Only Paris Is Worthy of Rome; Only Rome is Worthy of Paris

Feb 20, 2026

If you’re in Rome between February 25th and May 25th, I highly recommend visiting the upcoming exhibition Agnès Varda, De-ci de-là, Paris-Rome, hosted at Villa Medici. The exhibition features a curated selection of photos, documents, prints, and film clips from Varda’s travels throughout Italy, juxtaposed with her life in her Paris studio. This is all part of the 70th-anniversary celebration of the twinning agreement between Rome and Paris. Both cities are hosting a range of cultural events throughout the year to mark the occasion. As the famous saying goes, “only Paris is worthy of Rome; only Rome is worthy of Paris.”
It feels like an eternity since a fashion campaign actually managed to make me feel something, but Bottega Veneta’s Summer 2026 collection, as shot by Juergen Teller, has finally broken the spell. The campaign is full of references to Venice’s artistic history and brings Italian craftsmanship back into focus. I’m OBSESSED.

I recently caught up with my pal Tracy Georgiou for a chat about solo travel on Long Weekend. We got into the weeds on the ways the most profound parts of your personality tend to show up when you’re across an ocean by yourself. Read our full conversation here.
My saved folder on Instagram is currently a shrine to stylist Rita Benedetto. Her taste is unique, yet unmistakably Italian. I’m taking notes! Especially on how she styles knitwear pieces:
@ballantyne_official
BALLANTYNE on Instagram: "Portraits of Milan: meet Rita Benedet…
This Christmas, I found all seven volumes of The Diary of Anaïs Nin in my bedroom at my mom’s house. I’ve previously read a large body of Anaïs Nin’s work and completely forgot that I bought this collection at a local antiquarian years ago. I dug into volume one on Christmas Eve and haven’t been able to put the book series down since. Nin’s writing is sharp, observant, progressive, and, at times, unintentionally funny.

I’ve been in a total Marni trance since this post. Their iconic Trunk bag is gone from their website, but luckily, there are plenty available on Vestiaire Collective. This ruby red Trunk Medium is amazing.
I also found this windowpane Marni Caban that I’m genuinely devastated isn’t in my size. Someone, please, buy it so I can live vicariously through you.

Margherita Maccapani’s vintage-inspired Macca Bag is fun. It’s inspired by a bag from her grandfather’s 1970s travel agency.
Earlier this month, I linked to Scarosso’s Mar Black loafers. Since then, the brand has given us a little discount code to use on their website: EMMASAADI20 for 20% off.
Spring is around the corner and I’m currently paralyzed by the choice between the “Paule” and the “Suzon” from Aude Herouard. Both feel like the correct answer. If you’re in Paris, you can find them at Panorama Mundi and Anne & Valentin.
Ilio Smeraldo and Maria de la Orden’s shoe collaborations continue to lure me in. These olive green slippers are so good.

I wanna circle back to Villa Medici for a moment: this is the Renaissance palazzo that houses the French Academy in Rome, has long been a sanctuary for artists, poets, and thinkers (it also briefly held Galileo as a prisoner), but what’s less known is that the villa also welcomes overnight guests. As part of the ongoing Réenchanter la Villa Médicis project, their guest rooms were restored last year by teams of designers, artists, and architects who drew inspiration from the city of Rome. In addition to the guest rooms, two of the historic rooms are available for overnight guests: the Galileo Room, where Galileo stayed as a guest and later as a prisoner, and the Debussy Room, which pays homage to Debussy, who stayed at the academy as a fellow.
I’ve decided that my home needs a handmade lampshade from a Roman atelier. L.A.R. Paralumi dal 1938 is probably the most famous one in Rome, but Maurizio Bellacci, who owns Il Paralume on Via di Monserrato, and Luigi Senzacqua are both incredibly skilled artisans as well.

I’ve had the coat from Atelier Bomba in the above photo saved in my Instagram archives for literal years. I’ve intentionally skipped visiting on my last two Roman trips because I’m saving the experience for when I’m ready to treat myself to something nice-nice.
I recently discovered Giberto, a brand founded by proud, Venetian born and raised Giberto Arrivabene, who’s also a count (and whose daughters, Vera and Viola, are behind the cult friulane brand ViBi Venezia). Giberto specializes in hand-blown Murano glassware and the designs are beautiful.

A couple of months ago, I came across L’Angelica Corte Palazzina on my Instagram feed and was reeled in by the cozy interiors. It looks like the perfect Lake Garda escape.
Lastly, if you’re looking for the perfect hair accessory, Castelli Profumerie in Rome is a goldmine for pins, clips, and barrettes.

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