Milan has long understood that coffee is more than a habit—it’s a rhythm, a meeting point, an atmosphere. Now, Starbucks is leaning into that spirit with the debut of The House of Coffee, an ambitious new cultural platform launching in the city and designed to spark a fresh conversation between creativity, lifestyle, and community.
Set inside the spectacular Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milano, The House of Coffee arrives with a distinct point of view: coffee culture as a living stage for contemporary expression. The initiative is curated by Sarah Andelman, founder of Just An Idea and globally celebrated for her visionary work at colette, bringing her signature talent for crafting culturally charged moments into one of Europe’s most immersive Starbucks destinations.
For Starbucks, the choice of Milan is deeply intentional. The city has played a formative role in shaping the brand’s premium coffeehouse vision, and The House of Coffee honors that connection by turning the Roastery into a vibrant, evolving hub—where craft and design intersect with the everyday rituals of gathering.
The project officially launches during Milan Men’s Fashion Week in January 2026, when Starbucks will unveil three special collaborations created through the creative synergy between Andelman and Italian artist Lucas Zanotto, whose playful and instantly recognizable visual language translates effortlessly into collectible design. Together, they introduce limited-edition pieces that reinterpret Starbucks’ identity through bold graphics and functional form, expressed through the brand’s iconic green-and-white palette.
The first releases span unexpected territory with an effortlessly Milanese sensibility: a K-Way waterproof jacket, a pair of Nordica skis, and a dog puffer jacket paired with a matching travel bowl created with Poldo Dog Couture. Each item reflects a shared emphasis on practicality and personality, merging lifestyle utility with an art-forward finish that feels instantly memorable.
The House of Coffee experience extends beyond product. Throughout the initiative, the Milan Roastery will feature a dedicated artistic direction with exclusive works by Lucas Zanotto installed across the interior spaces, transforming the venue into a walk-through cultural environment. Visitors will also find limited-edition merchandise available exclusively at the Roastery, including a bag, game cards, pins, a notebook, stickers, and a T-shirt—small objects designed to carry the project’s visual world into daily life.
In February, as Milan shifts into the energy of Women’s Fashion Week, Starbucks will introduce another chapter: The Apron Project, again under Andelman’s artistic direction. Centered on an exclusive Starbucks apron customized by a lineup of Milan-based creative forces, the project includes Francesca Ragazzi, Vogue Italia’s Head of Editorial Content, Carolina Castiglioni, founder and creative director of Plan C, fashion designer Sara Battaglia, and Galib Gassanoff, founder of fashion label Institution. Proceeds from apron sales will benefit charities selected by the participating talents, aligning the project’s creative impact with meaningful local values.
To further animate the city, The House of Coffee will unfold through a six-week calendar of events and activations. It begins with an exclusive preview for press and key opinion leaders on January 15, followed by an opening event celebrating Milan’s creative pulse. A cultural roundtable on February 4 will explore the city’s rituals, leading into The Apron Project event during Women’s Fashion Week.
Ultimately, The House of Coffee reads as Starbucks’ most fashion-aligned cultural expression in Europe to date—one rooted in Milan’s elegance, curiosity, and constant reinvention.
