White Sposa Private Showing- Assignment 3

Last Sunday morning we headed to a private showing of wedding dresses put on by White Sposa. White Sposa is an Italian magazine that is devoted to Italian weddings. Each issue gives ideas for the entire wedding, from the clothing and design specifications to travel itineraries and advice from industry experts, and they are very dedicated to their readers. At the private showing there were four vendors we met with and each collection we saw was a part of their Spring/Summer 2013 lines. Just a side note too, in many, if not all, wedding collections there is only one line each year, that is the Spring/Summer line because many designers just use the one line all year because for Fall and Winter it is easy enough to add a shawl or something to the original gown.

The first designer we met was Regina Stabilini. The inspiration for her collection came from the styles of the 1960's. Each dress is made from natural fibers and the details of each dress are hand made. For this years line each dress was white, there were very few in ivory. Some dresses in the collection had a turquoise color theme to it, added with a sash around the waist. There were also some dresses in rose with beautiful flowers cut with a laser and stitched onto the dress.  The designer explained to us that it usually takes about a week to ten days to make a dress but designing it, undeniably, takes the longest. She continued to tell us about when buyers buy from her collection they usually buy at least eight different dresses. The shop that buys the dresses will also receive a book of all the dresses from the current line. This allows brides to see the other dresses in the collection that the store does not carry and the bride will still be able to order the dress that she wants. 

The next line we met with was Andrea Couture. This line is mixed with dramatic and romantic looks and the details on these dresses were the best I have ever seen. The inspiration for this line is flower petals and you could see that on each dress. The petal look can be seen as either a flower like applique or the dress with a petal like look to the bottom half of the dress. Every little detail in each dress is hand made, the attention to quality in the line is incomparable. From the hand cut flowers to the pearl  buttons on the back of some of the dresses they were all simply beautiful. The color theme for the dresses in this line is white, pink and purple. We learned that many shops do not buy colored dresses but they still offer it in every collection, just in case the bride wants to add some color to her wedding. 

The third designer we visited was Couture Fio designed by Florella Dell'Acqua. Her line had a lot of florals, and lace. At this designer, they put on a small showing of the dresses for us with some of their dresses. In this collection it was also apparent the inspiration for the line was flowers, once again. One dress that I loved was a short baby blue dress with white lace over the blue and a long white and baby blue train. It was so cute and I could picture myself in the dress. I probably would not wear it in blue at my own wedding but it would be a cute dress to change into for the reception. I loved the dresses in this collection, they were very romantic yet different, and of course each were hand made. 

The last designer we met with was Rosanna Perrone. She was one of my favorites. She explained her line to us and how each and every design she puts her heart into. Each year her collection has a color theme to it and this year it was almost a blue gray. The inspiration for this color came from an island, and each dress in the current collection is named after an island that she loves to travel too. The dresses in this collection are also white but an ivory dress could be made for the bride if requested. At this designer there were also models who put on two of the lines dresses. They were beautiful and made to fit the body so perfectly. We even got a picture with the designer, and it was her idea! She was so kind and wished us the best of luck in our future endeavors. 

Weddings in Italy are a very special tradition. From attending this private showing I am interested in weddings and working with wedding dresses. I think I would like to work with the designers and be on the vendor side and selling the dresses to the buyers. This is not the first time that I have thought about doing something with wedding dresses either, so maybe attending the event was a sign and I should try to pursue something in that part of the industry.  During the visit, I think Rosanna Perrone inspired me to start thinking about working as a vendor for wedding gowns. Just how she said she puts her heart into every design makes me want to work with (or for) someone who really loves what they do. And also a big thanks to Simone who took the time out of her day to bring us around to each designer let us view the private showing.

Florence!

Ciao a tutti! Last week as many of you know I was in Florence for five days, from Monday to Friday.  So let's recap what I did...

