Versace high fashion stores: how Il Piccolo created the interiors of over 100 international Versace stores

When it comes to high fashion stores, furnishings are never just a simple accessory. They are instead a means of expression, an extension of the brand, a true language.

This was clear from the outset to Gianni Versace, who in the 1980s saw Il Piccolo, a carpentry workshop in Brianza, as the perfect partner to bring his aesthetic credo to the world. The great designer was not just looking for someone who could make beautiful furniture and, consequently, classy stores and boutiques. He was looking for someone who could interpret his vision, build settings consistent with the visual identity of a brand that was destined to become iconic.

The result was a collaboration that lasted over twenty years and culminated in the creation of over 100 Versace stores, designed and created all over the world. A titanic undertaking that rewrote the rules of luxury retail, anticipating the concept of the shopping experience by decades.

In today’s article, we discuss Versace stores and the luxury shopping experience. In fact, we will go even further: we will talk about the guidelines for creating high-end fashion stores and, more generally, the details that high-end fashion store interiors must have.

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When high fashion stores become a language: Versace’s vision, Il Piccolo’s touch

As we have seen, creating a luxury store is not just a matter of furnishings, but of design culture. This also applies to high fashion. The interior designer must therefore be able to fully understand the brand’s DNA in order to translate it into iconic, coherent and seductive environments.

Versace chose Il Piccolo, a Brianza-based company specialising in carpentry and bespoke interior design, for its stores. This marked the beginning of one of the longest-standing and most significant collaborations in the world of luxury. Il Piccolo has designed and built Versace stores all over the world, playing a decisive role in defining the fashion house’s spatial language.

Each boutique had to tell a story. More than that, it had to become a permanent setting for the narration of a strong, theatrical and opulent identity. The basic idea was that of a store concept inspired by an iconic residence in every detail: columns, gold, warm lighting, marble, velvet and wood panelling. It was not simply furnishings, it was storytelling through the environment.

The “imperial” concept: materials, atmosphere and function

The interior design for the Versace stores was based on three requirements: to tell the brand story, showcase the garments and ensure a smooth and memorable experience for the customer.

In this sense, every single piece of furniture was studied in detail to blend aesthetics and function. Solid wood was selected for its strength and handcrafted to achieve completely customised finishes. Brass, made using traditional casting techniques, added richness and uniqueness to handles, frames and structural details. The fabrics chosen – including silks and velvets – combined comfort, durability and consistency.

But that’s not all. Even the walls became narrative surfaces: marmorino plaster, decorative plaster and handmade stucco transformed every room in the store into a unique architectural feature.

Nothing was left to chance. Even the lighting in the boutiques followed sophisticated logic. For example, each light source was designed to accompany the visitor’s gaze, guiding them along the visual path and highlighting the textures of the garments and furnishings.

In short, a new language of luxury was born. Versace was the brilliant creator, our workshop of artisans the hand that brought it to life.

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A global vision: how to successfully transfer an identity across five continents?

Tackling over 100 high-end fashion store projects, all in different cities and markets – from Milan to Tokyo, London to Miami – was a complex challenge, both technically and culturally. The Versace brand identity had to be instantly recognisable, but it also had to dialogue with the local architectural and regulatory context.

Piccolo was able to combine global consistency with specific adaptation, thanks to a flexible but rigorous structure. How did we achieve this? Each store opening followed a tight schedule, each project was tailor-made, and every detail was checked by centralised quality control, as well as by internal staff sent to the site.

The organisation of our workshop has evolved over time: from a craftsman’s workshop to an industrial reality with international project management capabilities. The experience we have gained has led us to introduce advanced tools, grow our team and build an integrated supply chain combining craftsmanship and innovation. Shipping logistics, coordination between our design studio and our technical office, and the management of different regulations: everything was handled with precision, experience and creativity.

This is how we managed to fully meet the expectations of a historic brand like Versace. This is why the designer and his team of managers entrusted us with the design and construction of so many luxury stores around the world.

Do you need to create a high-end fashion store?
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How to create a luxury store? Beyond the store: fashion, events, residences and new territories!

