August in the studio: new beginnings, Sardinia, and ddLab news | Milan

August in the atelier: taking stock, breathing, restarting

August always has a special rhythm. It arrives with a somewhat suspended light, as if asking us to pause for a moment before starting again.

For ddLab, this first part of the year has been intense, full, transformative. One of those periods where many things happen at once, and only later, when you finally stop, do you truly understand how much you've changed.

The biggest change has been the move to the new atelier. Not just a physical relocation, but an important transition: a new home for work, for fittings, for fabrics, for custom projects, and for all those conversations that often start by talking about an outfit and end up describing a person.

And then there's the street-facing window. This means a lot to me. Having a window in the neighborhood where I grew up is something that moves me more than I can express. It's as if my work is returning to a familiar place, but in a new form. A way of saying: I'm still here, but I'm different. More aware, more centered, more ready.

Even my work is evolving. ddLab is no longer just a brand, and perhaps it never truly was. It is increasingly a way of guiding people through fashion with kindness, precision, and listening. Custom-made, tailored fittings, consultations, case studies, garments born from very personal desires: every project confirms that this is the right direction.

Gentle fashion, for me, isn't just a nice phrase to write. It's a method. It's choosing not to rush when depth is needed. It's valuing time, fittings, invisible details. It's creating garments that don't ask the person to become someone else, but help them recognize themselves.

This year, no big trip far away. I've chosen Italy, and its most beautiful sea, the one I've always loved: Sardinia. A simple break, full of light, wind, and clear water. The kind of beauty that doesn't need to explain itself.

The atelier will reopen on September 2.

And can I say it? This autumn will be simply sparkling.

There will be new developments, new projects, new stories to tell, and new garments to create. But first, for a few weeks, we're taking the rarest luxury:

to stop, breathe, and gather energy.

See you in September.

With a full heart,

ready hands, and many beautiful things to build.

With Affection,

Donatella