Day 1:

Early Monday morning we left by bus to Florence. After about 3 hours of driving and a quick lunch, we stopped at G2 Textiles in Prato. At G2 we saw first hand how the company manufactured fabrics. We started the visit in the sample room where we were allowed to explore, through the sample pieces that were mostly a part of the winter collection for 2013. The samples were mostly made of wools and other heavy fabrics for winter that were wovens or jacquards. And of course, since it was for winter, almost everything was black. During the visit I asked if from year to year the patterns stay the same or change? And I was told that each year things are usually the same and there will always be the repeated classics but jacquards sometimes change each year but are similar to years past. This years trend, well for 2013, is fibers and yarns that reflect light with open weaves. On average the company produces 3000 different types of fabrics and patterns.

After we learned about the company and the process of making the fabrics, we were shown how an image is made on a CAD (computer aid design), transfered to the weaving machine and made as a final product.  It was a really great experience because I had never before seen the process first hand, I had only been taught about it in class.

After the visit at G2 we got back on the bus and rode about a half hour to our hotel, Giotto Hotel, in Florence. When we arrived it was very hot! We settled into our rooms and then went as a group to dinner at Trattoria Pizzeria da Garibardi. I had chicken in a creamy white wine sauce, it was delicious. For the rest of the night a group of us walked around and explored the city.

Day 2:

On Tuesday morning we made our way over the Arno River to visit Angela Caputi. I talk more about our visit to Angela Caputi in the post below. After our visit we headed to the Ponte Vecchio bridge to explore some of the shops and take in the scenery. We then made our way to the market, to explore and see what we could buy. That day I just looked around to get some ideas for some gifts and I did not do much shopping. Later that night I went out to dinner with Sarah, Brittany, Blaine, Stephanie, Megan and Chloe.  I felt very American and ordered a Hawaiian pizza. After dinner we bought a bottle of wine ( or two) and just relaxed, chatted and watched some funny youtube videos.

Day 3: 

Wednesday was a long day. In the morning we got up and went on a bus and walking tour of Florence, and it lasted for most of the day but we saw a lot! We started the tour on the outskirts of Florence and traveled through the citys gate to go up the hills to see the amazing view of Florence and to see Michelangelo's David.  This version of David is not the original, the original is in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. From the top of the hill the view of Florence was spectacular.

We then headed up what seemed like a million stairs to the Church of San Miniato. It was built in 1080 and inside the church some of the most beautiful Romanesque architecture can be seen. From there we headed back into Florence. We got off the bus and began our walking tour. Our first stop was to a small field that was the site of where one of the first football game was played (and when I say football, I really mean soccer, of course). It began many years ago when four neighborhoods would compete against each other and look at it today. After that we made our way up to the Gucci Museum.

 The Gucci Museum opened recently for the celebration of Gucci's 90th Anniversary. The museum is located inside the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia located in Florence's Piazza Signoria. The exhibition shows its rich archive along with some contemporary art. The rooms are filled with travel items, including the Gucci Cadillac, trunks and jet setting accessories from the 50's 60's and 70's. On the second floor there were florals, sports clothing, red carpet gowns, wore by celebrities in the past, and so much more. After the museum we made our way to the Duomo. The Duomo in Florence is the fourth largest cathedral in the world. Within the Duomo there is so much history, from the floor tiles to the gold dome that sits at the top of the dome. I learned so much that day! That is where the tour ended and I was tired. I obviously was not tired enough because a small group of us climbed over 400 stairs to the top of the dome. The view at the top was amazing.

After our climb to the top, we rewarded ourselves with gelato on a waffle, it was so fattening yet so good! Unfortunately I have not seen that since we've been back in Milan, it must just be a Florence thing for all the tourist. Then for the rest of the night, I just relaxed my sore feet. 

