Shopology: in Brief History of Fashion Retail, the Vogue Italia project for Design Week

On the occasion of the Milan Design Week, Vogue Italy present Shopology: A Brief History of Fashion Retail. A special project that explores the relationship between shopping and design, through the evolution of boutiques, habits and purchasing cultures all over the world.

The event will be open to the public from 9 to 11 April to Palazzo Isimbardi to Milanin Corso Monforte 35and will be divided into oneinstallation and a series of talk And Meetings with expertson a journey between history, design and innovation.

From the ancient merchants of fabrics beyond the West to the development of the commercial neighborhoods, from the birth of the department stores in the XII century Japan to the industrial revolution and to the modern concept of fashion retail in 1800, visitors will be guided along a time span of two thousand years through Video screenings with testimonies of international architects such as Masamichi Katayama and Yusuke Seki, historical images, rare design documents of shops all over the world and the representations of the stores in the pop culture.

The goal is to offer A global vision of fashion retailexploring different cultures and continents, from Oman to Tokyo, some of which are open decades before their most famous counterparts in London, Milan, Paris or New York, retracing their architectural and sociological revolutions, and expanding the gaze to the future prospects of a sector in constant evolution. And in this way, rediscover the wonder and charm to stop in front of a showcase and immerse yourself in another world.

Three sections through which the path winds, edited by the creative director Ramdane Touhami:

The history of retail

From the 3000 BC – 19th century: from the first markets of antiquity to the first commercial galleries that anticipated modern shopping centers. From the nineteenth century to today: the advent of department stores, the birth of modern retail, the evolution of the design of the windows and the industrial revolution that transformed the sector. The future of Fashion Retail: a look at emerging technologies and new consumption models, with a particular focus on innovations in China and future trends.

Retail and pop culture

An exploration of the fashion retail in the pop culture and in the literaturewith quotes from Umberto Eco, Honoré de Balzac, Georges Perec, Maupassant and Zola.

Stories of iconic stores

An in -depth analysis on the brands that have revolutionized the design of the shops with creativity, irony and originality, accompanied by video interview to architects and designers around the world.

The talks

During the event, it will also be possible to access on registration to talk and moments of comparison with some of the most important Figures of international design, scholars And authorsto deepen the world of retail, its practices and contours. From the anthropology of retail, with Simona Segreanthropologist and professor of the University of Bologna, to the prospect of those who buy, with Anna della Russoand the experience of those who design, with Benjamin Bloomsteinco-founder of the New York study Green River Project. And again, we will talk about Japan with the author and researcher Kanae Hasegawa and the journalist Gianluca Cantaro; of the power of the nose, with the nose Luca Maffei; of Sound Design with Dorian Stefano Tarantini and Paolo Forchetti di Santamaria Sound Studio And much more.

Shopology will also live on the pages, on the website and on social networks of Vogue Italy: a New editorial format dedicated to the relationship between shopping and retail, which tells the trends, the news, the most contemporary experiences and the people who take part in it ..