Sandra‘s Closet

While being in Milan for ACQUA DI PARMA‘s launch event for the new home collection, I had the pleasure to meet with Laura Burdese, the Italian brand’s President and CEO, who gave me her tips for her home town Milan and Liguria, where she loves to spend her free time.

After graduating in International Economics and obtaining a Master in Marketing at the University of Trieste, Laura began her career in beauty industry with brand management tenures at Beiersdorf and L’Oreal. In 1999 she joined Swatch Group, where over the course of almost 18 years she held different positions of increasing responsibility. In 2006 she was appointed Country Manager / Managing Director of Swatch Group Italy. In 2012, in addition to this role, she was also appointed President and CEO of Calvin Klein watches and jewelry Co ltd. On October 2016 she joined Acqua di Parma as President and CEO. The charming blonde is married and has two teenage kids.

Your favourite city?
MILAN – it is my home and the most international city in Italy.

Your favourite hotel?
The BELMOND SPLENDIDO MARE in Portofino. It is all about timeless glamour and exceptional indulgence, it is my favorite place on earth. Originally a monastery, the building was transformed into a noble villa and then, early in the previous century, became a legendary hotel, with breathtaking views of the bay. I like it so much that I decided to shoot our Acqua di Parma campaign for the new home collection there.
Via Roma, 2, 16034 Portofino GE, Phone: +39 0185 267801

Your favourite restaurant?
Definitely GIACOMO MILANO. Conceived and designed by architects Renzo Mongiardino and Roberto Peregalli in an evocative setting that recalls the old Milanese trattorias of the early Nineteen hundreds, it is one of the most comfortable places for me.
Via Pasquale Sottocorno, 6, 20129 Milano MI, Phone: +39 02 7602 3313

Your favourite sightseeing spot?
VARIGOTTI – a picturesque seaside town in Liguria, Northern Italy. You have to see this fishermen’s place once in your life. It is a magical place that not many people know. My family has a house there only 50 meters from the sea, I spend my childhood there, I got married there – it is the place of my heart.

Your favourite beach?
VARIGOTTI BEACH – Varigotti is famous for its sea and beaches, particularly the Saracen’s Beach, which is one of the largest public beaches in Liguria.
17024 Varigotti, Savona

Your favourite park?
I love the PARCO SEMPIONE in Milan. Its is a large green-space close to the Castello Sforzesco. It was built between 1890 and 1893 imitating a typical English garden.
Piazza Sempione, 20154 Milano MI, Size: 39 ha

Your favourite shop?
Of course our ACQUA DI PARMA store in Milan that allows you to dive into our universe. We will close it in the end of April after the Salone di Mobile for two months and completely renovate it.
Via Gesù, 1, 20121 Milano MI, Phone: +39 02 7602 3307

Your must-have accessory?
A watch as I worked for 18 years in the watch industry and a fragrance. My favorite is COLONIA PURA. A great fresh contemporary unisex scent – my first launch at Acqua di Parma, my first baby so to say. I have an emotional connection to this beautiful scent.

The best soundtrack for this destination?
At the moment I cannot stop listening to the album of A STAR IS BORN. SHALLOW is my favorite song. I am not so fond of Italian music.

The best book to read while being on vacation there?
I read a lot and love contemporary literature, especially by American authors. THE TENDER BAR by J.R. Moehringer is my favorite book – a classic American story of self-invention and escape, of the fierce love between a single mother and an only son, it’s also a moving portrait of one boy’s struggle to become a man.

Laura in three words…
Passionate, authentic and warm-hearted.

Thank you, Laura, for sharing your insider scoop on Milan and Liguria with us!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Acqua di Parma, © Sandra Bauknecht and Courtesy of the different locations

Finally, I am allowed to share with you the official photos of ACQUA DI PARMA‘s new home collection that were photographed at the iconic Belmond Hotel Splendido Mare in Portofino by Guido Taroni in his sister Virginia Taroni.

When I met with Laura Burdese, I asked her about the biggest challenge the luxury industry is facing at the moment. She replied: «Personally speaking, it is to build up a global brand into a world that is splitted in two. We have the Western and the rising huge Asian world. To bring these two universes together is sometimes hard. Masculinity for example is different in Asia than in Eurpoe. What seems probably feminine to us, is very masculine for Asian people. Sometimes you are tempted to do certain things just for one place and you can get lost intranslatuion in the middle. Therefore, the biggest challenge for me is to build up a global brand with the same values, and the same assets, that can be read in the same way through different cultures.»

Launching the new home collection is surely a great step forward into building up one global brand. The home is the place that brings people together around the world. Everyone dreams of creating a space of relaxation, comfort and pleasure. It is the most intimate and personal space. The place that reflects your choices and tastes more than any other. Objects, colours, books, music.

All these things create an atmosphere that defines you, creating a space where you can entertain friends and make them feel at home. A certain ‘savoir-vivre’ that is palpable in the air. Light, subtle tones released into the air by an elegant candle or a simply designed room diffuser, bring the brightest Italian style to every room. The new Acqua di Parma Home Collection lends the final touch to a genuine home.

The brand that is the symbol of Italian lifestyle has produced ten new fragrances for candles and room diffusers. A range of sensory impressions, not just for your personal pleasure but also for the well thought out art of welcoming guests, or for an elegant, carefullychosen gift. Five different fragrances capture the typical moments of Italian living: Luce di Colonia, Buongiorno, La Casa sul Lago, Caffè in Piazza and Oh, L‘amore.

And for those who want to recreate the breath of the unforgettable Italian Mediterranean in their own home, five fragrances inspired by the Blu Mediterraneo line: Arancia di Capri, Fico di Amalfi, Bergamotto di Calabria, Chinotto di Liguria and Mirto di Panarea. Essences that contain ingredients symbolising the magnificent natural landscapes of the Italian Mediterranean.

My personal favorite: Oh, L’amore.

Home Collection from Acqua di Parma lights up your living spaces with a touch of sophisticated Italian style and the sheer pleasure that comes from feeling perfectly at home. The new scented candles and diffusers combine sensuality and design, and further enrich the world of creations conceived for the home, ranging from the Cube to the refined Murano Glass Candles, Powder Soap and Scented Paper drawer liners. All for a sense of light, natural elegance, to experience along with the brand name which has come to symbolise Italian lifestyle.

LoL, Sandra

Scented paper drawer liners are so awesome for your closet.

Photos: Courtesy of Acqua di Parma #HomeCollection