Day 4: 

Men's Pitti Trade Shows. Thursday morning we met Fulvio at the hotel to make our way to Pitti. Pitti is trade shows for men, where brands get to show their brands to the buyers ahead of time, for upcoming seasons. Thanks to FashionTimes we were able to go to three vendors. Alero, who Maria from Pink&Chic does PR work for, Sundeck and Ben Sherman. They were all amazing visits and each company really took the time to talk to us and explain their brands. It was very nice of them, especially since we are students, not buyers. My favorite was Ben Sherman. We entered into a small old brick house and traveled up the brick spiral staircase and up into a small workshop where there were tailors hand sewing pants together. It was very unique and on the walls were different fits for men's trousers. Then after we left there we went into another old building which was set in the 50's with women's clothes. The line resembles that time period and the clothing was soft, feminine and romantic, I could even picture myself in a few outfits. 

Because the collection is not available for sale, there were many of my photo's that I could no post at this time.

After our visit to Pitti, we made our way to the Costume Museum. I saw a lot of beautiful and intricate detailing on many dresses from the past. It is unbelievable to think during that time it was all made by hand.  The collection of apparel started with the 18th century to present day. At the exhibit there was also a section of the restorations of the Medici families funeral garments, that date back to the 16th century. Later that evening we went out to dinner and I had a delicious plate of linguini with seafood and lobster. The seafood consisted of clams, mussels, calamari and other things that I probably would not have ordered if I was home, but I am glad I ordered it because it was very good!

Later that night a large group of us, including the Fulvio (with his camera) went out for our last night in Florence. We had a good time but the place we went to was not really any of our scenes, but we still made the best our of it.

Day 5:

Check out on Friday morning was at 9:30 am and the bus was not leaving Florence to go back to Milan until 3 pm. That meant I had the whole day to shop. I headed to the markets with my Mila Schon bag and bought some gifts for family and friends and a few for myself too.  I won't go into much detail about what I bought I don't want to give anything away. After waiting with our luggage for the bus to arrive in the hot sun, we were finally on our way back to Milan. We had a very fun bus ride back singing and dancing on the bus to keep ourselves awake. We arrived to Milan around 9 pm and we were all so happy to be "home". 

Angela Caputi- Assignment 2

While we were in Florence last week, we had the opportunity to meet Angela Caputi. She began her business in Florence almost forty years ago, and today is known around the world for her beautiful costume jewelry.  Her workshop rests in the historical district of Florence, just a few minutes from the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.

Angela Caputi is an Italian Brand and each and every piece of her jewelry carries the label "Made in Italy". When she started her company in 1975 she was inspired by American movies and chunky jewelry. Today, she still uses that as the inspiration for her lines and takes from old pieces to create new ones, she is also inspired by political situations. The philosophy of the company is to make women happy (I personally think it is a great philosophy and works well because I was very happy after I purchased my rose colored chain linked bracelet). Angela continued to tell us about where her focus is when it comes to jewelry, which is earrings and necklaces along with bracelets. Her focus was based off of herself and what she typically wears. She also likes to focus on framing the jewelry so it is perfect for the face. She usually develops two collections per year, a winter and a summer line. In between she also does a few items for cruise and Christmas. After Angela told us about her company she showed us the lab, where about eight women sit at tables and hand make the jewelry, from necklaces to pins and bracelets to earrings.

Angela Caputi is a very inspirational woman. She started the business herself and still continues to strive in the industry today. Currently she has five stores, four of which are in Italy and one in Paris. When I asked if she had any plans for expansion to open another store in the future, she told me at this time no because she is too tired and would like to retire soon. After she retires, she plans for her daughter to take over the company and then maybe her daughter will open more stores. I realized that just because her brand is known worldwide, and her consumers purchase her products from around the world, does not mean she has to expand. That is what makes her product more unique and her company so successful.

From this visit I learned what it takes to start a business and built your own company into a very well known brand. Angela Caputi was not known as an Italian Brand since day one, it took many years for her to be to where she is today. Meeting and hearing about others experiences, makes me what to strive in the fashion industry. I have learned to set my own goals and make myself proud of my own accomplishments because in the end that what it comes down too. If I'm not happy I do not want it to be because of my own failures.

Frankie Morello Fashion Show!

