runway successes

For fashion-show aficionados Alejandro and Davide, their Milan apartment is a place to dream up fresh creative ideas

- Jo Leevers

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THE OWNERS

Alejandro Restrepo Perez, architect and art director, and Davide Colzi, fashion and interior designer. They are co-founders of ARPconcept, which provides interior design, architecture, art direction and event management for leading fashion brands.

THE PROPERTY

A 1970s apartment in Milan. There is a double living room with a dining area, a kitchen, a master suite and a guest bedroom suite, plus two terraces and a balcony.

milan-based designers Alejandro Restrepo Perez and Davide Colzi can be counted on to put on a good show. They helped Chanel create its legendary La Passeggiata and Little Black Jacket events and their client list also includes Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Etro. Their job is to turn a blank space into something spectacular, be it a fashion show, a window display or an event. But, for the couple, their role goes deeper than impressing the front row fashion editors. ‘Yes, we are architects, but we don’t only construct spaces,’ says Davide. ‘It’s more about creating a personality and a sense of soul.’

The same goes for the couple’s 1970s apartment in central Milan. While it had a great location, the two-bedroom home felt boxy and chopped up, with rooms peeling off a dark corridor – living spaces on one side and bedrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen on the other. The couple started over with their own floor plan: ‘We removed all the original walls then redistributed the spaces,’ says Alejandro. Their aim was to create a double living room flooded with light from two terraces and a kitchen balcony, creating a sense of openness.