On 23 October, the Solomia Home flagship showroom in Dubai Mall Zabeel hosted its first art lecture, "Versace Home and the Etiquette of Luxury". Guests heard about Gianni Versace, the history of his fashion house, and how the Versace style moved from the runway into interiors and onto the dining table.
Solomia Home and Versace Home
Solomia Home is the official distributor of Versace Home in Dubai. The company was founded by Svitlana Antonovych. The flagship showroom in Dubai Mall Zabeel brings together the house's furniture, textiles, lighting, accessories and porcelain.
The lecture launched a new format for the showroom. It is a place not only to choose pieces for the home, but also to talk about where they come from. For a story about Versace this works well: every example could be shown right there in the room.
How the morning went
Svitlana Antonovych opened the event. She thanked the guests for coming and admitted that this format means a lot to her. She then introduced the speaker, personal stylist Irina.
Guests settled in the showroom's lounge area, on white sofas around a Medusa carpet. The tables held flowers, desserts and cups from Versace porcelain collections. Irina spoke next to a screen with slides, and the format stayed relaxed: guests asked questions and discussed the pieces around them.
The history of the House of Versace
Irina began with Gianni Versace's biography and showed his childhood and family photographs. Gianni was born in Reggio Calabria and grew up in his mother's dressmaking studio. In 1978 he founded his own house in Milan, with Medusa from Greek mythology as its symbol.
A separate part was devoted to 1993, when Versace Home was launched. The house's signature motifs then moved into interiors: baroque prints, the Greek key, gold and Medusa. Porcelain and tableware, made for Versace by Rosenthal, came first, followed later by furniture, textiles and accessories.
The main idea of this part: every Versace Home piece carries the brand's identity and history. As an example, guests were shown a fabric with a starfish print, which can also be ordered for the Outdoor collection.
The etiquette of luxury
The second part of the lecture was practical. Irina picked up a Versace plate and used it to show the basics of table setting. She also noted that guests often wonder which tableware brand their hosts use, so porcelain says something about a home too.
Rules covered at the lecture:
- how to lay out cutlery around the plate;
- how the spoon should lie: pointing away from you;
- where to put your napkin if you have a handbag: on top of it.
The lecture also covered the language of cutlery: how to place your knife and fork to show that you are waiting for the next course, that you have finished, and whether you enjoyed the dish.
What's next
Solomia Home held the lecture together with the ArtLab club. The showroom described it as a chance to bring people together, share ideas and learn more about the world of fashion, art and design.
This was the first meeting. ArtLab club members are invited to the next meetings at the Versace Home showroom in Dubai.
Gift bags from Versace and Rosenthal were prepared for the guests.
See more photos from the event in the gallery.
