Mondelliani is a brand born of the experience and tradition of the Mondello family, part of the excellence of Italian eyewear for its fusion of culture, taste and irony together with a love of elegant and personalised design. The interior concept of the Mondelliani flagship store, which opens in December, was entrusted to THiRTYONE Design+Management, the retail-focused creative company founded in 2015 by Claudia Campone. The project stays true to the Mondelliani spirit with its masterful use of colour and warm materials, recreating a welcoming and familiar atmosphere with unmistakable style. From Via del Corso through Piazza del Parlamento, one arrives in Via dei Prefetti – it is here, among the artisans and niche brands of the Campo Marzio district, that Federico Mondello, who today heads the Mondelliani brand, found the ideal location for the new boutique. The store itself reflects an eclectic and unique spirit: the glasses’ designs stand out from the shop window, highlighted by works of artists demonstrating their flair in this unusual space, arousing curiosity and wonder from the first glance.

The sales space is articulated in three main areas that communicate together. The first, in eccentric shades of lilac and sage green, is dedicated to the sale of sunglasses with the glasses framed in metallic ovals in order to enhance their shapes and refined level of detail. The second area, enclosed between two acid yellow arches, is a social space where clients can feel welcomed whilst they wait to choose the right pair of glasses, or simply enjoy a moment’s pause among stylish accessories. In the third area, dedicated to sight, THiRTYONE has designed a 360 degree retail experience, choosing seating and mirroring most suited to concentrating on choosing the best made to measure glasses, personalising lenses and frames under the expert guidance of Mondelliani staff. The displays, designed and prototyped ad hoc for this project, have refined and futuristic surfaces, with the play of mirrors emphasising the play of visual perception.

The warm traditional parquet is the ideal surface for the clientele to and fro. The architectural result is far from the cold and ascetic style currently in vogue in eyewear interior design; indeed, the deliberate and bold use of colour is one of the core values of the Mondelliani brand. All the spaces are decorated with EFFEITALIA – ARTE wallpaper from the Dots-Le Corbusier collection, which reinterprets the philosophy of “architectural polychromy” of the famous architect and designer so intimately linked to glasses as iconic accessories. The BLACK TIE seatings were designed exclusively for Mondelliani and selected for their casual-chic taste and Italian design; they guarantee elegance without neglecting the client’s comfort and well-being. The lamps of the social space are by Michael Anastassiades for FLOS.

Design: THiRTYONE Design+Managment
Photography: 6pm studio