Gabriella Cortese is the visionary founder and creative force behind Antik Batik, the now-iconic bohemian-chic fashion house she launched in 1992. Born in Turin to an Italian mother and Hungarian grandmother, who introduced her to embroidery, Gabriella studied literature at the Sorbonne before working as a dancer at Paris’s Crazy Horse. A passionate globetrotter, she immersed herself in traditional textile arts: batik in Bali, embroidery and bandhani in India and built lasting partnerships with artisans worldwide. Through Antik Batik, she pioneered a sustainable, handcrafted aesthetic, combining artisanal techniques with vintage-inspired, Art Nouveau-tinged designs. We will learn about her hometown, Torino, which was in fact the capital of Italy from 1861 to 1865.
How would you describe Italy today in a few words?
A country with an incredible history that struggles to praise itself, because as the saying goes, “chi si loda si imbroda” (those who boast, make a mess of themselves). The Italians—wonderful, sociable, lovers of beauty—often think the best lies elsewhere. It’s a country that goes through crises and always knows how to bounce back. A land of contrasts, where you feel deeply rooted.
Why Turin?
It’s the city where I was born, I carry it in my heart. It’s the smells, the tastes, the beauty of a happy childhood, elegance personified—the old-fashioned kind, the one we love.
A stolen secret?
I have three:
• I love standing in front of the Palazzo Reale in Piazza Castello and absorbing the telluric energy that emanates from the ground. There’s a precise spot that few people know, because Torino is a magical city. It recharges me.
• I love touching the little finger on the bronze bust of Galileo Galilei—because touching it makes you smarter. At one point, someone stole the finger and the Turinese were outraged.
• And lastly, the most unspeakable—I love stepping on the bronze bull’s lucky testicles, the symbol of Turin, Augusta Taurinorum, located in Piazza San Carlo right in front of Café San Carlo. You have to step on it with your right foot, casually, without anyone seeing, just once while strolling under the arcades—it brings good luck.
An excursion not to miss?
A getaway to the hills around Turin, off the beaten path. I recommend getting lost in small villages like Serralunga d’Alba or Neive, where time seems to stand still and you can enjoy breathtaking landscapes and endless vineyards. It’s a much more intimate experience than the usual excursions, and you can truly savor the peace of the region.
The best time of day?
Morning, without hesitation. When the streets are still empty, bathed in the soft light of sunrise. It’s a suspended moment, almost unreal, where everything seems calm, waiting… I love those moments when I can buy the newspaper and flip through it in silence, seated at a café, before the city wakes and drowns in its frenzy. It’s like a pause, a simple luxury that allows me to savour the tranquility before the chaos takes over.
A moment of relaxation?
In Turin, I love escaping into quiet little streets away from the crowds or sitting in a hidden park, like the one at Palazzo Reale. I spent my childhood in that park—I knew every corner, every place where birds would nest. I would follow the swallows at sunset. I played in the Roman ruins, and that’s where I memorized the poems of Giacomo Leopardi that my grandmother made me repeat endlessly.
A special experience?
In a city as esoteric as Turin, there are many… Visiting the house of Carlo Mollino is a journey not to be missed; going to the Egyptian Museum and getting lost in the Tutankhamun rooms… Visiting the Museo della Frutta, wandering under the arcades and losing yourself in the hills…
The essence of Turin?
Melancholic and romantic, I adore its historic cafés, its architecture, its elegance. It’s the city where everything began—fashion, cinema, television, then the automotive industry, and everything grew from there. Turin has the beauty of an old capital… and today it’s a city where culture finds its most exquisite expression.
An unforgettable dish – and where to taste it?
I love agnolotti del plin at Da Michele in Piazza Vittorio , but even more, I love getting lost in the hills of Mondovì and enjoying gnocchi al Castelmagno at Marsupino
The drink ?
Aperitivo in Turin is sacred: Punt e Mes at Baratti & Milano in Piazza Castello. But I’m quick to savor other sacred drinks when I’m in Turin: Bicerin at Mulassano—best enjoyed at the counter. In winter, zabajone at Caffé Fiorio.
Your favorite hotel ?
The Principi di Piemonte, of course . A discreet palace where Italian elegance truly comes alive. I find there the hushed atmosphere of a glorious past, with its tapestry-draped salons, chandeliers that whisper stories from another time, and a view over Turin’s rooftops—melancholic and majestic. It’s the perfect place to wrap yourself in silence and beauty, right in the heart of the city. Each stay is like a rendezvous with oneself—suspended, gentle, wrapped in marble and memory.
What to pack for a weekend?
An Antik Batik pareo, Persol sunglasses, and a good book—nothing more. Right now, I’d leave with “La profondeur de l’apparence” by Elisabeth Ollieric.
A souvenir to bring back?
A silent and noble plaster head, molded in an old workshop in Turin called Gipsoteca, where time seems frozen among busts of emperors and fragments of ancient wings. These objects, replicated with almost loving fidelity, are guardians of an ancestral craftsmanship. Bringing one back is like taking home a piece of eternity—a touch of scholarly Italy, full of mystery and beauty frozen in the silence of gypsum.