10 Corso Como: A to Z
Insight into the 20+ year history of the famed Milanese shopping and dining complex, as told by its founder and curator
With its exposed spine and fabric cover, Rizzoli‘s “10 Corso Como: A to Z” hints at the artistic and engaging content that waits just beyond its painterly cover. A celebratory monograph of the famed Milanese shopping and dining complex, the book offers a retrospective look at the exhibitions, designers, voices and inspirations that have influenced the now-iconic space through the eyes of its founder and curator Carla Sozzani. Founded back in 1990, 10 Corso Como began as Galleria Carla Sozzani (an art gallery and bookshop) and over the next decade, design and fashion stores, cafes and a small hotel popped up, and in 2013, Sozzani even took her vision to Shanghai. But rather than becoming a high-end Milanese mall, 10 Corso Como is less about consumption and more about enjoying objects of beauty and interest—reflecting Sozzani’s perspicacious taste in design, fashion, food, travel and more.
Written from Sozzani’s perspective, the playful tome is strung together by a hand-painted alphabet created by illustrator Kris Ruhs—who designed the store’s iconic off-white logo over 20 years ago and has worked with Sozzani ever since. For example, “C is for Circle” explains how in 1991 the deceptively simple shape became came to be their signature emblem, while “W is for Windows” talks about the team’s favorite place to meet over the years. Sozzani’s loosely organized anecdotes and musings are also supported by images from the store’s storied past and portraits of influential contributors—all adding extra history and personality to Ruhs’ drawings.
Whimsical and personal, the book feels incredibly intimate—offering great personal insight along with the facts—and offers in-depth access the curatorial thought process behind one of the world’s most iconic fashion and design destinations.
10 Corso Como: A to Z is available for pre-order on Amazon for $50.
Images courtesy of Rizzoli