Ciao! I just got back from the Frankie Morello Fashion Show, for the Men's collection Spring/Summer 2013 line. The two Sarah's and I arrived outside to meet Fulvio and he handed us our passes. I was the photographer of the group and was able to go in before the others and had a few minutes to run back stage. Backstage was chaotic, people were running around every which way putting the final touches on the models. I even got to see the designers up close, Maurizio Modica and Pierfrancesco Gigliotti, who started the line together in 1998. As Fulvio and I were leaving to find our seats I had the amazing opportunity to meet Mario Boselli, the President of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. He was very kind, and we even got a picture together, it was such an honor to meet him. Just a side note for those of you who may not know of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion it is known in Italy as the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. The chamber is a non-profit association which promotes and co-ordinates the development of Italian Fashion. 

Fulvio and I found the other girls, then we patiently waited for the show to start. The theme of the show was ghetto mood and suburban movement on the runway with inspiration from Romain Gavras. Gavras is best known for his controversial films and music videos, portraying political and social themes. For the Spring/Summer line, the designers brought the collaboration of multiple cultures and diverse ethnic groups to the forefront. The sportswear collection was inspired from assertive rap iconography, the world of Basketball and street dancers. Finally the show started with some of the models rising from the audience, and "No Church in the Wild" by Kayne West and Jay-Z began to play. The models began to walk down the catwalk wearing clothing in black and white, and each piece was accessorized by a gold element, such as gold chains or gold lettering on the printed tees. 

Then before I knew it all the models came out, and the designers took their bow and the show was over. And as soon as the models were off the runway everyone was running for the door to make it to their next fashion show. I was so shocked and at first had no clue what was going on, but since all of the shows are going on throughout Milan people have to run to make it on time.

It was an unforgettable experience for my first "real" fashion show and words cannot even express how much of a great time I had at the show. I cannot thank Fulvio and FashionTimes enough for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to go backstage before the show. After attending the show, I may start thinking of going into fashion journalism, or something similar. I had a great time and would love to run from show to show during fashion week. 

Three Day Weekend Fun

Our free three day weekend began on Friday. I was able to sleep in a little, relax my sore feet and explore. 

Friday I slept in, and finally shook off my jet lag. In the morning Sarah and I relaxed a little and used the afternoon and early evening to explore the city of Milano. After taking the metro to the Duomo and stopping for some gelato, we turned down a small side street, and got lost. That was just what we wanted to happen though. We walked the small streets of the city for hours. Coming across second time around stores, with brands like Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik, small halls with older couples inside dancing and some other stores that were out of our price range. A couple hours into our walk we sat on a nearby bench and observed all the people that walked by. We saw adorable children, men wearing suits on bicycles and even women wearing heels on bicycles. As we sat there I reflected on their lifestyle and their easy going attitudes. No one was in a rush to go anywhere, it was so peaceful. 

After relaxing, we were hungry and ate at a restaurant we found along the way. Finally I had my first Italian pasta meal. It was a spaghetti with a tomato sauce, lighter than the sauce from home, yet still delicious, with fish and of course a glass of wine.

When we got back to the hotel, we got ready for our night out with Fulvio, from FashionTimes. A bunch of us met him and a few of his friends at the Old Fashion Cafe to dance the night away. The picture below was our wonderful VIP stamps. Thanks for inviting us Fulvio it was a lot of fun!  

Saturday we traveled an hour out of the city to the beautiful Lake Como. We arrived in Como in the late morning. The tour guide gave us about an hour and a half to explore the town before our 2 hour ferry ride down the Lake. 

We boarded the ferry and began our tour of the shoreline of Lake Como as we headed to the small island of Bellagio. Along the ride, I learned about the history of the lake and the places along the shoreline. The view from the ferry was breathtaking with beautiful houses surrounded by mountains and peacefulness all around. In a way it reminded me of Moosehead Lake, riding on the Katahdin ( but Lake Como is a little higher class, no offense Maine). 

