Chopard Parfums CEO talks about his statue collection, Piero Fornasetti vase & wine cellar

Patrizio Stella, CEO, Chopard Parfums, on the ‘spirit of Milan’ and why a sofa overlooking the garden is his favourite spot.

The spirit of Milan
“My life over the last 20 years has taken me abroad so often that being at home is almost a privilege. In the last few years, my family and I settled in Milan. My favourite space is the sofa facing the garden. I am surrounded by greenery while still in the centre of Milan. Whenever I have to take an important decision, I sit on that sofa and ask the ‘spirit of Milan’ to help me make the choice.”


My den
“Done in tones of black, red and green, I would describe my den as modern, sober but elegant. There are two couches and two armchairs set in a circle for a few friends to spend time. My den is surrounded by open windows and a balcony around to let the light enter. I love simple walls and a few mirrors to enrich the space.”

In vino veritas
“My den also has a wine cooler where I keep a selection of the best wines from my cellar. I love wines. It took me a long time to understand that behind every great wine is a great tradition and that sharing a glass with friends means giving them access to my true thoughts. Each moment or celebration needs a specific wine.”

Signature element
“I have a collection of statues from each new place I visit — my first visit to Paris, London, India, Japan, my honeymoon in Guatemala, etc. But my favourite item is probably a vase — La Femme Aux Moustaches — by Piero Fornasetti. The vase was a gift from my wife and I love it because it reminds me that life is always more complicated than what it looks, but those complications make life wonderful.”

No selfie zone
“One thing my den would never have is a solo portrait of me on the wall. Life is so interesting that we do not deserve to be too much focused on ourselves. There are so many other beauties to be focused on.”

Entertaining friends
“Whenever there is a new event to celebrate — a new job, a new kid, a challenge that’s been conquered, or an FC Torino [my football team] victory — my closest friends come over.”

A signpost for the den
“A Mahatma Gandhi quote that I often think of when a battle is on: ‘First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.’”