Antonio Marras expands internationally with first US store

Italian luxury brand Antonio Marras is kickstarting its international expansion plans with the opening of its first flagship store in the US, located in New York City.

Located in SoHo at 121 Wooster Street in a 19th-century period building, the new Antonio Marras store spans 7,500 square feet, of which 4,300 square feet are dedicated to retail. The store has been designed to be an experiential space “where every element, from the clothes to the design objects, reflects an ever-evolving aesthetic,” housing capsule collections, one-off pieces and “site-specific projects”.

Commenting on the opening, Antonio Marras, creative director of the brand, said in a statement: “I have always loved New York. I’ve always felt at home there, and that’s how I conceived the boutique: as a home where hospitality comes first.

“Opening in New York means a lot to me. New York is the city that resembles me the most, because like me, it never sleeps. Because people come from all over the world, yet they keep their love for their roots intact, even after generations.”

The interior of the store has been designed to enhance the original architectural elements of the 19th-century period building, including tin tile ceilings, cast-iron columns, exposed brick walls and cement grit floors. The entrance hall features a tribute to Sardinian artist Maria Lai, a muse of Marras, with a multifaceted and three-dimensional site-specific installation created by the designer, an ode to the millenary tradition of the Sardinian loom and weaving.

The store also features a large skylight, which inspired a garden-greenhouse intimate space, furnished with neoclassical and baroque pieces, a large crystal chandelier and plants hanging in handcrafted ceramic pots to emphasise the craftsmanship of the brand.

Italian brand Antonio Marras opens first store in New York City

The rest of the furniture in the store pays homage to 20th century Italian design, with pieces such as Carlo Mollino’s table and Mario Bellini’s Camaleonda sofa, “in an ongoing dialogue between past and present, tradition and innovation”.

Marras added: “The furnishings come from the ancient and ancestral part of the world, Sardinia, and intertwine with pieces found locally - everything feels as if it has always been there. As a welcome, at the entrance, there is a reinterpretation of a traditional loom, made of ceramic and wood elements bound together by bundles of rope.

“Art, furniture, design pieces, picture walls, drawings, furniture that transforms into something else, chandeliers, myrtle plants, sofas, and an outdoor area - all come together to create a special home in the very heart of the world.”

Antonio Marras has been part of the Oniverse group, helmed by Sandro Veronesi, since 2022, which has supported the strategic boost of the brand to develop internationally. The Oniverse group also includes hosiery, intimates and beachwear brands Calzedonia, Intimissimi, Intimissimi Uomo and Tezenis, cashmere specialist Falconeri and bridal label Atelier Emé.

Veronesi, president of Oniverse, said: “The opening of the Antonio Marras flagship store in New York marks a milestone in the brand’s internationalisation journey. We chose this city because it represents, as we do, the point where fashion, art and design meet, within an ever-evolving global context.

“Being present in New York allows us to communicate with a highly sophisticated international audience, while strengthening our identity through an immersive and distinctive physical experience.”