Rossana Orlandi has seven decades of Saturdays under her belt. In Milan, where she reigns as the doyenne of Italian design, we spend one more in her company.
From Via Matteo Bandello, the only hint of Spazio Rossana Orlandi’s existence is a discreet yellow buzzer in a metallic frame. The neighborhood is quiet, mostly populated by established bourgeois Milanese families. You have to ring the buzzer and pass through three gates before reaching the sprawling buildings within. And, by the time you reach the first gate, it is clear that this venue is something altogether exceptional.
Rossana Orlandi, a petite Italian with pulled-back gray hair and red nails, is known for her keen eye. Not only does she spot great designers before anyone else, she also creates a gallery that is eternally theatrical, with great turnover: Pieces swoop in and out of her space in a breathless cycle. Thus, each visit to Spazio Rossana Orlandi is guaranteed to be different from the last.