What was once a busy and gray road is it is transformed into a green oasis. The scent of aromatic essences welcomes me. It's raining, but Via della Posta is decorated like every day, an open-air living room, I have the impression of being in a timeless space... I enter the first shop, thinking of announcing myself to a seller and with surprise I see Maurizio Romano busy creating a bouquet. The relaxing music completes the atmosphere. Let's start chatting...
I must say that I didn't expect to find you at work even during the lunch break...
(Smiles) «My eye must always be there, I am convinced that an owner must take on all the roles within a company, as I do... now you can find me behind the counter, tomorrow I could be on the phone finalizing a wedding . You know, for me it's normal to check the finishes, the details of everything that comes out of my shops, too because many clients want exclusively me, I have accustomed them to this. I therefore prefer to stay here, eat a sandwich standing up, and manage the shop in person."
Today you have a real DAHRA neighborhood in Lugano. Four shops, nine employees, this street is unrecognizable…
«Yes, I am very satisfied. If I think that I started in 1995 in Via Peri with a furniture shop... and only later added accessories to the point of offering flowers and plants, the journey has been intense. I never imagined that they would become my main business and the reason why I wake up enthusiastic every morning (smiles relaxed). Here (he opens his arms) I have brought together thirty years of knowledge, study, sacrifices and many satisfactions."
With your business you have given greenery to a city like Lugano, perhaps a contribution that goes unnoticed by many...
«I wanted to give a gift to myself and to the city in which I live. I couldn't live without being surrounded by nature. For me the most pleasant moment of the day is early in the morning, when I arrive at the shop. I realize that little by little wildlife is regaining its space in the city and I am very happy about it. The birds arrive, take the twigs, chirp and people pass by here even just to relaxburn. In my opinion, greenery in the city is indispensable, we should all favor it for general psychophysical well-being."
Before you told me that you never stopped studying...
«My life is a continuous search, a continuous study, I never feel like I've arrived, I never feel like I'm very good, I'm always one step ahead back... it's not a pessimistic view, but it's part of my personality: I'm a person who always wants to do better yes, I feel good, but never good enough. Even when I finish a job I tell myself: “Yes, nice, but I could have dared more, done more.” Then I look at it again years later and realize that it was actually very beautiful."
What inspires you every day, also because yours is a continuous creation, moment after moment...
«Nature, art, travel, I let myself be inspired by everything that surrounds me, even by my mistakes, by a twig that accidentally falls among the leaves or by a vase that breaks and leaves bark on the ground. I must say that I organize most of the events and weddings with my clients, I listen to their words, their tastes, I get inspired directly by them. I follow always trends, also because fashion is present in all sectors, but at the same time my creations are tailor-made and unique for that precise moment."
Your relationship with customers... how do you deal with them? Also because I understand that you are determined in your choices...
(Laughs) «I must admit that I have an aggressive sales attitude, when I understand the concept that can work I fight to carry it forward, because I believe in it, not out of stubbornness. Sometimes, with clients who already have their ideas but don't know the job, things get more difficult, also because, if there isn't a relationship of trust, it's difficult to give your best. When I say the best I mean that last minute addition that makes everything magical, unrepeatable. This does not mean that the guidelines cannot be decided together at the start, but then the surprise effect cannot be missing. You know... my head changes from day to day, nothing is ever static when working with nature, this is the beauty of my job and blocking this flow of ideas is a real shame."
Excuse me but who gave you this passion, this touch with which you touch flowers?
«You know I don't know, in the sense that as a child I always hated flowers. I remember my mother asking me to put them in vases and I didn't like it... also because I suffered from strong aspring allergies and therefore I hated nature. Over the years however, I don't know how, this passion was born in me. I imagine my mother passed it on to me, without realizing it initially, also because we are linked by many common interests... furnishings, fashion and of course flowers."
What do you say today?
«She is very proud, she is certainly very proud» (silence).
White, when I think of you I see white...
«I am the white one. In fact, I opened the second shop to put colored flowers, but I'm not in the colored flowers area. I like them, but they are not mine, they don't belong to me. That's how it is."
White, green, refined essences and relaxing music. What is your house like?
«My house is all grey, if there are flowers they are naturally white. For the rest I opted for grey, white and camel shades. The parquet is therefore grey, but I added a touch of particular green to the colour, as did the pearly walls. The furniture... I took care of it down to the smallest detail, also because it was my job, my first passion."
Don't you miss decorating?
«To tell the truth, I still do it to a minimal extent, only for clients with whom I have an excellent feeling, because I like everything that is beautiful so being able to complete a house with taste and class is something that continues to give me great satisfaction» .
You know, in recent years, commerce in Lugano has changed a lot, some shops have closed, others have moved, while you have managed to expand...
«Thank goodness (laughs), but you know because? DAHRA is constantly evolving, I'm not like thirty years ago, I've changed, I've grown, after a month I'm fed up, so I turn everything upside down, I move the shops, people enter ever-changing environments and in my opinion this choice is a winning one. You ask me why I stay here for nine, ten hours... because in this time I can dismantle a shop, change it... time flies by. You know, people like this disorder-order, my boutiques are never perfect, they are lived in, they are in constant movement... you can breathe an air of creation, of vital energy."
Would you describe yourself as a restless person?
"No. I'm very calm you know, very zen, not restless. Quiet, yes, sociable and if I see a problem I solve it calmly. I was like this even as a child, I made big messes, I was cheerful, but already in those Zen days."
Can you tell me a little about your past, your family?
