How would you like to sit and shop in an old Italian town for the afternoon? Imagine walking around Florentine-inspired jewellery stores, before joining friends at a restaurant and feasting on bowls of delicious pasta. Perhaps you'd sit on the steps of an old archway and write a few postcards bought from a stand in the piazza, and later you might sip on an aperitif in the sunshine as you enjoyed the al fresco ambience.
Jewellery label Alighieri is offering shoppers the chance to do just that with its new pop-up entitled Italian Old Town, in which it will recreate a small Italian square, complete with a restaurant, rustic-looking jewellery store and the opportunity to buy souvenirs and postcards. The idyllic-sounding space will open from 1 - 22 August and will be located at 4 Dingley Street near Old Street in East London.
The label itself has long-standing close ties with Italy. The brand is named after Italian poet Dante Alighieri and his famed book Divine Comedy inspired the imperfect, heirloom-esque aesthetic of Alighieri collections.
"We always want to bring people into our universe with everything we do. Dante was a Florentine and having lived in Florence myself, I've been yearning to go back," says Alighieri designer Rosh Mahtani. "With travel being so restricted, we came up with the idea to create our own Italian Old Town, something dreamy and nostalgic."
Mahtani wanted to create a space where shoppers could feel as if they're on holiday even if they're physically unable to travel. "So many of us haven't been able to see our friends for so long, I loved the idea of reunions in the square," she says. "I want to bring joy to everyone; I want to take our customers away."
All Italian towns feature a good place to eat and socialise, so incorporating a restaurant was crucial to Mahtani, so she came up with the idea of Casa Luna. The designer worked with Pasta Evangelists to create an Italian menu, comprising antipasti, hand-rolled pasta and dolce, as well as a selection of drinks.
"Casa Luna is inspired by a simple Italian trattoria that you might stumble upon accidentally in Italy, and eat the best pasta of your life," says Mahtani. "I wanted Alighieri Old Town to make you feel like you are in Italy, and what better way than a spumante, antipasti and pasta of the day."
More than anything, Alighieri Old Town offers a little respite and a slice of breezy normality amid what has been a tough six months. "It's been a hard year for everyone, and I think that a bit of escapism and human interaction is so important right now," says Mahtani. "I love the idea of everyone sharing stories on the steps, and giving themselves a little mini-break."
Shoppers are able to book exclusive time slot for a one-to-one shopping experience or can book a spot at Casa Luna to dine with a small group of up to six friends. Spaces are filling up fast, so make sure you make a beeline now to alighieri.co.uk.
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