In the heart of Milan, at Via Broletto 13, during Fashion Week, Vespa opened Vespa The Empty Space, the first concept store designed to be closer to new consumers.
The brand, known as an icon of style and Italianness, loved all over the world—from the Mods in the 1960s to today—founded in 1946 and part of the Piaggio Group of Pontedera, near Florence, has embarked on a new journey that looks to the future, despite faithfully to the brand’s own DNA.
Vespa The Empty Space, Milan
This immersive and welcoming space aims to offer a range of products that were not previously available from the brand. They are all linked to lifestyle, with various influences from the world of fashion, as well as perfumes, objects, but also experiences and moments of conviviality.
In the future, in fact, in addition to selling products, it would also like to host meetings, travel stories, and similar initiatives, while remaining faithful to its unique style and the idea of freedom of expression and movement.
The new concept store features an industrial design inspiration along with metallic-colored interiors and curved lines, like the silhouette of the famous scooter and its logo, which has never changed since the brand’s inception.
Vespa The Empty Space, Milan
The store is divided into three areas: one presents a selection of the most iconic Vespas, known as a symbol of design and freedom on two wheels; one is dedicated to a capsule collection offering around 25 items of clothing, including laser decored jeans, funky tops, sweatshirts, windbreakers, and accessories with a modern and fresh look; and finally, a lifestyle section with pop-style items for brand enthusiasts and motorcycle aficionados.
“There used to be a store here that housed a Vespa Café. We noticed that people who came in for a coffee would return here when they needed to buy a Vespa. After many years, we wanted to try something different and create a place entirely dedicated to Vespa, while keeping the café inside,” said Davide Zanolini, marketing director of the Piaggio Group.
“We don’t sell merchandise, but small collections consistent with the Vespa world. We don’t even want to start a journey into the world of fashion as other brands have done, for example, in the automotive sector. We want to explore a little more the world of those who can become ‘Vespisti’ (Vespa fans) even if they don’t have a Vespa,” added the manager.
Vespa campaign
Especially among young people, globally, the manager notes, many are moving away from driving cars. It is a phenomenon that sees a decline of about 30% per year in driver’s licenses for those over 18 because many choose to travel by other means, such as more maneuverable vehicles and, for example, Uber.
“For these reasons, we want to bring more consumers closer to the world of Vespa, which has always been about freedom and a zest for life. From the very beginning, Enrico Piaggio’s genius was to create a vehicle that anyone could ride… It is no coincidence that this vehicle has greatly facilitated the emancipation of women… And that is also why our capsule collection is unisex,” added the manager.
The clothing collection will be sold through the Vespa website, in select Vespa dealerships, and through corners in department stores such as KaDeWe in Berlin and Rinascente in Milan and Rome, and in the future through select pop-up stores around the world.
Vespa The Empty Space, Milan
“We don’t want to start distribution like traditional fashion. Of course, if Antonia were interested in opening a corner, we wouldn’t mind. However, we would like to open other concept stores similar to this one within the next year, for example, in cities such as Bangkok, New York, Berlin, and Barcelona,” concluded Zanolini.
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