Corto Moltedo's Pool Party

Wearing violet Speedos to set off a deep bronze tan, Italian playboy Carlo Mancuso cuts a memorable figure in today’s NOWNESS premiere. But the film's true stars are the spring 2011 designs from Corto Moltedo: crystal studded and neon patent clutches emblazoned with the brand's signature cassette motif. Designer Gabriele Corto Moltedo, whose parents founded Bottega Veneta, commissioned Paris-based director Dustin Lynn to mark the opening of his Milan boutique in the city's high-end Via Montenapoleone fashion district (his other shop is in the Palais Royal) and his e-commerce store. Shot at the lush Padua abode of the designer’s mother, the short sees Moltedo and Mancuso fall under the spell of model Alicia Rountree and her glinting accessories. "We wanted the [design] signature to come across filmically, always tracing a line of sexual metaphor, but without taking ourselves too seriously," says Lynn, adding that Mancuso was perfect: "Hugh Hefner, John Waters, and Marcello Mastroianni from Divorce, Italian Style all rolled into one." Moltedo’s self-proclaimed “pop-luxe chic” aesthetic is a world away from the classic woven leather pieces associated with his parents’ classic brand, but the label prides itself on the same commitment to craftsmanship. 

Facehunter will be at the store’s starry opening in Milan tonight; check back tomorrow for photos of the glamorous attendees.