragrances by Enzo Galardi. Profumo di Firenze – ODORI encompasses: Cuoio, Spigo, Tabacco, Zafferano, Iris, and Gli Odori.

Laura Tonatto’s professional life began in the most prestigious perfumery institutes of El Cairo and Grasse, France, her craft lead her to gain a worldwide clientele: artists, celebrities from the show business but also queens and princes.

Laura Tonatto’s worldwide fame comes both from the creation of fragrance and her initiatives in art and the history of perfumery.

Laura Tonatto’s collection begins with the finest natural essences selected from the French Grasse region which are then hand processed, filtered and packaged in Italy. While embracing modern tastes, resulting in fascinating outcomes, Tonatto respects and adheres to the ancient tradition of the master perfumers from Cairo and Provence. Laura Tonatto fragrances are sophisticated, precious, complex, experimental, and imbued with the very mystery that instinctively attracts us to scent.

Inventive, unique fragrances of unmatched quality in the luxury perfumery industry. Laura Tonatto is not only a brand name but also a highly esteemed perfumer, earning the title of “the Italian Nose”, and creating fragrances for over twenty years.

Italy and it’s people produce an endless amount of the best the world has to offer – whether it be food, wine, art, architecture, cars – and certainly unique fragrances.

Indulge in the elegance of unique Italian fragrance.

Visit our sponsor Fashionable Fragrances to purchase these and other fine fragrances & skincare of the world.

February 15 2010 -

Described as outspoken yet warm and friendly with a great sense of humor, Fashion mogul Donatella Versace is known the world over for her very blonde and bronze appearance, and has recently decreed “I’m not a believer in the natural look.”

In a recent interview with Love Magazine, Donatella Versace candidly discussed everything about her own appearance and her love of intense egos.

Donatella says, “I don’t even know what my natural color is. Natural? What is natural? What is that? I do not believe in totally natural for women. For me, natural has something to do with vegetables.”

“I have come back to shoot a campaign I am really proud of for spring/summer,” Donatella Versace announces. “It is with Georgia Jagger and was shot by Mario Testino, it is something special.”

The spring/summer 2010 collection is a vintage one for Versace, moving the history of the house along without discarding the past; for one thing, reinvigorating their print and again making women enviably glamorous.

The new spring/summer 2010 campaign is vintage Versace. Honoring and evolving the history of the house along without discarding it’s glorious past, and building upon all the glamour the house has been revered for – including it’s stunning prints.

You should never be afraid in fashion,” the designer explains. “In this economic situation the worst thing you can be is afraid. You need to do something special, not safe. This collection has a certain energy. I was very positive and very free when I was working on it, and I think that is in the clothes.

“Alice in Wonderland was an inspiration, particularly in the print. I thought of certain key things from that story, like the rabbit and the clock, and they were combined with the baroque. And that is also the Versace world– it is mad, after all!”

By Jill Newman – Published in Robb Report, FEBRUARY 09, 2010:

Marking its 90th anniversary in business, Italian jeweler Antonini forged a new blackened finish on 18-karat gold finish to create a striking series of limited-edition rings. The Anniversary Dark collection rings ($1,200 to $12,000), which also come in yellow and white gold, are embedded with diamonds, and each color is available in a series of 150 numbered editions. The softly rounded, high-polish rings reflect the brand’s signature voluptuous shapes. In addition to the Anniversary rings, Antonini also created a limited-edition series of rings called Istanbul, which were inspired by the city’s colorful surroundings and architecture. Available in the same darkened gold, white gold, and rose gold, the rings ($4,500 to $8,000) feature intricate details and diamonds and are handmade in the company’s workshops in Milan. – From Robb Report