It is very important to have a space that you feel comfortable in, especially if you work in the creative industry. The right space puts you in the right mood, hence, great ideas can be developed. I personally feel the most comfortable in the stuvvz office, where we have a huge window, white walls, and a decent amount of free space. When I am out and about though, I always resort to a good coffee shop nearby.
Knowing that Moleskine, one of most favored brands by creatives, has just opened their cafe in Milan makes me want to immediately visit the country. Reinterpreting the idea of “the café littéraire”, this new space not only hosts a cafe, but also an art gallery, a store and a library. The perfect spot to chill and to think, this new space has a lot of communal sharing tables for visitors. With a sofa area in the mezzanine, a bar at the ground floor, and an outside terrace for a breath of fresh air, it is obvious that lots of art shows and talks will be hosted there in the near future.
Aesthetically, the store follows the style of Moleskine: “essential, clean aesthetics and a contemporary color palette of neutral colors and natural materials, just like the ivory color of a Moleskine notebook, for a tranquil mood that enables privacy as well as conversation”. The space is also particularly inspired by the literary cafes in the Englightenment-era in Europe– a collection of unofficial public spaces where important ideas were fostered, making them important “hubs of cultural, artistic and political life”.
Partnering with the Milan-based coffee studio, Seven Grams, The Moleskine Café offers three single origins and one specialty coffee, to be enjoyed in store or brought home in Moleskine branded bags, which are illustrated with stories by different authors. They also serve breakfast and an array of sandwiches, soups and salads.
There is an interactive sharing wall inside of the cafe for different artists and designers to connect and share their ideas. Live interviews, shows and galleries will be hosted by The Towner, a Moleskine-supported literary and illustration magazine. Not to mention, smart notebooks and other initiatives by Moleskine are available for purchase at the sales corner in the space.
This lifestyle brand has definitely expanded outside of their retail expertise, initiating a more intimate and socializing relationship with their consumers. As Arrigo Berni, CEO of Moleskine said, “I believe this vision fully reflects the growing interest people show for retail formats that go beyond the sheer act of shopping and I look forward to validating this concept for global expansion.”
The Moleskine Café
Corso Garibaldi 65, Brera Design District, Milan
