by Mark Tungate (@MarkTungate) Two new venues in Paris and Milan combine branding with luxuriating. Find out how Moleskine and Johnnie Walker are encouraging customers to sit down and spend some quality time with them.
As any fan of Ernest Hemingway knows, three of the best things in life are writing, drinking and hanging out in cafés. In most cases, all three of these may be enjoyed at exactly the same time. But for this month’s column, I’ve discovered a couple of places devoted to our favourite pastimes. Let’s take writing and cafés first. Word has reached us of the first Moleskine Café in Milan.
“Contemporary reinterpretation”
As you’re no doubt aware, Moleskine is a maker of cult notebooks, journals and diaries for creative types. True to the values of the brand, the Moleskine Café is designed to provide “a daily fix of inspiration” alongside a shot of coffee or two. Located at Corso Garibaldi 65, in the Brera design district, the venue mixes elements of café, art gallery and library. “A contemporary reinterpretation of the idea of the café littéraire,” as Moleskine puts it, with a full calendar of exhibitions, talks and “breakfast learning sessions”. You can get your hands on some Moleskine products too.
The design itself — which was apparently created with the help of Interbrand — is airy and uncluttered, with an appealing mix of white surfaces, blond wood and bright highlights. There are also quiet areas for those who want to deconnect. Since getting away from your devices is a great idea if you want to get some writing done, that’s probably a good thing.
Walker on the boulevards
Having started work on your magnum opus, you may decide it’s time for a celebratory dram or too. So you simply hop on a flight to Paris, where The Whisky Shop — which already has several outlets in the UK — has opened its first French branch. The shop is located in a 19th century building in the historic Place de la Madeleine, at the heart of a bustling Right Bank shopping district.
The design was by London-based gpstudio, which decided to “strip back and highlight the traditional features of the historic building, whilst incorporating modern fixtures and design, creating a luxurious yet contemporary feel”. The original staircase was restored.
A feature that echoes Moleskine’s “café littéraire” approach is the upper floor “salon privé”, hosted by Diageo and devoted to the Johnnie Walker brand. Guests may sip Johnnie Walker and let the brand universe gently seduce them as they wait to have their bottle engraved.
Whisky Shop chairman, Ian Bankier, no doubt summed the shop up when he described it as “a space our customers will love to luxuriate in”.
Mark Tungate (@MarkTungate) is the editorial director of the Epica Awards (@EpicaAwards), the only global creative prize judged by the specialist press. In this series of articles called Design Plus, Epica is highlighting creativity in the design field.
“Motive” is a by-invitation-only column on MarkLives.com. Contributors are picked by the editors but generally don’t form part of our regular columnist lineup, unless the topic is off-column.
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