Parte 1 - An Aussie in Europe

Milan is known for being the fashion capital of Italy and for good reason. Italy is home to a number of the biggest brands and creative genius in the fashion arena. This is why I boarded my flight from Melbourne, Australia and ventured to this busy and fast paced city for Milan Fashion Week to absorb all the wonderful talent on display.

Photo: Tania Volobueva

As a solo traveler heading to Milan for the first time I am feeling the atmosphere of the city buzzing and humming with an appreciation for the finer things and LOVED IT. I am not sure if it is like this all year around or if the city has more of a pulse due to fashion week. Standing in a café (or Bar as they are regularly called), I cannot help but enjoy the energy of the people here as I order my shot of espresso. It is as if the whole city is radiating a sense of energy, bouncing of fabulous architecture and onto fashionable Europeans strutting below. Some people described Milan as a dirty city to me prior to leaving Australia. However, I did not encounter this as I wondered around the streets between fashion events (which I will get to in a moment) looking at the stunning architecture, pure fashionable window displays and so many inviting spaces that call your name to explore.

Photo: Lacki Singh

 Immediately one of the first things I have noticed about The Milanese people is there addiction to shoes. They take particularly pride in their shoes I am feeling right at home. They do dress impeccably well with such a flair for sharp lines and silhouettes. Even pounding the pavement on their way to work they look stylish! I have not seen one ill-fitting suit or a pair of active wear leggings since I arrived in the heart of the city.

I was lucky enough to be invited to see a young and upcoming designer(you all know I enjoy an emerging talent) who displayed her A/W 2018 collection named ‘Nona’. 
Chanel Joane Elkayam presented a mature collection with classic lines and elegant pattern, fine details and a few show stopping voluminous pieces. Chanel who is studying at Central Saint Martins University in London, notably  displayed her strong use of neutral colours and classic black suited the elegant sophistication of the pieces. For such a young talent there is a large amount of talent in her restraint to create such classic items. Chanel's clearly understands a woman's body and how to dress it so elegantly to compliment the woman and not distract from their natural beauty. One to watch!

Antonio Marras the compelling storyteller who has the ability of mixing fashion, art and performing art into a single run way is a force to be reckoned with. In contrast with Australian catwalks, this was completely mind blowing. The garments of course are lush and exquisite but the overall energy of the show and telling a story through the lifespan of the 20 minute presentation is divine with its intermissions creatively narrating the story. Not only a women's runway, the Men’s looks featured bomber jackets with black embellishments, sophisticated coats with stylish details that highlighted the high skill of Italian tailoring. Not to be outshone the women's was bold daring with a hint of old world charm in new modern embellishments, embroidery and lots of sparkle. Mr Marras and his superb coats and full skirts are purely breathtaking. If you are on a fashion diet, Antonio Marras in totally binge 

worthy.

Samuele Failli was another highlight. His razor sharp stilettos and shoes are a shoe addicts dream. Raised in Tuscany and studying in London he has definitely cemented his mouthwatering style of beautiful craftmanship and unique materials. This fella is on the rise, stand up , preferably in his heels and pay attention!

Taking some time out from the catwalk I headed to the One Milano trade show. A flash of the press pass and I was transported into a haven of ridiculously amazing goods from shoes, to bags, belts to hats and everything in between. The main attraction here was fur. There was fur absolutely everywhere! The quality is outstanding and you can see why Italian craftsmanship is so highly regarded. Even the traders who were not Italy based had a level of commitment to providing a level of detail and luxury to their goods. ubbing shoulders with the forecasters and fashionable buyers, it has been great to stop and speak to so many people who have traveled from all around the globe. Not everyone in Milan speaks English well and I was not very polished in my Italian so it was terrific to be able to converse over the love of a fantastic pieces after my first 48 hours. 

Prancing between The One Milano trade show and the hotel to change for the evenings events, I have stumbled across a delightful little slice of Italian culture with Apéritifs. I could easily get used to this and I see some weight gain in my future. They occur everyday in the late afternoon to the early evening. For a few euros, you can get a drink and some food served buffet style, perfect for a fashionista on the run. 

And run I did. Off to the Tb Milano showroom for their Spativm Moda - Salon Presentation with an assortment of luxury designers showing off their wonderful goodies. At an intimate salon presentation you experience the products up close and personal and are able to inspect the details and hear about the design process, directly from the designers themselves. Taerus PR put together a wonderful showcase which was an elegant affair that truly was a nod to the old school elegance of intimate showcases. I fell completely in love with the utterly classic and divine brand Fvcina. The epitome of luxury with their use of animal skins, precious metals and stones. Anything in animal print usually gains my attentions, but there is nothing like the line and look of python to unlesh your inner poisoness bite.  Unmistakeably bold and modern. Fvcina is a refreshing brand on the luxury market. 

 Heading downtown to the flashy fashion district, a crowd of fashionistas indicated I was in the right spot for an evening fashion week party. After a few days in Milan the buildings do start to look the same but thank god for the so many unapologetic statement-making fashionistas leaving their mark, not just on Milan but on the world. It is so captivating. The party was a great people watching experience and i was devouring all the wonderful people, atmosphere and of course outfit perfection.

After a few days of the city and popping from venue to venue, switching outfits every few hours, it was time to board the bus and travel the 84km to to the scene stealing Lake Como which is the playground to the rich and famous. Celeb-spotting aside, it's jaw-dropping natural beauty pressed against elegant villas that adorn the surrounding hills makes it one of my top 3 instagram worthy spots from this trip. There is no where like Lake Como. The elegant people of Como are breathtaking. Watching the women step out from behind large doors in their fur coats and fancy heels immaculately presented is a moment that will stay with me. 

Their distinct Italian style of knowing the fashion rules in order to exquisitely bend them and choreograph their style is a lesson I have learnt. Italians definitely do not pay attention to seasonal tacky trends and enjoy their timeless silhouettes. Italians don’t wear ‘things’ for the sake of it and have a certain level of Nonchalance, looking like they haven’t tried and literally “woken up like this”. They dress impeccably well with such a flair for sharp lines and silhouettes. Even pounding the cobblestone pavement on their way to work they look stylish!