California as Italy: Merging Aesthetics to Build a More Evocative Brand

California and Italy—two very unique places, yet united by a shared sun-drenched sensibility. Lush natural landscapes, ocean air, a reverence for slow living and good food. The visual language of both is rooted in brightness, beauty, sensuality, and ease. Recently, I’ve noticed brands drawing on these parallels—not just borrowing from one another, but blending and layering the two identities to create something deeper, more textured, and emotionally resonant.

This merging of aesthetic worlds doesn’t dilute a brand—it heightens it. “California as Italy” is not about mimicry; it’s about evoking a feeling. It’s olive trees in West Hollywood, tomato vines on a Los Feliz terrace, a convertible in Pasadena with vintage headscarves and Italian disco on the speakers. It’s sensual, relaxed, playful, and alive.

1. What Do I Mean by “California as Italy”?

California—with its Mediterranean climate, abundant produce, and cultural fluidity—already shares a lot with Italy. But it’s the emotional parallels that are most compelling: a love of the outdoors, food as ritual, a slow, sunny rhythm of life. When brands tap into this connection, borrowing visual cues or cultural references, it doesn’t feel forced—it feels natural, elevated, and personal.

2. Who’s Doing This Beautifully?

Here are a few standout brands blending the best of both places:

 •    Alba, West Hollywood

A lush courtyard filled with olive trees and burnt orange cushions. Italian menus. Striped sherbet napkins. Bust vases. The effect? You’re in Los Angeles—but it feels like Capri. Elegant, earthy, and transportive.

Photos from @cucinaalba

•    Flamingo Estate

Rustic, textural, handmade. From tomatoes on sun-drenched linen to soap wrapped like a farmer’s market haul, Flamingo Estate’s aesthetic speaks Italian without ever saying it directly. The styling leans into imperfection in a way that feels natural and lived-in.

Photos from @flamingoestate

•    Pia Baroncini

Pia is California-as-Italy. Her life—documented across her brands, home, and social—is filled with lace curtains, slow lunches, candles, and music that feels lifted from a Fellini film. Her branding centers around love, family, and food, and it works because it’s honest and curated with intention.

Photos from @piabaroncini

•    Ciao Lucia

Made in Los Angeles, but designed to feel like it belongs on a cobblestone street in Positano. Sun-kissed girls, breezy silhouettes, and polka-dotted linens. A perfect marriage of Italian romance and California cool.

Photos from @ciao_lucia

•    Chateau Marmont

Despite its French name, its Spanish-Gothic bones and lush garden glamour give it that same sense of mystery, history, and escapism found in old Italian villas. The branding plays on dissonance—old meets new, casual meets decadent.

Photos from @chateaumarmont

•    Doen

Light cottons, lace, cashmere. Embroidered trims and soft silhouettes. There’s a feeling of old-world countryside elegance, but on Laurel Canyon streets. It’s domestic and romantic in equal measure.

Photos from @shopdoen

•    Gohar World

While based in New York, Gohar World shows how Italian visuals can be delightfully American. Think: pearl-trimmed lace coasters, champagne aprons, surrealist pasta spoons. It’s whimsical, elevated, and an incredible example of hosting as an aesthetic—part Italian nonna, part downtown art world.

Photos from @gohar.world

•    Olive Ateliers

Rooted in California but sourcing antique objects with a Mediterranean soul. The rough textures, neutral tones, and sun-aged finishes evoke both the California desert and an Italian farmhouse.

Photos from @oliveateliers

3. Why This Visual Language Works

    •    It evokes quality: rich food, tactile materials, handmade traditions.

    •    It feels relaxing, yet never boring—there’s sensuality and ease in the palette.

    •    It creates tension: when you blend two strong aesthetic identities, the result is often

more layered, more surprising, and more resonant.

    •    It challenges clichés: we move beyond “California = surf culture” and “Italy = Tuscan

cliché” to something more imaginative and emotionally charged.

4. What Can Brand Owners Learn From This?

Blending aesthetics allows you to expand your brand story while staying grounded in place. It deepens complexity and opens up emotional range. California doesn’t just have to mean “beachy” or “wellness.” Italy doesn’t just mean “villa.” Between the two, you can build a brand identity that’s textural, sensual, slightly cinematic—and still grounded in authenticity.

5. How to Do It: Ideas to Play With

    •    Play Italian music over visuals rooted in California

    •    Style lemons, sun umbrellas, and terrazzo tiles in Malibu kitchens

    •    Use lace, stoneware, or vintage glass in product photography

    •    Mix rustic textures with modern silhouettes

    •    Introduce Italian foods or traditions—tomatoes, peach juice, aperitifs—as brand rituals

This aesthetic approach works especially well in categories like:

    •    Swimwear

    •    Food (olive oil, sardines, citrus, pasta, salt)

    •    Sun protection & hats

    •    Perfume

    •    Home goods & linens

    •    Sunglasses

    •    Florals & plants

    •    Hotels

    •    Transportation-inspired storytelling (vintage cars, trains, boats)

Closing Thought:

Merging California and Italy isn’t about geography—it’s about mood. A warm, golden, abundant mood that invites your audience into a life that feels just a little more beautiful. That’s the power of aesthetic blending when done with care, clarity, and soul.