COFFEE & SHOP: It’s not just luxury juggernauts adding hospitality experiences to their mega-flagships.
The Italian contemporary brand Pence 1979 has debuted its first flagship in Milan on Thursday inside Salotto Orsini, a new restaurant in the city. Both businesses are owned by holding company IPO SpA.
Located in the heart of the arty Brera district but tucked away from its main streets, the boutique on Via San Carpoforo is situated on the lower floor of the restaurant and follows peculiar opening hours, running from 11:30 a.m. up to 10 p.m. on the weekends to capitalize on the cross-pollination with Salotto Orsini and lure the latter’s clientele downstairs.
“The idea stemmed from a strong alignment of values [with Salotto Orsini] including the idea of reclaiming time for ourselves,” said Marco Tiburzi, chief executive officer of Pence 1979. “When we talk about the Italian way of life, it’s something we take for granted, but it’s highly appealing elsewhere — and that’s what we’re offering here: a taste of it,” he offered.
From the restaurant a black stone staircase leads visitors to the cozy and small retail space below, where men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections are displayed on opposite walls. The red-bricked vaulted ceiling is lit up by wooden displays and cabinets, as well as the beige marble flooring.
The restaurant on the ground floor features red brick arches, midcentury sconces and a soothing interior with plush beige armchairs and warm wood accents. The menu is curated by chef Gaia Giordano.
“We were really committed to bringing together the two seemingly different worlds [of hospitality and fashion] that aren’t so different, but rather both rooted in lifestyle and experience. They move at the same pace, and we wanted to create a space where you could come in for a coffee and end up buying a piece of clothing, or vice versa,” echoed Bruno Lucisano, founder and CEO of Salotto Orsini.
The flagship opening reflects Pence 1979’s recent transformation under its owner.
“Since the brand was acquired, we have undertaken a process not only of reinterpreting and updating it, but also of repositioning it. That involved important strategic decisions… and the final piece that we were missing was engaging in a direct dialogue with the market,” Tiburzi explained.
The brand has strong footprints in Italy and a limited distribution in foreign markets including other European countries and Japan.
In 2021 Pence 1979 was acquired by IPO Fashion & Design, a division of the parent holding. In 2024 the brand terminated its previous manufacturing license to directly control its operations in-house.
The brand was founded in 1979 by Otello Zecchin in the outskirts of Venice as a men’s pantmaker.