Sunnei is a fashion brand, but it doesn't just make clothes. Founded in 2015, it's known for its experimental and irreverent approach. So it's no surprise that the brand's newly opened flagship store is not a traditional shop. Simultaneously a retail space, exhibition and event venue, café and possibly more in the future, it fully embodies Sunnei's rule-breaking philosophy. The posters for the advertising campaign, referring to a fictional review, describe it as "a concept store without a concept".

The store isn't designed to be a visual spectacle, it doesn't aim to awe visitors, and it isn't located on one of the fashionable streets in Milan's city centre. "We've always done everything backwards," Simone Rizzo, who founded Sunnei with Loris Messina, tells Domus. "Some brands put a lot of emphasis on having a central store, but since we have a strong online presence, it doesn't make sense for us to pay for an expensive space that might often be empty."

Instead, the store is located in the Susa/Argonne area, a historic residential neighbourhood in the east of Milan that has only recently been connected to the metro. It's also on a private street where people don't just walk by. Since 2020, Sunnei has been moving its creative centre to this area, setting up in the former recording studios on Via Cironi. Small rooms with acoustic panels on the ceilings, separated by glass walls, have been transformed into the brand's offices and creative spaces. In the middle of the two "Sunnei buildings" is the new 150-square-metre store, designed to combine the shopping experience with the creative process behind the products. "Having the store inside our headquarters allows us to offer a different kind of experience. If someone has a question about a bag, we can ask the designer working upstairs to come down and explain how it's made," says Rizzo.

Simone Rizzo, co-founder of Sunnei

Designed by the multidisciplinary agency 2050+, founded by Pestellini Laparelli, the store is set in a space that once housed a covered market. "We tried to preserve as much as possible, from the flooring to the exposed ceiling installations and the square chandeliers," architect Chiara Tomassi of 2050+ tells Domus. The space is characterised by a few clear geometric elements: the square shape of the display units and stools in the entrance bar area, where visitors can take a break on arrival, and the circular fitting rooms, created by two white curtains hanging from the ceiling. The shelving is modular, attached to a flexible wall system that makes it easy to change its position.

"Simone and Loris wanted a space that could disappear around whatever was happening in it, while at the same time being completely reconfigurable, dismantlable and adaptable," explains Tomassi. In line with this idea of quiet architecture - moving away from hyper-design in favour of a more fluid space - only a few design pieces are presented, such as the Sosia sofa by Emanuele Magini for Campeggi, which can be transformed into an infinite number of configurations.

"Our approach is direct, simple and radical, and this had to be reflected in the store as well as in our collections," says Rizzo. The brand's latest collection, presented at Milan Fashion Week 2025, is more mature, but the presentation still retains the ironic attitude that defines Sunnei. The entire private street was taken over for the show, with residents watching from their windows as models walked in front of the store carrying shopping bags emblazoned with the brand's logo.
 

"We have models walking around with shopping bags at a time when sales are down across the industry. We're opening a store when others are closing theirs," says Rizzo, confirming Sunnei's ironic and counter-current approach. Ultimately, it's a core part of the brand's identity at every level because, as Simone Rizzo concludes, "the truth is, we just like to make fun of the system".

Opening image: Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo, co-founders of Sunnei