Mapped Out With Anna Vitiello
WHAT TO DO IN… NAPLES
A messy masterpiece on the southern Italian coastline, Naples sits under the shadow of a live volcano and looks out over the Mediterranean. It may not be as manicured as other Italian cities, but this is all part of its charm. Almost overburdened with personality, Naples is a mix of Baroque excess, scrappy street art and the smell of simmering ragu. Sheets hang over balconies like banners; narrow cobbled streets are filled with the noise of Neapolitans laughing and arguing at full volume and sunsets stretch out over the sea and onwards to the neighbouring islands of Ischia and Capri. Lively, raw and teeming with energy, Naples is home to elegant architecture, artistic heritage and pizza so good it’ll make you question why you’d ever eat anywhere else again. Creative consultant Anna Vitiello has a long-standing history with the city, after spending her childhood summers there with her Neapolitan family. “My father grew up in a suburban town called Torre Del Greco – home of coral and cameo jewellery – and I would spend two months of the year with my cousins, flittering between the city of Napoli and the Amalfi coast,” she says. “It’s still my favorite place in the world.” Here, she offers her definitive guide to Napoli.
Naples feels like home because…
“…the noise, the smells and the perfect chaos is precisely how I grew up. I have so many Italian cousins and was constantly surrounded by people and movement. I was the weird kid at school whose dad sent them in with pizza for lunch (he owned an Italian restaurant at the time) so even when I wasn’t in Naples, I brought Naples with me.”
The best non-fashion stores are…
“Massimo Caiafa for a collection of the best of Italian design - it’s the most beautifully curated vintage furniture I know. The family-run jewellery shops are where I really go to town, though - Salvio is a personal favourite and run by a mother and daughter duo who have carried on the centuries-old tradition of goldsmiths and jewellery-making. The store celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, but the family’s gold manufacturing story dates back to the 800s.
Neapolitan style looks like…
“A real mix of influences depending on where you go, but what I love about it is that it’s almost always too much. There’s a real confidence there and a genuine love of getting dressed up, and it’s colorful and chaotic, just like the city.”
How has your connection to Naples impacted your approach to style?
“I’m certainly not one to underdress, and I think I have Naples to thank for that – as a teenager, we would get so dressed up just to go down to the seaside to hang out on mopeds. Growing up, my nonna and my auntie and uncles would always gift us jewellery – it’s a huge part of the culture – and I would spend plenty of time perusing the ‘gioellerie’ between Naples and Sorrento, so my love of layering golds on golds started right there and has really only grown throughout my life.”
My weekend wardrobe constitutes…
“Leggings (Balenciaga do my favorites), shoulder pads (I love Magda Butrym and Alexandre Vauthier for theirs), earrings and low heels. I used to think of uniforms as boring, but as I get older and life gets busier, I gravitate more-and-more towards winning combinations.”
“The Lungomare, of course, but I also love Chiaia for a beautiful walk and browse.”
“Any of the beaches in Posillipo for the perfect city beach experience.”
“Sorbillo! Hands down my favorite pizza and you get all the buzz and chaos of the city alongside it.”
