How Zegna and Mytheresa transformed Turin’s Teatro Regio into the kind of dining experience money can't buy

There’s a moment at Turin's Teatro Regio when I have to pinch myself. It’s revealed that we’re about to have dinner on the stage of the 285-year-old theatre. Originally built in the 18th century and restored in the 1970s by architect Carlo Mollino, the space is a masterpiece of Italian modernism and operatic heritage – and, for me, something of a coup for scoring such an elusive seat.

I am here with Zegna and Mytheresa, celebrating the Italian house’s latest campaign with actor Mads Mikkelsen, shot in this very theatre. The evening is hosted by Michael Kliger, chief executive of Mytheresa, and Alessandro Sartori, artistic director of Zegna.

Zegna artistic director Alessandro Sartori says a few words before the performance. Photo: Mytheresa

As I sit above the orchestra pit, gazing out at a phantom audience, conversation flows easily between guests – actors, directors, style icons, from Dhafer L’Abidine and Daniel Bruhl to Abdulla Al Kaabi and Auro Montanari.

Then, a hush falls. The curtain rises a few metres from our table and suddenly we’re immersed in live performances of arias from La Boheme and La Traviata – a tribute to the theatre’s legacy as the stage for Puccini’s 1896 premiere under Arturo Toscanini.

Mytheresa has always taken a counter-intuitive position in the world of e-commerce. Rather than stock everything, it curates. In an age of mega-warehouses and AI recommendations, this feels almost radical. The platform works closely with the world’s top brands on exclusive capsule collections available only through Mytheresa.

Tunisian actor Dhaffer L'Abidine stands by a vintage Fiat 500 ahead of a tour of Turin. Photo: Mytheresa

The evening in Turin also marked the launch of one such collaboration: Zegna x Mytheresa Men: The Exclusive Runway Styles. The guest list was a blend of Mytheresa clients, Zegna friends and press – seated together at one long table. The idea is to dissolve hierarchy and create the kind of effortless, cross-world conversation that only happens in a fantastical setting.

“I always imagine they come back and meet friends who maybe had dinner at the Ritz,” says Kliger. “And their friends ask: ‘So what did you do this weekend?’ And they can say: ‘You know what I did? I had dinner in the opera, in Turin, on the stage – the whole thing just for us.”

He continues: “How can we give our clients memories to share again? It needs to be special. It doesn’t need to be super-expensive – that’s not the point. Was there something in the air? That’s what matters.”

Emirati filmmaker Abdulla Al Kaabi in Turin.