«I was born in Como to a family that dealt with fashion, my father was a photoengraver, therefore, he prepared paintings for the printing of scarves and accessories, he had big brands as clients – Etro, Hermès, Gucci, Chanel – also because at that time Como was the city of silk. I spent the summers with dad to earn some money, I already had the mie ideas regarding fashion and I wanted to be independent in purchasing, therefore - out of necessity and pleasure - I have always had to deal with fabrics and colours. But I have to say that my greatest school was Etro in Milan. There I went from furniture to fashion, I approached the world of perfumery and I owe all my knowledge today to the Etro family, who supported me and mi he made it grow within his company."
But then you chose to come to Lugano…
"Why I was from Como and the trips to Milan were exhausting, I spent hours in the car and at a certain point I couldn't take it anymore. Also because the quality of life, in a physically tiring job, is important over the years."
But why not Como?
«Too provincial. Much is said about Lugano, but thirty years ago Como was much more so. All the industrialists didn't want to go to shops of a certain level, they didn't want to be seen as spending because however, they were linked to fashion companies and therefore preferred to go to Milan or come to Lugano. In fact, many regulars in Milan lived in Lugano, so when I arrived here I already had some great Lugano families as clients."
Can I also ask you about your private life?
"Certainly. I have been married to Luca for two years. He has been taking care of the perfumery side for three years, I am very happy. I got married late, I waited, and now I feel complete."
Has having a husband ever caused you problems?
«Look, I'm speaking to you openly: at thirteen I discovered I was gay and I told my parents and my two sisters. However, I lived in a small village and I won't tell you what they said to me on the street... but I always walked with my head held high, convinced of my decisions. In any case, all those people who laughed at me in the past have become my friends... I think that being prejudiced is synonymous with not knowing, because when you explain that you have feelings, that you are a normal person, intelligent people understand you and appreciate you for your essence."
I see that many of your clients are also friends, isn't it in a certain sense dangerous to give too much confidence at work?
«For me it's normal, too because when I enter in someone's house, over time, it is inevitable that a friendship is established. You become part of the family, sharing the most important moments such as anniversaries and weddings. Imagine that now I'm following the fourth generation... it doesn't seem real to me."
Your flowers are always beautiful, as are your plants, I imagine there is a continuous search for the best suppliers...
"THE My suppliers are currently in Holland. A couple of times a year I visit them, look at their products, make sure they are of excellent quality and if I'm not satisfied... I replace them. Deliveries take place several times a week, also because everything must be very fresh. Even in this case things have changed, in the past everything came from San Remo, but now Holland is unbeatable, excellent level and well organised, precise."
What kind of fashion influences the choice of flowers?
«Fashion affects plants above all. For example, ficus lyrata were plants that had not been looked at for many years and now they are back in fashion. Everything is decided by the interior architects, so you have to go to the furniture and architecture shows to understand what the trends will be, for example if the architects decide that it will be the year of the calla lilies... we will mainly sell calla lilies».
I imagine that you aren't just influenced by fashion anyway...
«Absolutely not, my creations, my purchases reflect who I am at that moment, there are years where I prefer amaryllis, others tulips or peonies... and consequently everything around me is influenced by them (he smiles). Plus, I favor seasonal flowers, too because I love nature and respect its natural rhythm. On the other hand, however, I have customers who, more or less, are inspired by fashion and therefore my task is to find the right balance and above all personalize the product with my signature".
We often think that flowers are a luxury and we decide we can do without them...
«The flower is a luxury when you buy flowers every week for the house. The moment you choose and offer a bouquet of flowers... you give a smile and give a moment of joy to anyone."
Always on the move, always looking for improvement, I imagine you have some ideas for Lugano too...
«I believe that we should give a little more space to traders on the street, in the sense that if Lugano became more open we would all benefit. I see that exposure on the street allows you to work much more, because people stop, ask you questions, you create a relationship with passers-by. Look at the terrace spaces they granted to the bars, it was a step forward, dictated by the pandemic, but still something beautiful, it's a shame that now they want to remove them... I don't understand."
Your work is close to art: the inspiration, creation and emotions that surround you…
«I assume so, deep down I think I'm an artist. I live on emotion, for me everything is emotion. From the morning when I open the shop... the colours, the lights, the nature."
How do you manage stress when there are big events to organize?
«I don't sleep, I go down to the shop at dawn, I'm always afraid of not arriving in time, of not finishing in time, of it not being beautiful enough, of not having enough goods. I seem very confident, but in reality I always have a bit of performance anxiety. But in the end I always get there and if something is missing... I invent it. Then when it's all over, the adrenaline drops, it takes me a few days to recover" (amused).
What if someone criticizes you?
«There are constructive criticisms and others made out of jealousy, the constructive ones I accept with pleasure (in any case I don't knownow, I need to stabilize first), I don't give weight to the others".
A dream?
«Catering has intrigued me for a long time. I would like to create an environment where you can enter, read a book in the midst of nature, in the midst of greenery... it's an idea that's been floating around in my head for a long time. However, I have to find the right place and also the right collaborators because It's not my job, I have to say that. I know how to bring out a dish, the type of menu I would like, I have clear ideas on how to set a table, what type of furniture to choose, but as far as food is concerned I would need someone to manage the food part for me. Nobody is a know-it-all and consequently I really appreciate professionals who concentrate on doing their job without wanting to interfere with that of others."
I greet Maurizio, also because there are many customers and the door continues to open. The feeling is that of leaving an oasis of peace and returning to the chaotic reality of the city, with everyone attached to their cell phones, to which unfortunately we have become so accustomed that we experience it as normality.
