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.
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!
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...
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!