Opera Collection

La Fenice (The Phoenix) opera house, where Verdi’s La Traviata debuted in 1853 and where every opera singer of note has performed. It earned its fateful name because it was built on the site of a theatre that had burnt down, but it had to rise from the ashes twice more, the last time in 2003, following a disastrous conflagration in 1996.

The newest exterior may be modest by Venetian standards but inside it is a fabulously OTT confection of gold and bronze, with cherubs and sea nymphs and a giant crystal chandelier. A night at this opera is like consuming an entire portion of crema fritta alla veneziana – fried custard, a local winter treat - from the famed Rosa Salva patisserie.

The Phoenix is the inspiration behind our latest cashmere collection, Opera.