Buying The Dream
THERE you are in isolated splendour. The remote Mediterranean island of Pantelleria is yours for the roaming.
And on its pristine soil you have constructed a sumptuous hideaway. A crystalline pool reflects the azure sky. The Moorish-style home has terraces of raffia, embroidered cushions and exotic, low tables.
Your bedroom is simple. There is a “monastic” air, an enormous bed and a ceiling fan.
It is an idyll. And it is very private. The place is only accessible by boat. Only invited guests, the people whom Giorgio Armani, the owner, calls “friends” can call.
“Each guest has his or her own chalet, their own private corner to relax in,” says Giorgio. “We meet in the main part of the house for breakfast, lunch and supper.”
Not that there are any of Giorgio’s friends in sight. All we see are shots of the Italian designer walking alone by his pool, looking out to sea and gazing up to the skies.
The impression is of the man alone with his thoughts -0 and his thoughts are of spotting other people or even a passing jet. There are no visible friends, only insects, birds and the people from Hello! magazine.
And here is the problem for Giorgio – he has this great place but no-one can see it. He needs Hello! to tell the world over the seas it exits.
And the place is ready for others to arrive. There are tables set with blue plates and glass tumblers. The sun loungers are draped with pink towels. The many candles are lit, beacons of light for the weary traveller to navigate by. A bottle of wine languishes in an ice bucket. Crudities mingle in a bowl. Water with lemon slices waits to slake a sailor’s thirst.
But there is no-one. The hush is punctuated by the sound of the wind bristling the erect and regular palms. And the click of the Hello! photographer’s lens.
Where are Giorgio’s friends? Who will dine with him? Will you? But before you secure a boat and set sail for this romantic land, to spend time with this modern day Ben Gunn, dressed in linen shorts and a tight, breast-enhancing eggshell-blue T-shirt, think on.
You can create the Giorgio experience at home. It turns out that pretty much everything you can see is available from a range of goods called Armani Casa. A case of la sua casa è la vostra casa. Giorgio’s home is kind of Ikea for the adventurous.
You can be just like Giorgio. And you can share it with your friends, if you have any…
Posted: 21st, August 2006 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