We also saw George Clooney's house along the way.

When we arrived to Bellagio, we were all starving so Stephanie, Megan, the two Sarah's, Brittany, Cara, Bridget and I headed to lunch. After lunch we did not have much time to shop because we had to catch the ferry ride back to the bus. Before we had to meet for the ferry ride I had time to buy a little handmade bracelet that is green and means "hope". 

While on the island, somewhere along the way an older man and his wife, from the tour, were separated. When it was time to board the ferry he was no where to be found. We stayed about an hour to wait around for him hoping he would show up. His wife felt so bad  that we all had to wait around and had hope that he got on a ferry before and was waiting on the other side. That was not the case and after about 10 minutes he had been located on the island and was on the next ferry over. It was like a love story at the end when he ran off the ferry to be reunited with his wife. It was adorable, there were even some tears in some of our eyes. 

We had a long bus ride back due to a big bus in very small streets and traffic along the way. I slept most of the way home.  Later that night Sarah, Stephanie, Megan and I walked up the street to a pizzeria named Fashion 2 and I ordered a delicious ham, tomato and cheese calzone. It was one of the best I've ever had, but I think the fresh dough helped too. 

Sunday morning I woke up, just in time to catch breakfast downstairs in the hotel. I then got ready and headed back to the Duomo do to a little more shopping with Stephanie, Blaine and Megan. We went to just a few stores and all I bought was a belt to wear for an industry visit this week and a pair of rose colored shorts. We also found a cafe which makes American iced coffee, it was heavenly. Then we went back to the hotel and I did some more homework, blogging and research for the week ahead. 

Tomorrow morning we head to Florence! I will be spending 5 days there and will be going to G2 Textiles, meeting Angela Caputi and attending Piti, mens fashion trade shows. For my followers, my next blog will not be until next week because while in Florence I will have no internet. See you in a week! 

Week One of a Fashionista's Travels

After months and months of preparation I have finally arrived in Italy! I am so excited to be here and cannot wait to share all my happenings while I am in Milan and Florence. 

Let's recap my first week in the city of Milano:

Day 1: 

 I arrived Sunday morning at MXP airport with a my new leather swingpack, a very heavy carry-on tote and my huge suitcase filled with not enough clothes, yet my bag still weighed over 23kg. After waiting hours in the baggage claim looking for some familiar faces of the other students on the trip, my friend, Sarah and I finally found a small group of students along with our two Professors, Fulvio and Elise from FashionTimes. After over eight hours of flying I was not really looking forward to being filmed but of course Fulvio had his camera in hand ready to record our arrival. We patiently waited the arrival of the others and then made our way by bus into Milano. Once we arrived at Hotel Mennini we had the night to unpack and sleep off our jet lag.

Day 2:  

Monday morning we arose early and made our way on the metro to the Duomo. The Duomo is a beautiful cathedral in the main city square of Milano. When we arrived at the piazza we headed out way across the street from the cathedral and headed into the Galleria, which of course is filled with  shops, such as Prada and Louis Vuitton and many more Italian boutiques in between. We explored all around the Galleria and then ventured out into the streets of Milano to find some other shops.  Of course I bought a very cute scarf from Oysho, a store filled with accessories, shoes and bathing suits.

After exploring around the Piazza del Duomo, we all headed back to get ready for our first visit to Pink & Chic. When we arrived we finally met Maria and Eleonora, who were great hosts! We learned many things from them, such as  about their showroom, their public relations and the culture of Italian business. When two Italian companies work together they develop through a friendship first then into a work relationship, not vice versa like back home. While at Pink & Chic, they also told us about our new marketing project to bring Pink & Chic to Miami, which I cannot wait to start, I already have some ideas forming in my head! I hope we get to see Maria and Eleonora again soon!

