VARESE LIFE STYLE | CASE HISTORY
Antonio Di Domenico, a designer impassioned by the Alpine foothills «After 10 years in Milan, I was fascinated when I visited Varese». These are the words of Antonio Di Domenico, Neapolitan designer for Stone Island, the clothing brand owned by Carlo Rivetti. And while our province's roots in the textile industry certainly did their part to win the designer's affections, that which truly conquered his heart was Brinzio. «I call it the 'little village'», Di Domenico explains. «It's a true gem immersed in the beauty of nature. I'm always travelling around Italy, mainly between Milan and Modena, so returning home is a blessing for me». «Milan is an enormous supermarket», he continues. «The big city certainly has its uses: you can go there, get what you need and head back home. I don't have many time constraints. I make all my appointments for after 10 in the morning so I'll have time to get there. What I love about living in Brinzio is the landscape, the colours and the changing of the seasons». For an artist, it's all about inspiration: «In the city, you can learn about every shade of grey. Here, on the other hand, there are shades of orange and red, intermingling with greens and blues». From outside, the designer's home looks like a typical country courtyard. But inside, the apartment is decorated in the style of an urban residence, complete with oak and Brazilian slate. "My colleagues think I'm crazy to have left the Milan to settle in a small town", Di Domenico continues. «They're skeptical, but once they see it they're impressed by the atmosphere and the local festivals. They often come to visit, in fact, to have some fun and relax. It's hard to describe how it feels to take a walk in the snowy woods during the wintertime. I refer to it as "the magic of Brinzio" Or even: "my 'boule de neige'». So what are his plans for the future? «I plan on spending a lot of time in Brinzio. But in the colder months, just so I don't have to get up two hours early to shovel the snow, I bought a little apartment in Varese. I chose the Bosto neighbourhood because the name reminds me of the city of Boston. It's got a nice terrace for Rocco and Romeo. I named them after the children of David Beckham and Madonna, but one is a Jack Russell terrier and the other is a wire-haired dachshund».
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