I am back in Florence!!!...designing new leather accessories for you

I am back...in Florence!!

(even tough this picture is from Palm Beach, however since my son is in it I could not resist to share it!! Proud Mum......)

18 months away from my Bella Firenze, my Mum and Dad, my team and all the people and places I love the most.

18 months leaving like everyone else in the fear of the unknown and finally back where everything begun, It was about time....the opportunity to travel, the pleasure visiting new places and meeting new and old friends we are finally getting back more or less where we suddenly stopped.

I will enjoy my family for a little while, well almost everyone...Giulio has been left behind making sure all the stores will be up and running by the time I am back!!

I will fly back directly to the Hamptons and I cannot wait to see all of you in my favorite summer place. The beach, the ocean, the nature and all my friends waiting for a new summer season all together.

In the meantime my new Woodbury Atelier on Long Island is open, it hs been a pleasure spending last week together with many of you.

But now I am here!! Florence is starting to feel like Florence again! As more and more rules are relaxed, we’re seeing people take to the cultural and social spaces of the city again, all while still conscious of safety.

As the city gradually starts to open back up, I have seen several captivating things recently, one of which was the striking performance by Australian artist Marisa Garreffa at The British Institute of Florence.

Sewing together stories submitted by the community that told their lockdown tales, the poignant performance took place 7 hours a day for a full week, in an act of healing that finished in a cathartic way, bringing us into June feeling optimistic.

As museums open back up again, I’m delighting in discovering what surprises they’ve been hiding: they’ve certainly been busy! The Accademia Gallery reopened with an entirely new route. 600 works were repositioned as the Gallery continues its extensive renovations, and visitors will find a dramatically altered, and quite special, viewing experience for a short time only.

The Bargello Museum unveiled a completely renovated Ivory Room after 6 years of work, and the Orsanmichele Museum shows off its recently restored ‘Saint Mark’ sculpture by Donatello, with newly visible traces of gilding exciting art lovers, opened from June 1.

Other news from Florence is that Palazzo Strozzi has inaugurated its newest exhibition, titled ‘American Art 1961-2001’. The works are from the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and include important pieces by artists such as Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, Cindy Sherman and Kara Walker, on display until August 29.

The show is a sign of the strong bond between America and Florence, and it’s truly wonderful to see these works in the spectacular setting of Palazzo Strozzi.

A firm favorite for all fashion lovers, Pitti Immagine hosts its 100th edition from June 30 to July 2. The city turns into a catwalk and I always love to wander the streets during this festival to catch a glimpse of some of the fabulous outfits!

June also marks the return of the ever-popular Estate Fiorentina summer series of events, with highlights including the Apriti Cinema outdoor film screenings in Piazzale degli Uffizi. There’s nothing quite like catching a film within the dramatic and historic setting and I can’t wait until they unveil the full program at www.estatefiorentina.it

It’s most definitely aperitivo season: tables outside have started to fill up with cool glasses of Spritz and typical Tuscan nibbles. The fun food experience is a well-known one, but did you ever hear about its origins? It comes from the Latin verb "Aperire", meaning “to open”, intending a drink before a meal to stimulate the appetite and get you ready for rich Tuscan meal.

The typical drink tends to be a Spritz or Negroni, but if that’s not your thing, you can still make the most of the accompanying snacks! If you’re planning on having a sip in the sunshine, wherever you are, put out dishes of olives, nuts, salted crackers, cold cuts and cheeses, pop in plenty of ice to your beverage of choice, and you’ll have yourself a typically Tuscan aperitivo! Cin cin!

Here’s to a joy-filled June....with love, yours....