The partnership between Il Piccolo and Versace was not limited to commercial spaces. Over the years, our company has also worked with the fashion house in other areas. Some examples? Set design for fashion shows and exhibitions, furnishings for special events, the creation of temporary boutiques and even residential projects.

In fact, Versace’s stylistic universe extended far beyond the perimeter of the store, and Il Piccolo was there to interpret it wherever necessary. This approach allowed us to expand our expertise and refine a design method that could adapt to different contexts while maintaining a strong aesthetic identity.

The collaboration to create Versace’s luxury stores was also a catalyst for skills development. Simultaneously managing different projects, each with unique requirements and objectives, has consolidated a rare ability to combine consistency and customisation. This is why Il Piccolo is now chosen by new luxury brands looking not just for a supplier, but a strategic partner for their physical space. A supplier who can listen, interpret, propose and deliver.

In short, the experience with Versace in designing and building its stores and boutiques has left a deep mark on Il Piccolo’s identity. In particular, it has taught us the value of storytelling in space, the importance of blending aesthetics and functionality, and the decisive role of details in defining luxury. These lessons still guide our carpentry workshop in every new project.

In this sense, we can say that the future of high-end shop fittings lies in new challenges. What are they? Sustainability as an integrated value, technology as a discreet ally, and customisation as an essential rule. But the basic philosophy remains the same: to create environments that excite, tell a story and stand the test of time. Just as Versace has done.

When you choose Il Piccolo, you choose a partner with a clear vision, forged by decades of experience in the heart of luxury retail. It means relying on a partner who knows the codes of haute couture but knows how to rewrite them for each brand. It means believing that a shop is not just a place to sell, but a statement of identity. And that interior design, when done well, can become a true cultural work of art.

Do you need to create a luxury store?
We have over 50 years of experience.
>>> Contact us and let’s talk! <<<

The art of consistency: every piece of shop furniture as part of an overall story

Any other advice on how to create a store or boutique for a global brand? Our experience with Versace stores has taught us that, in a market where customers travel and recognise a brand’s identity at a glance, visual consistency is essential. What does that mean? A customer walking into a Versace store in Dubai should feel the same intensity as in a store in Paris, while still experiencing the nuances of the location.

This is perhaps one of the rarest skills to develop: knowing how to express the same identity on a global scale without ever falling into repetition or rigidity.

This means that every piece of shop furniture, every finish, every detail contributes to building a common language of luxury that can adapt to different climates, cultures and architectures. Il Piccolo has made adaptive consistency one of its strengths, with a work process that combines careful design, Italian craftsmanship and a deep knowledge of local contexts.

This has allowed us not only to consolidate the image of a giant like Versace, but also to maintain high quality standards all over the world.

The value of our interior design experience with Versace stores…

Looking back today, it is clear how much our long collaboration in the design and construction of Versace stores has been a school of excellence for Il Piccolo. The experience gained with this great luxury brand has refined the company’s design sensibility, teaching us that true quality is not only aesthetic or technical, but also relational.

The ability to listen to the customer, interpret their deepest needs and translate them into space is what distinguishes a simple executor from a true partner. We have experienced this since our inception in 1968. That is why, in every new project, we bring with us a wealth of experience: a culture of craftsmanship that combines art, business and vision. Whether it is a new boutique in Asia or a concept store in Europe, the goal is always the same: to create environments where identity takes shape, where every surface speaks and every detail makes a difference. For Versace as well as for all our other customers.

This post on Versace stores and how Piccolo was able to design and manufacture their high-end shop fittings ends here. If you are an entrepreneur or a luxury manager, you now know that there is a company capable of creating custom-made furniture for any type of store or boutique, combining guaranteed delivery times with the typical taste for beauty and elegance that only Italian craftsmen possess.

Il Piccolo, second generation family-run carpentry shop, opens its showroom in Lugano. With over 50 years of experience, Il Piccolo brings with it a wealth of technical and design knowledge of the highest level, thanks to the many interiors designed and furnished all over the world. In addition, Il Piccolo represents the most prestigious brands of furniture worldwide. Il Piccolo designs, manufactures and sells the best of interior design made in Italy, following the customer from design to implementation, delivery and installation of the work, integrating the process with a precise and professional service. CONTACT US