You were able to see fashion powerhouses and personally interact with emerging trends and styles. What brands were you most moved by?

The Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda private event was a once in a lifetime experience. Domenico Dolce &

Stefano Gabbana kindly invited me to their four day Venice Alta Moda event showcasing their entire fashion and furniture collections. I was presented with a brand experience like no other, in addition to receiving mentoring by Domenico on the lifestyle of Dolce & Gabbana. We attended private Venetian dining and clubs in the company of my Italian colleagues with the likes of Heidi Klum, Jennifer Hudson, Megan Thee Stallion, P Diddy, Vin Diesel, J Lo, and the Kardashians, to name a few.

You must have gained insight into emerging trends. Are there any themes we should be looking out for?

The luxury brands individually represented their own trend-setting themes through their branding. However

soft moss greens in the plain form are dominating throughout all brands with accents of sky blues, aubergines and sunflower yellow. Geometric bold prints and tone-on-tone textured fabrics remain a strong choice with the Italian brand interior design teams. The furniture designers are signalling nature’s colours to breathe life back into people’s private homes. One exciting development is the new, patterned leathers introduced in Etro and Bentley collections for the season. Patterned leathers are giving our leather-loving clients an enjoyable choice of stylish patterns usually only available in fabric. The patterned leathers offer something different whilst still having the benefit of being easy to clean and the sumptuous feeling of full grain leather. I am drawn to selecting historical pieces decorated using ancient techniques, manufactured in natural stones or carved from wood. The past few years have given clients a chance to reconnect with the natural world, and many seek to bring those organic qualities into their homes.

In your travels, did you discover interesting Italian Art and Sculptures for your clientele?

This trip was especially unique, as during these months, from July to September, we were able to dedicate time to exploring small towns and meeting fascinating sculptors and craftsmen. We have over 100 pieces coming in September. Unearthing these stunning artworks was an incredible experience. Learning their history with the story of the artwork was often heartfelt as some of these pieces were originally commissioned by important Italian families. The standouts for me were discovering the Laocoon sculptured in Carrara marble from outside Rome. My partner discovered an amazing blacksmith in the outer part of Venice handcrafting metal chandeliers and lighting. He is the fourth generation, and his family is noted for the chandeliers that you will see today in many of the important Palazzos throughout Venice. His stunning chandeliers were furnished throughout Palazzo Segreta in Venice, where we were engaged before we met him. These imported pieces each have a soul, and our clients enjoy acquiring art or sculpture with strong historical ties.

Fashion, art and design are powerful mirrors of societal values, and the decor of a home or lifestyle can change the mood and direction of an individual’s thoughts. Do you feel the emerging themes you saw reflect the last two years, and what do they represent for your clients? These are unprecedented times, and luxury characterises positive pleasures in many forms.

Our clients, therefore, invested themselves in our luxury brands in an unprecedented way over the last couple of years. Both the aspirational value and superior comfort that is offered by luxury brands elevate emotions and allow homeowners to immerse themselves in their own private Elysium.

This year, Fendi Fashion House has announced its world-first launch of furniture under the helm of Silvia Venturini Fendi. Can you tell us more?

I departed Milan end of September and traveled to Rome, where I attended a very confidential preview launch of the furniture collection at the Fendi Rome Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. We confirmed this new pre-collection while in Rome.

for our Australian clientele. Palazzo is very excited to receive our world first Fendi Rome furniture collection in Australia at our Fendi Casa Boutique arriving in July. This collection is very personal for Fendi as they have returned their furniture collection back to the hands of Fendi Creative Director Silvia Venturini Fendi. Her passion combined with the new manufacturing partner FF Design is honoring the family firm’s artisanal and experimental heritage. It is a celebration of all that Italian design is known for – precious materials and craftsmanship – infused with the label’s modern elegance. This collection is must see so spare some time and visit our Fendi Casa Boutique on your next visit to Sydney.