Art vs. Fashion: Whimscal Clocks

There was much fantasy in the Enrico Coveri fashion show with garments that took on a twist to paisley. Designer Francesco incorporated things such as flowers into an paisley pattern, but it was brilliant to incorporate clocks into the patterns. I must say the clock is a very inspirational piece for designers; many designers such as Versace and Prada have incorporated clocks in their pieces. And this clock in the entrance of the Palazzo Reale may have been the inspiration for Francesco. Even more so, like the clocks in the paisley pattern, this clock also takes on a whimsical factor.

Undeniable Perfection

Buonasera! I must say today was one of the most aspiring industry visits during this program! We visited the publication office of White Sposa magazine and given a tour by Editor-and-Chief Simone Polli and Fashion Editor Elena Todros. White Sposa is a wedding oriented magazine, published in Italy and Japan, and has 3 issues a year. The office distributes 100,000 copies of the magazines in Italy to newsstands and wedding exhibitions, 50,000 to Japan and also 8,000 copies to foreign markets including the USA. And this magazine is a MUST HAVE for every girl planning a wedding, every wedding planner, and every person that aspires to work in the bridal industry….I know I’m definitely getting a subscription!

What make this magazine so great you ask? The quality, it is like no other. From the textured cover on each issue, to the paper used, to the perfection in color of the pictures, White Sposa creates a real-life fantasy for their readers. And with each word used to describe the magazine I fell in love more and more. It was describe as being more like a book rather than a magazine, a book that proposes a new theme with each edition. The themes comes from all cultures and all over the world, Elena shared with us that she would go to libraries read and look through books to find new ideas, or sometimes she’ll just have a vision of what the theme should be for the issue. Apart from the quality of the pages in the magazine, the quality of the work the office puts into the publication sets them apart from ALL magazines…yes I said it….ALL. There is really no distinction in roles in the magazine, mention by Simone, they all share roles in getting the magazine published and the organization within is IMPECCIABLE! Perfection doesn’t get any better than White Sposa!

So today I finally found the Grande disk! There were two of these sculptures made, there is one in Charlotte, NC and the other here in Milano. I was so excited when I saw it, I've been looking for it for a while. 

Good Laughs Accompanied with Good Food

You know when you laugh so hard to the point where you can’t breathe, crying your eyes out, and your stomach cramps up….well that’s what I experienced today; I loved every second of it! For dinner we decided to eat an Italian Chinese buffet, and as we’re sitting down the waiter point out the sign that says “You are not allowed to waste food.” Following that, “5 to 20 euro WILL be added to your bill for any wasted food,” and that’s when the laughter began. And as we’re eating we recap some of the things that have happened on the trip, such as me seeing Ashley’s 1960’s iron for the first time, and out of nowhere everyone at table is crying in laughter. We really enjoyed the odd faces we were getting as we fell out our chairs, and came to a consensus that they probably never want us to come back again. But I should mention how good the food was, I was a little nervous about eating Chinese in Italy but I hate to say I like it a little better…really going to be disappointed when I return and have to go to The Wok.

During the day before dinner we went on a mission to find 4 Milanese stores, and I’m glad to say it was a successfully mission. Now we just have to figure out why and how each relate to the industry, which will definitely be a piece of cake! The four stores were Lisa Corti, Venini, Bellora, and Angela Caputi Giuggiu, on a later post check out how each relate and the significanceof them to our program.

Tomorrow we visit White Sposa Magazine!!

J'adore Chanel

Ciao everyone, today was a long and exhausting day, but it was fantastic! After breakfast we set out on an adventure to the Fiera di Senigallia (Senigallia Fair), this is a Milano traditional flea market with crafts, clothing, secondhand goods, and other random goods. And boy was it filled with random stuff, if you wanted to you can go to this market and buy a faucet for your kitchen sink, a seat for your toilet, a shower head, and almost every other fixture for your bathroom and kitchen. At this fair you can also either buy a bike or buy parts to build a bike…….WOW! I must say it was quite interesting, and definitely not what I’m use to in America.

