In Italy, the most important decisions of the day revolve around what to wear and what to eat. So it seems inevitable that top fashion brands are venturing into the food business—specifically, the hybrid bakery-cafés where well-dressed Italians congregate over morning pastries, then lunch, aperitivi and savory snacks, all the way through to late-night scoops of gelato.

Roberto Cavalli, the sexy-animal-prints pioneer, augured the trend when he revamped Florence's beloved Caffè Giacosa more than a decade ago. Clearly he was onto something. Recently, Prada purchased Milan's historic pasticceria Marchesi after luxury-goods powerhouse LVMH (which owns Italian brands like Fendi, Loro Piana and Emilio Pucci, as well as a plethora of French and American ones) bought the rivaling Cova. It's no coincidence that these places are in fashionable shopping neighborhoods, so customers can have a 360-degree brand experience.

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Source: http://www.foodandwine.com