In a certain Italian city comprised of 118 steadily sinking islands, the weight of the world is even heavier than usual this week, as the Venice Film Festival goes about its business. The stylish designer Viola Arrivabene swears that this is not necessarily a bad thing. “The city booms in all its colors,” she says. “It’s full of life, and interesting things are happening.” Arrivabene is now based in Milan, where she works as the special-projects manager at Spring Studios and Spring Place. And, along with her sister, Vera Arrivabene, she designs a collection of Furlane slippers, an homage to those worn by gondoliers. But Arrivabene regularly returns to her hometown—and, in fact, you’re welcome to stay with her. The Aman Venice now occupies the bottom floors of her family home, the Palazzo Papadopoli, a crown jewel of the Grand Canal.
Behold her packing list …
“If you have extra time, have lunch at Gatto Nero on Burano Island to escape the chaos of the Lido.”
“I shop for gifts at Giberto Venezia, my father’s boutique at the Aman Venice that specializes in Murano glass.”