HOTSPOT | Hip, chic Fulham Road

by Roberta Busnelli

Giorgetti lands in London, and thus in the United Kingdom, with its first monobrand showroom, having chosen sophisticated, bohemian Fulham Road between South Kensington and Chelsea as its new base. It’s the perfect address for an international design brand in Swinging London.

Known today for its fashionable boutiques, antique bookshops, gourmet restaurants and trendy cafés full of young professionals and intellectuals, Fulham Road wasn’t always an on-trend design hub. One might say that it’s had a makeover. Nestled between Chelsea and Putney, near Sloane Square and Knightsbridge, picturesque façades line its elegant streets, dotted with ‘roaring cars more beautiful than the Winged Victory of Samothrace’, to paraphrase Filippo Tommaso Marinetti’s Manifesto of Futurism.

After all, looking good is a must in Fulham. The main thoroughfare, Fulham Road, is one of the longest shopping streets in South Kensington. It stretches for four kilometres, encompassing two boroughs: Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea, the latter having been granted royal status for being the birthplace of Queen Victoria.

Dating back to the Middle Ages (the first document mentioning it is from 1372), the ‘way from Fulham to London’ was once a favourite holiday destination for high society families, many of whom had their second home here. Close to the centre, but located in the countryside, it was an irresistible getaway to many. In the 18th century, it became a destination for gamblers and dissolute men, who flocked to Fulham to revel in dark and forbidden pleasures.

Even well-to-do Londoners snuck off to the area late at night to gamble, drink and take part in other illicit activities. Fulham got its pedigree back in the 1980s, when all of the Sands End industrial zone was demolished, and Chelsea Harbour and other luxury districts were built in its place.

It was in the 1960s, however, that Fulham Road became a hip cultural hotspot, especially Chelsea and South Kensington, symbols of exclusive, cultured, enlightened, uninhibited, fashionable and non-conformist London. The zeitgeist of the time was embodied by people like the enterprising Mary Quant, the Chelsea girl who invented hot pants and made the mini-skirt a fashion icon all while promoting women’s liberation. Kensington & Chelsea is one of London’s most elegant boroughs: chic Chelsea is home to the famous Chelsea Football Club and many jet-setters, stars and VIPs, bohemian intellectuals and musicians, while the posh and more scholarly South Kensington is home to haute couture labels, world-class galleries and illustrious universities.

It is here, at 54-58 Fulham Road, the point where South Kensington and Chelsea meet, that Giorgetti has decided to open its first single-brand shop in London (and thus in the United Kingdom). In collaboration with Interni, this investment highlights the important relationship that the company has with the London market, which is increasingly interested in high-quality Made-in Italy design. ‘The opening of the flagship showroom in London’, explained Giovanni del Vecchio, CEO of Giorgetti Group, ‘is part of a strategy that aims to bolster our presence internationally, and in the most important cities in the world. This store will be the beating heart of Giorgetti in the UK.’

Occupying two levels, with a total surface area of 400 square metres, the Giorgetti-designed space leads guests along a path that starts on the ground floor, going from the living room into the dining and kitchen area, and ends in the bedroom and home office. In the basement, a second living area takes shape, complete with the line of fitness equipment from the Giorgetti Atmosphere collection, and a second bedroom accompanied by a modular walk-in wardrobe system. A lounge area designed for outdoor use completes the list of settings.

The Store showcases the many projects in the Giorgetti collection, including new pieces and evergreen icons. Arranged to highlight the fine design the brand is known for, each architectural and furnishing element is the embodiment of a lifestyle. ‘The new space in London is designed to be an experience for customers,’ continued del Vecchio, ‘but it is also dedicated to architects and interior designers. It’s a creative environment where tailor-made concepts can take shape, both in the residential and contract industries.’

Many of the pieces on display are by architect and designer Carlo Colombo, accompanied by other important names in Italian and international design to create a domestic symphony: Roberto Lazzeroni, Massimo Scolari, Chi Wing Lo and design duo Ludovica+Roberto Palomba. They’re interpreters of the new ‘Maison Giorgetti’ philosophy, which is perfectly clear in the mind of the CEO: ‘The space has been designed down to the last detail to convey our strategic vision, engaged in the transition that I like to define as from object to project.’ London has always been ahead of its time, often a city of firsts. In short, it’s the place to be.

The first modern umbrella appeared in London in 1750, the first sex shop in 1732, the first traffic light in 1868, and the first top hat in 1797. The inventor and owner of the latter, John Hetherington, caused such a riot that he was arrested for breach of the peace a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace. Now it’s Giorgetti’s turn to celebrate its much-awaited ‘first cockney opening’—hopefully sparking the right kind of a stir.