American Model for the New Rinascente in Piazza Duomo in the 1950s
During World War II, the La Rinascente building in Piazza Duomo was irreparably damaged and in 1948 the first blueprints for its reconstruction were drafted.
In October of the same year, Cesare Brustio left for a 6-week trip to the United States where he visited 59 retail outlets, chain stores and department stores in New York, California, Texas and Massachusetts.
Cesare Brustio's itinerary during his trip to America (24 October 1948 - 8 December 1948).
His mission was to study a new model for displaying and selling goods, for which he wrote a detailed report on his trip to the US, where he noted what he had observed. The typescript, accompanied by photographs, drawings and pencil diagrams, as well as publications for customers and personnel, represented a source of inspiration for the construction of the new La Rinascente location in Piazza Duomo.
The material collected by Cesare Brustio enables a glimpse of American fashion of those years, from the design of clothes to the fabrics used, from window displays to advertising materials.
When, on 4 December 1950, the La Rinascente building next to Milan’s Piazza Duomo was finally inaugurated, the department store presented a completely new organization of retail spaces and showcases.
Ground floor of La Rinascente in Piazza Duomo in Milan in the 1950 setting, Fototecnica Fortunati. Archivio Brustio-La Rinascente.
Also the fashion show at Albergo Duomo would look to the United States, with “12 models presenting 32 American garment designs” on the occasion of the gala dinner organized by La Rinascente for its new opening.
Fashion Show and gala dinner, Albergo Duomo. December, 8th 1950. Archivio Brustio-La Rinascente.
Fashion Show and gala dinner, Albergo Duomo. December, 8th 1950. Archivio Brustio-La Rinascente.