A LIGHTER LANGUAGE FOR SUMMER 

 

The new David Morris boutique at Hotel Cala di Volpe brings together art, craftsmanship and the relaxed glamour of the Mediterranean. What was your starting point when rethinking this space within such a specific setting?

 

An important starting point was recognising how different this setting is from David Morris’ city flagships on Bond Street or Rue Saint-Honoré. Cala di Volpe is a seasonal destination. Clients arrive on holiday—their guards are down, their phones are off, and the rhythm of life is slower.

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The boutique therefore needed to speak in a different tone. Rather than the formality of a metropolitan flagship, it could be lighter, more intuitive and quietly playful—something that captures a guest’s imagination as much as their eye.

 

Early in the process, I came across Petra Börner’s The Bathers, which immediately resonated. The sense of sun, leisure and spontaneity felt aligned with the spirit of Cala di Volpe. Each figure carries its own personality, and that narrative became a thread running through the space.

 

The project brings together artists and designers such as Petra Börner, Emma Donnersberg and Max McClintock. How do these different voices shape the atmosphere of the space, and what do they allow you to express that a single design language might not?

 

Collaboration allows an interior to move beyond a single perspective. Each contributor introduces a different sensibility—whether narrative, sculptural presence or material experimentation—and together they create a more layered and nuanced environment. In this project, Petra Börner’s work brings a strong narrative dimension, Emma Donnersberg’s pieces introduce a tactile, sculptural quality, and Max McClintock contributes a younger, more experimental design voice. These elements don’t compete; they build a dialogue that gives the space depth and individuality.

 

It also reflects David Morris as a house. There is a longstanding openness to working with different creative voices, so it felt natural for the space to evolve through collaboration.

 

Your studio often speaks about creating layered, narrative-driven interiors. How do you translate that idea into a physical retail space?

 

I tend to think about how a space should feel before considering how it looks. There should be an emotional response—a sense of curiosity, ease or quiet excitement. When someone tells me they felt something upon entering a space, that’s the most meaningful outcome.

 

In retail, this extends to how the space is experienced over time. I often spend time with the sales teams to understand how they interact with clients—the rhythms of those conversations and where the key moments lie. In that sense, the boutique becomes a kind of stage: the team are the performers, and the design provides the setting and tools for that interaction.