Rossana Orlandi
Rossana Orlandi’s keen eye has shaped many a career in the design world. We explore…
Galleria Rossana Orlandi welcomes you with a stylish gate partially covered with greens and the initials ‘R’ and ‘O” in a bright red hue. It seems like a magical place and it is! Unique and riveting as the owner, Rossana Orlandi who is known for her keen eye for spotting design talent, it is a mythical paradise of everything that is ‘design’ ranging from the minimal to the gargutan!
Rossana possesses a highly charismatic personality with her signature style of white, big-framed sunglasses and a playful fashion sense. Born in 1943 and raised in the town of Cassano Magnago, about 25 miles northwest of Milan, she had an upbringing that was simple and quiet. Her sister, Susy Gandini, espoused in her the love of high fashion. Gandini worked in Paris with major French houses to develop ideas, materials, and fabrics, traveling in circles with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. Due to her influence, Rossana became interested in art and design and decided to follow it as her passion.
After having worked more than 20 years in fashion, she decided to transfer her flair for design to her next pursuit and became a private collector with an innovative gallery, a platform to showcase her personal idea of design and lifestyle. She has been working as a curator for several exhibitions in Italy and abroad and she has also collaborated with high-end brands in fashion, luxury, and lifestyle.
Gallery Rossana Orlandi was opened in 2002 and has been helping set trends along the years with new and upcoming designers and has established itself as one of the most revered voices in terms of avant-garde design and lifestyle. Space is designed unconventionally with a mixture of showrooms, retail stores, offices, and a courtyard for events and meetings with no boundaries. Much of the original aura of the building has been retained. The interiors seem to blend together, filled with an unexpected mix of objects, vintage and new.
The distinctiveness of the gallery is that it serves two important functions, giving an aesthetic experience while simultaneously enhancing design awareness. She is currently propagating her new project called, “guiltless plastic”, which is an Initiative aimed at changing the perception of plastic and ensuring the material is used responsibly.
The project was driven by concern over the pollution of the oceans by plastic waste. “It’s a sort of mission,” she said. “l want to change the meaning of plastic. |want to make plastic guiltless…plastic has become a horrible product, something that people hate, but at the same time it’s super interesting because if you recycle, you can do amazing things with it, from industrial pieces to art pieces. There are Immense possibilities.”
A powerhouse indeed!
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