Day 3:

Tuesday morning we were hoping to go into the Duomo and climb to the top of the cathedral but when we woke up it was pouring. The whole reason we wanted to climb the Duomo was to see the amazing view of the Alps, but because of the conditions that was not possible and it was postponed. So instead we made our way to Castello Sforzesco. The castle is one of the most famous monuments in Milano, built centuries ago. Inside the castle are small museums which hold a lot of beautiful pieces of artwork. From sculptures of ancient art, to 21st century wooden furnishings and famous Italian painters in between.

After we explored the castle we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our industry visit to meet Angela Marcato. But before we got onto the metro Sarah and I bought some gelato! It was my first time having gelato in Italy, and it was delicious! Angela Marcato is a fashion director, stylist, model etc., she does it all! We met her and her sales director, Francesco at a new exhibition for Madonna at ABC Atelier Mannequins. Angela was so inspirational. She shared with us great advice on how to make it in the industry, and told us to remember that nobody is perfect. The exhibit for Madonna was amazing. There were pictures of Madonna everywhere and hot pink mannequins. In glass cases there were also Barbie Dolls of Madonna in some of her most famous touring costumes. The detail that went into making the Barbie costumes was spectacular and matched her original outfit perfectly. Below is a Barbie dressed in the costume that was seen on Madonna this past Superbowl when she performed at halftime.

At the exhibit there were also white mannequins with outfits made from paper. Each costume was made by hand, by Angela's friend, Florina, who worked for days on the costumes.

Day 4: 

Wednesday came and finally there was sunshine when I looked out my window in the morning! We made our way to visit Luisa Cevese. This company uses industrial waste such as leftover textiles and plastic to make innovative products, such as purses and totes for their consumers. Each product is unique and no two products ever look alike. Luisa discussed with us the history of the company and she started the company back in the early 1990s, when being sustainable and innovative (recycling) was not much of a thought process for many companies. The textiles Luisa uses on her products come from factories all over Europe. She uses any textile too, even fishing net!

On our way back to the metro, we went into the Duomo and then climbed to the top. Inside the Duomo was just as spectacular as the outside. From the tile floors to hand painted ceilings, all of the labor and detailing that went into building the Duomo is jaw dropping.  After we toured the inside we made our way to the top of the Duomo. The view from the top was breathtaking. On one side we could see the Swiss Alps and then the other was the cities skyline.

At night we all put on our most fashionable outfits and made our way to the Secoli Insitit. The graduating seniors were presenting their exit designs at the Re-Fashion Show. The show was fantastic! Many of the designs looked like they should be seen on the runway during Men's or Women's Fashion Week here in Milan, they were that good. Each student had to use sustainable products and incorporate it in some way into their clothing designs. The runway collection includes clothing for both genders. Evening, Casual and Swimwear were on full display...

Thank you FashionTimes for getting us in! I am so happy to have seen the show.

Day 5:

This morning we headed by bus out of the city to go to Missoni! After a long bus ride through the countryside and a quick stop for cafè we finally arrived at the factory. We were greeted and guided around by Vittorio Missoni, the son of Ottavio Missoni. Ottavio started his knitwear company in the 50's but it was not known about until the late 60's when he showed his line,with his wife, in Florence. Vittorio told us the story how his father's first line was known to the press as scandalous because it was see through on the runway from the bright lights, and that was how people began to here about Missoni. Today the Missoni line features home and clothing and is one of the only companies to still manufacture their products in Italy. Vittorio shared so much information with us as he guided us through the factory. He showed us things such as the weaving machine that was invented for Missoni and the steam presser that used only water and no chemicals so the delicate fabrics were not ruined. I learned so much for Vittorio. The visit was spectacular and exceeded my expectations! I am so happy Fulvio and FashionTimes made that industry visit happen.

After the visit we headed back to Hotel Mennini and it was time to get some work done. When it was time to take a break, Sarah and I took a walk around our hotel but noticed that not many places were open. So we hopped on the metro and went to the Duomo and I spent a little more money than I expected to on some very cute clothes. That purchase went on the American Express =)
Tomorrow starts my 3 day weekend off and I plan to catch up on some sleep, then explore the city some more!