In Milan's new shops, more and more contamination with art, design and catering

Among the challenges facing the global fashion system is distribution, which has to find a balance between online and physical shops and between single-brand and multi-brand, real and web-based.

From Milan Fashion Week come interesting signals. In fact, hints can be found for months: it is since spring that in the most central shopping streets - via Montenapoleone and quadrilatero for the other range, corso Vittorio Emanuele for the rest - shops of brands that were already present in Italy or making their debut in our country, starting in Milan, such as the American Lululemon, are being opened or reopened after extensive renovations. April saw the opening of Louis Vuitton and Tiffany, in Montenapoleone: the former offers a café and a restaurant, the latter a bar and an events space and both are furnished with important design pieces and works of art. A choice that also applies to Bulgari, which opened a few days before Vuitton, again in April and again in the world's most expensive high-end shopping street.

Last Friday was the turn of the Saint Laurent (Kering group) flagship store, with sophisticated furnishings starting with the materials. Space was also given to design for the boutique in Via Sant'Andrea by JW Anderson, who will be walking the catwalk in Paris in October as creative director of Dior but is turning towards lifestyle for his brand. There are great expectations for the Fendi flagship store, with an adjoining restaurant, in addition to the new Alberta Ferretti boutique, which has moved from Montenapoleone to Via Spiga and will open the catwalk calendar.