After leaving the market we set sail to D Magazine, an outlet store, well that’s what we thought. It was an outlet but everything was still in 3 digits….I would say it’s a last season store with semi discounted prices. We continued our journey to the Duomo to do a little shopping, and we finally visited the Chanel store!! IT WAS AMAZING!! Not only was it amazing but the staff was super nice, even though we looked completely out of place. This was quite surprising because in the States we wouldn’t get the time of day in Chanel if we didn’t look the part. We also visited Hermes….ohhh how I love Hermes, and the store is wonderful. But I was a little disappointed there were no Birkins, guess I’ll just have to order mine.

Finally we attended Milano Gay Pride Event, super different from the events in the US, and super crowded. The parade was not like what I’m use to back home, instead of a parade of different floats and such, it was a parade of people, a ton of people. But like in the States there was a lot of pride in the air, and it was a great experience!

Balliamo!!

Salve! Let me just say, I LOVE MILAN!! Last night was a really great night all starting with the website launching party of Vladimiro Gioia. But before I begin let's congratulate Vladimiro on the launching of his website www.vladimirogioia.com, secondly let's congratulate Annie Rusteika on receiving the internship with Vladimiro and Pink & Chic Communications! Our night started off at Lotvs, where the room was filled with laughter and joy. During the night we all gave our thanks to Maria Arona for all she has done for us during this program, and also what she continues to do. We also gave thanks to Fulvio and Elise of Fashion Times, whom made this program a great experience.

After Lotvs, walked about Corso Como, interacted with the locals and grabbed a couple of drinks. Then we headed to Club Old Fashion, and can I just say, how awesome the place was. It's an outdoor bar, very laid back and trendy, with an great crowd of people. The music was great, drinks were awesome, and the poeple were there to have a good time! So we danced the night away in celebration of the great progran we've are involved in.

Coming to the last week guys....I don't want to come home now. Next week is filled with amazing things, super excited!

Ciao

Pitti Culture Assignment

While at Pitti market, our culture group saw many different trends. Some of the trends we saw of the people walking around were suits, vests, lightweight sweaters, rolled pants, and bright colored sneakers. For trends from the vendors we saw, Hawaiian theme shirts, eco-friendly materials, straw hats, scarves, derby and top hats, wood watches, art work printed t-shirts, converse shaped shoes, and loafers.

As a group, we have a couple different self-inflicted prejudices while seeing what the vendors at Pitti market had to offer the buyers. We see scarves on men in the winter seasons for warmth, but not on men during the spring and summer months as a simple trend. As a group, we thought it would be hard to buy scarves for men in our stores even though it is becoming a major trend here in Italy.

Another prejudice we had was towards the trend of the different types of hats that the vendors were showing. The hats they had were top, derby and fedoras. As we are from America, we are used to the sports logos and baseball hats. The more formal hats are not seen that often and a prejudice has been formed against them.

The last prejudice we had was towards the Hawaiian shirts and floral prints. As young adults, we see a Hawaiian shirt and think of an old man who is retired. If we were buyers in a younger, hipper store the Hawaiian shirts would be hard to buy for the company with our preconceived notion.

We believe we have these prejudices because of our demographic. We are not used to seeing the European trends and the backgrounds we have create these. In industry we will have to look past this and really understand the market we are trying to reach in our stores and our customer wants and needs in order to cater to them. If we are able to get past these prejudices, we will be successful in the industry.

A New Chapter

Salve! Men high waist crop pants…..sign me up! Just add a t-shirt and blazer and you have one of hottest looks for spring/summer 2012. This style was featured in the Gazzerrini fashion show that we attended at the Leonardo Di Vinci Museum of Science and Technology in Milan. Artistic designer Marco Ciampalini created a look for spring/summer 2012 that bring together different culture and worlds, “it reflects the last trends, the points of contact and the blend between the West and the East,” stated in the press release. The collection took on natural tones such as beige and bamboo, with shades of light green, Ceylon yellow, and brick red, and it was quite refreshing. I loved the geometric shape the garments took such as the squared angles in the jackets and extra large pockets. And the inspiration came from “an adventure in an uncharted land,” and watching the show gives you the feeling that you’re walking the land unknown, very tranquil. The tranquility also showed through the fabric choice of organic cotton, which make the garment not only stylish, but there is also comfort.

