A Lifelong Commitment to Design and Luxury: Mondopiero Client Profile
Mondopiero: A life-long commitment to design and luxury
We are Piero Gesualdi and Michele Azzopardi, co-founders of Mondopiero.
As an architecture student, Piero dreamed of opening an outlet that celebrated brave ideas, quality, and fine craftsmanship. Fifty years on, in tandem with his can-do partner Michele Azzopardi, it finally happened.
Tell us about your careers.
Piero Gesualdi
Renowned for decades as a true trail-blazer in Australia’s fashion and design scene, Piero Paolo Gesualdi had founded the iconic Masons stores in Melbourne and Sydney in the mid-70s. There, alongside his own designs bearing his own label, he revolutionised the local fashion scene by introducing names like Jean Paul Gaultier, Comme des Garcons and Giorgio Armani.
A decade later, restless to spread his wings, he took over a cavernous space in the then moribund Flinders Lane, lavished it with flamboyance, flair and and a fair swag of galloping egotism, and opened a restaurant that became the super-stylish Melbourne watering hole for silly people with silly money to spend – the legendary Rosati.
He soon followed this with the equally-celebrated Pieroni’s in South Yarra.
In each establishment, the architectural and conceptual footprint was pure Gesualdi: bold, beautiful, and startlingly original.
In 2014, he was inducted into the Stonnington Fashion Hall of Fame and, a year later, into the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) National Hall of Fame.
Michele Azzopardi
With 30 years of project management on her CV, Michele was exactly the can-do colleague Piero needed to guide the practicalities of the business – and to ground his flights of fancy.
No stranger to the world of design, she had worked for the management of the 2000 Venice Biennale.
Then as founding Director of Design Victoria, she showed business people how good design could improve their bottom line – and how, in turn, designers could do better business with business people.
Today, at Mondopiero, in addition to her vital front-of-house presence, she deals with the complex architectural/ engineering aspects of the company.
What is Mondopiero?
Mondopiero is the expression of a brave and distinctly personal style, of a lifetime dedicated to the creation of beautiful things and the appreciation of things beautifully made.
Not merely a collection of beautiful things, it’s an anthology of wonderful stories. Stories of people who, generation after generation, obsessively, single-mindedly, fanatically pursue perfection. The perfect furnishings, homewares and personal accessories and fragrances handpicked from some of the world’s edgiest designers and artisanal producers.
Mondopiero located in Fitzroy was established ten years ago and hosts high-end, luxury Italian brands, including:
- Ghidini1961 – furniture and accessories
- Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella – body and home products
- Busatti linen – home and body products
- Angela Caputi Giuggiu jewellery
- Cosi Tabellini pewter and ceramic home and dinnerware
- Coltellerie Berti knives
- KnIndustrie kitchenware
- Bialetti coffee accessories
- Rebirth ceramics…
- Kaymet London Ltd – trays and trolleys
- Guaxs glass vases
- Hale Mercantile Co. linen
What sparked interest or inspiration for Mondopiero?
Our inspiration to start this business came from a lifelong passion for design and luxury, spanning fashion, food, and interiors.
With that foundation, we’ve carried forward a deep enthusiasm and commitment to creating and curating unique, high-end products. At the heart of it all is a desire to delight customers and recipients with experiences that feel truly special.
What is the most rewarding part of what you do?
The most rewarding part about our job is:
- Sourcing and curating a collection of beautiful objects for gifting and for self.
- Knowing that so many gain pleasure from their purchases for home, self and gifting.
- Creating a beautiful retail experience in store within a large space.
- Learning that clients over the years still love and cherish their purchases from Mondopiero and other businesses, and have fond memories of how they felt.
What is the most challenging part of what you do?
The challenging part of what we do is continuing to find exclusive products that are unique and new, in a world where almost everything is readily available online or in other stores.
What business milestone are you most proud of?
We’re proud to be considered a leading homewares and furniture retailer in Australia, with exclusive distribution of Italian brand, Ghidini1961 furniture. We also offer quality craftsmanship, unique design and comfort.
What has been the biggest benefit of having Aintree Group on-side?
We have been working with Aintree Group for ten years.
They offer great personalised, integrated accounting, financial and legal support and advice. They are always available and willing to provide expert advice and workable solutions for our business.
This client profile was written in collaboration with Piero Gesualdi.
