In the apartment of Jacopo Etro, who is responsible for the Home Collection design of the famous Italian fashion house, various antiques are mixed with exotic wonders. According to the landlord, this is the essence of the company's style. ETRO.

SALON: Jacopo, tell us about your family. We know the company ETRO founded in 1968 by your father Jimmo. But surely the family has a long history ...

 - Our family originates in the XVIII century in the city of Pordenone. At the end of the 19th century, my great-grandfather moved to Milan and at about the same time bought a villa in the town of Somma Lombardo, not far from Milan Malpensa Airport. The building itself is more than four centuries old, before it was a convent. We still live there sometimes and even make our own wine. I brought back an old 17th century Flemish tapestry, which now adorns the stairs in my apartment. He replaces me with a window overlooking the park.

S: Does the house where your apartment is located also have a story?

 - No, this is an ordinary house of the 80s of the XIX century. First, 15 years ago, I bought the first floor, where the living room and my bedroom are, and seven years later bought the top floor. I wanted the inside of the house to look the same as before, so I restored the parquet, ceilings, window frames, doors, even door handles. The layout and size of the rooms also remained the same, although I had to build a staircase connecting the two floors. The result was a spacious apartment in which I can keep my collections.

S: You collect a variety of items - from anatomical drawings to Chinese hats for newborns and feet of ancient statues. Is there a common theme that brings together your collections?

 - Of course. when unusual, eccentric things are surrounded by beautiful objects of classical style. This is a general theme. to mix a variety of things, and this is how something new can happen.

S: Your shirt is the same. It seems to be striped, but the collar is like from another opera ...

 - You guessed! This is an old shirt, she, so I wore it so often that she rubbed her cuffs and collar. Then I replaced them with a cloth from our new collection of men's beachwear.

S: By the way, why do you wear a SWATCH watch?

 - Because it is an accurate watch and they are inexpensive. I will not worry too much if their glass is cracked or if they break. For some important events, such as parties or weddings, I put on the watches of the 30s and 40s of the last century, which I inherited from my grandfather. I have GIRARD-PERREGAUX and BREGUET, then I bought ROLEX and PIAGET, released in the 40s. To be honest, I do not understand people who buy modern watches. I like the models of the 40s much more, they have more elegance, more charm. And they invariably cause universal interest.

S: Let's go back to the interior. You have a lot of things in the hallway from China. A company ETRO rather associated with India, with Indian shawls. What is close to the Chinese theme?

 - China is an exotic culture, with a rich color palette, with ornate, fancy decors. I have China associated with blue, yellow tones, with light red, and India - with saffron, purple, rust color. I really like both of these cultures, and I often mix Chinese with Indian.

S: When in the interior there are so many different in style items, it is important to avoid the feeling of chaos ...

 - You are right, from eclectic to chaos just one step. In my opinion, the unifying factor should be color. In my apartment the walls are neutral, ivory, this is the perfect background for a variety of subjects. But the fabrics, such as upholstered sofas, carpets already warmer colors - brown, red, rust, burgundy.

S: Traditional pattern ETRO Turkish cucumber, or paisley, which appeared in the company's collections in 1981, is considered. He meets in your house too. Are you not tired of the "cucumbers"?

 - It is impossible to get tired of paisley, because this pattern has countless interpretations - from funny hippie "cucumbers" to rich 19th century French shawls and patterns, from paisley from Russian Pavlovo posad shawls to ethnic decors on Indian shawls. This is a real transforming pattern.

S: Some time ago you talked about the project of creating three rooms in Hotel Principe di Savoia Milano. And surely there, too, will not do without paisley ...

 - We want in these rooms style ETRO was presented in different versions. One room will be decorated in Indian style, in the color of spices, the second will be more classic, in the color of ivory, and the third more modern, with bright colors. Perhaps we will implement this project next year.