After the Gazzarrini we attended the Enrico Coveri show and my excitement went into full throttle! The show was BRILLIANT in every meaning of the word and I got to go back stage to do some interviewing!! While backstage I just stood there for a second to just take it all in, it was a like dream, an amazing experience. As I observed the models nonchalantly moving about the room, stylists’ heads moving 1000 miles per hour, I grew to an all time high. And every second it grew better and better, Brittany and I were chosen to do backstage interview’s and we got the chance to interview head hair and makeup stylist Enrico Mariotti. He explained the trend for hair and make up for the show, which took on a 70’s feel, also very free flowing. Enrico has been in the industry for over 30 years and resides in NYC, and travels the world to do hair and makeup. Before the interview with Enrico, Brittany and I got a chance to also meet the designer Francesco Coveri and the production manager Elise.

And the collection…..WOW….I was in complete awe from the garments! Like hairstylist Enrico explained to us, the collection took on a 70’s feel, very bright and whimsical. Coveri incorporated clocks, bows, ladybirds and flowers in paisley patterns and used every bright color in the color palette, and I LOVED it. The tuxedos and evening gowns were very elegant but not too formal, the jackets had a distinct structure and did I mention the gorgeous sequin dresses. This collection was described as the “anthem of the summer season,” and I would definitely agree. It reminded of “Alice in Wonderland,” very fun and exciting, which was really the entire feel of the show including backstage.

Everyone this experience has been like no other, having the opportunity to meet designers and interact with editors, editor and chiefs, stylists, and industry officials has been life changing. Tears of joy have shed and to think it’s only the beginning is best thing. A new chapter in my life just began!

More of the Gazzarrini collection

More of Enrico Coveri

Art vs. Fashion: Elogated Flow

Ladies ready to show a little leg?? If not, get ready a trend for spring/summer 2012 is high slits in full, long length skirts. This flowing skirt from the Lenny collection is an example of what’s to come, and perhaps the inspiration comes from this sculpture entitled “Amore E Psiche” by Giovanni Maria Benzoni at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Milano. Like the Lenny skirt the lady sculpted is wearing a long flowing skirt with the high slit.

Second Row....One Step Closer!

First runway fashion show guys and it was AMAZING!!! Oh and did I mention I enjoyed the show from a seat on the second row and photographed. Yeah I'm sort of a big deal right now! But look at me one step closer to being a major part of the industry. Today we attended the Iceberg runway show debuting the Spring/Summer 2012 men's collection and I must say I loved the looks. It was streetwear with a clean grudge look. The structures of garments were relaxed with the use of linen and silk fabrics, and the color scheme was very befitting. Designer Paolo Gerani used shades of gray as the primary color and accented the collection with blue, red, and yellow. But what I found really interesting about the collection was the small details that completed the look, such as the semi-popped collar at a point on the blazers and jackets. There were also the cuffed pants, mandarin collars in the cardigans and blazers, and raw edge necklines. Definitely a style that I will be incorporating into my wardrobe next year!

Like attending many of the other events here in Milan, having the opportunity to attend a high-end fashion show was a dream come true and it shows me that every dream will one day become reality. Especially if you have perseverance and determination! Which is why I’m here where I am today, no matter the circumstance or dilemma nothing is getting in my way, I shot for the stars and one by one a new star is reached. So which star will be achieved next??

                       

Click here to check out more of the collection. Tomorrow two more fashion shows!! Ciao!

Art vs. Fashion: Earth to Dress

Nature is the world's most precious art such as the beautiful tree in Milano Giardini Pubblici. With flowing leaves and delicate texture, it gives awesome inspiration to designers, such as this Marc Jacobs halter dress from his Cruise/Resort  2012 collection. The dress resembles the detail of the tree and it also take on the colors of nature!