WHO I FILMED: MILAN

Milan is chock full of fabulous designers who exude ingenuity, but also a deep reverence for Milan's history:

Nicolo Castellini

Not only did we film designer Nicolo Castellini (who dressed as dapperly as the decor he created)

In his (formerly all white!) jewel-box of an apartment:

but then we had the distinct privilege offilming nearby at his family iconic palazzo, Casa degli Atellani, where his father lived at the time and where Leonardo da Vinci spent time in the late 1490s, while he was painting “The Last Supper" across the street:

Here's one of my all time favorite pinch-me moments of Nicolo riding his bike into the courtyard to visit his father, deftly shot by my beloved, as Stacey sadly was not with me on this trip:

 

And here is our complete Quintessence home tour expertly edited by Stacey:

Eric Egan

Sometimes a host during your trip becomes a new friend whom you feel like you’ve know all along and that was the case with designer Eric Egan. Eric walked us around his cherished city, took us to some of his favorite haunts (including his tailor and framer) and even gave Stacey the name of his dentist when she worried about a tooth...

Born in America, Eric (he even went to Stacey’s alma mater Brown University) Eric’s lived in Milan for over 20 years.

First we shot at his extraordinary office with views of the Sforzesco Castle, which feels like being inside some fabulous novel set inside its sumptuous walls:

Then we went to Eric's timeless apartment within steps of the office, which felt like the perfect place to go with friends for a nightcap after Studio 54 or for spending a solo day for purposeful thinking: