Etro Looks Back on Three Decades on Madison Avenue

A view of Etro’s ETROSPECTIVE NY: 96–26 exhibition.

Etro Looks Back on Three Decades on Madison Avenue

26 ottobre 2026Aggiornato alle 09:25 del 26 ottobre 2026

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When Etro opened its six-story palazzo at 720 Madison Avenue in 1996, antique furniture, nineteenth-century paintings, and historic paisley drawings shared space with contemporary fashion. The building reflected the passion for art and collecting of the family behind the Milanese label: a shop conceived with the intimacy and eclectic character of a private home.

Thirty years later, the mansion is the backdrop for ETROSPECTIVE NY: 96–26. Open from October 22 through November 8, the exhibition draws from the house’s archives, bringing together womenswear, menswear, and one-off celebrity and red-carpet commissions to trace three decades of the house’s presence in New York. The anniversary was also marked by an event at the Metropolitan Opera.

Founded by Gimmo Etro in 1968 as a textile company, the house built its identity around richly patterned fabrics and its signature paisley motif. The family spent years searching for a New York address before constructing the flagship store, where each floor presented a different facet of its world. The opening exhibition included eighteenth-century garments and pieces once owned by Rudolf Nureyev, placing the family’s interest in historic dress alongside its contemporary collections.

The anniversary follows the founding family’s exit from ownership, making its influence on the house a particularly timely subject.

“Thirty years ago, the Etro family had the vision to build a home in New York,” says CEO Fabrizio Cardinali. He describes it as a meeting point between the house’s creativity, culture and curiosity and the city’s creative energy. The responsibility today, he adds, is “not simply to preserve it, but to expand upon it,” allowing Etro’s craftsmanship and design codes to evolve.

The anniversary extends beyond the exhibition: clients can commission selected archive looks like bespoke creations, while an exclusive bordeaux edition of the Fringes Pony Bag comes with a commemorative tag.