DRAWN TO ROME
Written by Victoria Chase
Photography ©Kai Elmer Sotto / Illustrations ©Andrea Ferolla
The iconic Hotel Eden, located in the heart of Rome, just a short stroll from the Spanish Steps and the Villa Borghese, recently announced that fashion illustrator Andrea Ferolla is the property's first-ever Artistin-Residence. Ferolla's illustrations, featuring characters that inhabit an imaginary world made of allusive women, contemporary dandies, and animals with distinctive personalities, are regularly exhibited at the London Fashion Illustration Gallery and published in Italian and international fashion magazines. In addition to his role as a professor at the IED European Institute of Design, Ferolla and his wife Daria Reina founded a communication studio that focuses on luxury brands, as well as Chez Dédé, a chic atelier-showroom in Rome. In 2018, Assouline published Italian Chic, which takes readers on a journey through Italy via Reina's photos and Ferolla's illustrations.
A perfect pairing for a property that has frequently welcomed royalty, dignitaries, and celebrities since it opened in 1889, Hotel Eden will become a bi-monthly studio for Ferolla, where he will observe the daily dance of activity and then distill the experiences onto paper.
The resulting illustrations will provide a visual history of the hotel and its cast of characters in near real-time. Guests may spy Ferolla capturing the grace of the doorman in the lobby, the orchestrated serving rituals at La Libreria, the impeccable uniforms of the waiters at the rooftop of Il Giardino Bar, or Chef Fabio Ciervo at work in the panoramic kitchen.
"Every place has its own 'genius loci,' its protective spirit, a combination of material and immaterial things which can convey its character and uniqueness, the feeling and atmosphere of the place, its history, and its values," explained Ferolla. “Through my illustrations, I hope to capture the unique gestures and figures which bring the hotel to life.”
To see more of Ferolla's work:
For information and reservations at Hotel Eden:
