"Please, madam, come and see." Antonio Marras himself, in shirt, hat and glasses, is there to welcome passers-by curious to discover Ephemeral, in the luxurious Via Montenapoleone in Milan, inaugurated for the Milan Design Week 2025 which starts today and ends on Sunday 13 April. A temporary space that anticipates two imminent openings, in Porto Cervo and Bari, then the Flagship Store in Milan, in Via Montenapoleone 22, and then continues the expansion abroad.
As soon as you cross the threshold you enter a universe suspended between imagination and reality. A space, as the name itself says, “ephemeral”, ephemeral, destined to vanish, leaving behind the sign of a unique experience. The touch of the Alghero designer is everywhere: from the ceramic door handle, fired raw, to the entrance with an urban landscape and the cuckoo clocks on display, doubled by the mirrors. «A memory of when my children forced me to watch cartoons». A project that breaks the mold of traditional retail, transforming the concept of a shop into an artistic and emotional experience. «Hearing, sight, all the senses must be stimulated. I think that a shop, a boutique as I conceive it, must allow visitors to explore», is Marras' belief.
The space, a 300 square meter boutique, hosts the women's, men's, accessories and fragrances collections, as well as dedicated One-of-a-kind pieces: continuing on, it changes into a destructured dimension, where stacked wardrobes and repurposed drawers redesign the concept of display . There are Maria Lai's ants, which inspired the new collection: "I created a small installation, it seems like they come out of a hole to run in a row along the wall and go down."
Going down, a setting inspired by Renaissance courts opens up, where mural perspectives deceive the eye, like an “ephemeral” Milan Cathedral. Finally, the experience culminates in a scenography of pure wonder: a contemporary tribute to the grandeur of the Palace of Versailles, where lights and reflections transform the space into a timeless illusion, between mirrors and a Marie Antoinette hidden behind the clothes: «She is there and observes us». The overall effect is that of a journey through suggestions and dreamlike atmospheres, which leaves the audience immersed in the universe designed by Antonio Marras.
And it doesn't end there: inside NonostanteMarras, in the vibrant heart of Via Cola di Rienzo 8, there is another poetic labyrinth to get lost in. Also on the occasion of the Fuorisalone in Milan, the concept store born from the creative flair of Marras becomes a center of collaborations between art, fashion, design and gastronomy declined in the theme "Who loves", a stylistic path that celebrates the meeting between passions and people with a capsule collection of t-shirts and sweatshirts completely inspired by the Salone.
DespiteMarras previews a selection of outdoor furniture designed by Antonio Marras + Nodoltalia, which give life to the second co-branding collection. The collaboration includes chairs, sofas, rugs, tables, woven textile surfaces of the outdoor furniture that blend with the wallpaper by Wall&Decò. The pattern and color palette are inspired by the famous dome of San Michele in Alghero.
Also this year the creative vision of Antonio Marras and the Rana family is renewed with the presence of the Temporary Bistrot & Restaurant "Famiglia Rana" (1 Michelin Star) which, under the guidance of chef Francesco Sodano, takes guests on a gastronomic journey between tradition and innovation, drawing inspiration from the suggestions of Marras and the deep bond with the flavours and traditions of Alghero.
Finally, in the heart of the showroom, “Chi ama la maestra” comes to life, a work-installation born from an experiment by Antonio Marras in an elementary school in Alghero, which reinterprets the concept of the school class through puppets and artistic suggestions. An ode to knowledge, to teaching as an act of love and to the collective memory that spans generations.