Alexandra Llewellyn Tulip Travel Backgammon Set
US$2,645
Capturing the connection of games under the Campanian sun.
For food and travel tastemaker Carmine Gorrasi, inspiration starts at home. Born and raised a stone’s throw south of Sorrento in Italy’s Campania region, the 20-year-old content creator is building an international following for his candid still-life snapshots capturing the slow-down romance of the storied dolce vita.
It was his affinity with food—“all of us Italians have it,” he smiles—that set him on course to become one of Instagram’s most feted young content creators when he started out in the early 2020s.
After reaching the final of Italian Masterchef in 2023, he followed up by enrolling at The University of Gastronomic Sciences in Piedmonte. “It was not a cooking school. We never cooked there. We just studied whatever is connected to food and basically everything is connected to food—the economy, chemistry, biodiversity, sustainability,” he says.
Through his studies, his travels took him all to Europe, Kenya and Mexico, where—experiencing the idiosyncrasies and quiet moments of everyday life—he started to form the foundations of his burgeoning career as a tastemaker—in every sense of the word.
“I discovered that food wasn’t enough anymore, but actually the starting point for my process [to capture] shapes, landscapes, people, local cultures and snapshots,” he says. “I wanted to reflect on the flavors of the dishes and then recollect through visuals and content so people can feel what I felt.”
Much like his food, the composition of his images relies on his personal curation, a precise idea of the taste he wants people to savor and a natural ability to bring people together.
With summer on the horizon, Gorrasi returned to his native Amalfi Coast to do just that for ABASK, gathering a group of friends to get the season started in a way that Italians are well versed in—with fun and games.
Live in the Moment
"In the Mediterranean, playing games is really about the connection that happens between people around tables and outdoors, so it becomes a part of a shared and convivial moment. It’s a ritual as well as entertainment—something connected to time, to light, to human interaction. For me, it creates the kind of atmosphere that's basically the Mediterranean way of living. A space to slow down."
Keeping Time
"We’re moving faster with everything now—we eat faster, we work faster, we travel faster, and we live in a system that's kind of forcing us to do that because if you don't, you'll never get to the point where you feel you're doing enough. But what we can do is remember that there's another way of living. This is the most important thing—spending time with people and being really present."
Giobagnara Leather Mahjong Set
US$2,635
Pigment France Monte-Carlo Rattan Backgammon Set
US$2,335
Connolly Leather Playing Cards Set
US$400
Renzo Romagnoli Leather Roulette Trunk
US$1,995
Geoffrey Parker Leather Outdoor Boules Set
US$4,285
“Games are the link between wanting to be connected and being connected.”
Carmine Gorrasi
Meet Your Match
"Games bring people together from all different ages and backgrounds. I've always seen this during the summer, when we play cards on the beach and you have the nonnas with their nephews and grandchildren playing Scopa together (which is the most famous one). They don't even need to speak the same language almost; the games are the link between wanting to be connected and being connected."
Giobagnara x Poltrona Frau Leather and Wood Dominoes Set
US$1,395
William & Son Leather Snakes & Ladders and Ludo Games Compendium
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2 Colors
William & Son Leather Snakes & Ladders and Ludo Games Compendium
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Pinetti Leather Pisa Tower Set
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F. Hammann Leather Golf Set
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Forwood Design Faux Shagreen Travel Backgammon Set
US$510
Métier Wood and Leather Travel Chess and Backgammon Set
US$4,390
Métier Wood and Leather Travel Chess and Backgammon Set
US$4,390
New-Season Style
"Especially here in the south, we're waiting for the good weather to come all year—we basically live for this! Now's the time when we feel more alive because we're almost re-birthing after the winter. We can’t wait to be heated by the sun, to enjoy the light, the sun, and the greenery all around. The faster we consume information, the slower we understand, appreciate and notice. I think we should all go outside, enjoy the sun and the people we love, and play a game just to feel connected to the real life and the present moment. That can really help us to get back down to earth, appreciate life and be grateful."
“In the Mediterranean, playing games is really about the connection that happens between people.”
Carmine Gorrasi
Hands On
"I've always been fascinated by hands. I think they tell a lot of stories, especially the hands of older people. When you think about playing games, the hands are where everything happens; they're the point of contact between the people, the objects and the general environment. Through small gestures, touching moving pieces and passing objects, you can tell a story without even trying to tell a story; the story is just happening. It's the most honest way to capture connection, I guess."
Pass it Down
"For people passing on these rituals and games like “cimelio di famiglia” [family heirlooms], it's a form of expressing pride. It's like saying, "I was here; I picked this object; it was important to me and I want to remember it"—this symbolizes this feeling."
Giobagnara Leather and Wood Poker Set
US$580
Marcela Cure Olive Wood Dominoes
US$2,225
Giobagnara Leather Outdoor Boules Set
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Renzo Romagnoli Leather Travel Golf Set
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Giobagnara x Poltrona Frau Leather and Walnut Playing Cards Box
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Giobagnara Phileas Wood Miniature Travel Backgammon Set
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Giobagnara x Poltrona Frau Leather, Maple and Walnut Mahjong Set
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Renzo Romagnoli Small Dice Leather Games Compendium
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Pinetti Leather and Walnut Bowling Set
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Dal Negro Burlwood Poker Set
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Hector Saxe Leather Travel Backgammon Set
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Giobagnara Leather Royal Dice and Playing Cards Set
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Nick Plant Fish Leather Travel Backgammon Set
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Giobagnara Leather Rummikub Set
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F. Hammann Woven Leather Dominoes Set
US$200
Renzo Romagnoli Leather Travel Backgammon Set
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Alexandra Llewellyn Forest Fern Wood Backgammon Set
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Pinetti Leather Connect Four Set
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