CIAO FIRENZE!

Luca Gnecchi Ruscone is proud to announce that L.G.R, his brand of glasses entirely handmade in Italy, has just opened a flagship store in Florence.

The new L.G.R store is the first monobrand store in Florence and the third one in Italy after Milan and Rome. Located in the heart of the city, in Via Porta Rossa, the store overlooks one of the historic streets of the city center, where the silk artisans and workshops used to be. It perfectly represents the brand’s DNA, standing out for its timeless style and designed to fully experience the L.G.R world.

“Opening the flagship store in Florence was overwhelming. After Milan and Rome, opening a store in Florence was my priority, not only for commercial purposes, but also for personal reasons: I have a deep connection with the city and the Tuscan territory. This is where I chose to live and where most of my family lives.” states Luca Gnecchi Ruscone, Founder and CEO of the brand.

The store, designed by Giampiero Celani Piendlbach, perfectly embodies the soul of L.G.R: the adventure of Africa and the timeless elegance of Italian design. Inspirations from different African territories such as Kenya, Maghreb and Eritrea are the key elements of this interior design symphony, in perfect harmony with the brand’s DNA.

The new store is based on the same concept of the two monobrand stores of Milan and Rome, inspired by the atmosphere and beauty of Ottica Bini, the store which Luca’s grandfather, Raffaello Bini, ran in Asmara (Eritrea, Africa) between the Thirties and the Seventies. It was in that store that, in 2005, Luca discovered some old and elegant frames dating back to the Forties. He then decided to take them to Italy to embark on a new business venture.

The wooden display niches, the sand, green and turquoise color palette, the wooden furniture and coconut elements are all inspired by the atmosphere and beauty of Ottica Bini. The two lumière of Maghrebine inspiration have been made by hand in Morocco, while the sofa and the soft lights recall the colors and scents of a Moroccan kasbah. On the walls, the evocative illustrations made by hand, are memories of travel diaries in Kenya and Maghreb.

A combination of Italy and Africa designed to fully live the L.G.R experience and to discover its DNA. The timeless, classic and contemporary style of the store is the same of the brand’s collections, whose names are inspired by African locations – a tribute to the continent that defines the brand’s heritage.