Travel & Hotspots
DIARY #1
Milan Fashion Week
Back in the day our fashion director Simone and I did as many fashion weeks together as possible. She always dragged me from shows to re-see’s (that’s where you check out the shows collection and you can play around with the fabrics and get a whiff of everything new) to presentations and then straight through to other appointments. But then I exchanged paper for print (check that out here) and our fashion weeks were merely a part of the past.
But that was then and now is now and now Simone works as our very own fashion director. So off we went. To Milan, where we’ve been multiple times, but never in the rain. Since we’d be saving at least five hundred euros we decided to travel in the most anti-glamourous way with easyJet. After which we took a bus (I repeat: a bus) to Milan Central Station. And from that moment on, the luxury finally kicked in.
We slept at the Diana Majestic, a classic five star hotel that, don’t ask me why, had a very nice price offer that would have us sleeping amongst all the important fashion figures. We dropped off our suitcases in our rooms (you would think we’d be staying a month if you saw the contents of those things when in fact were were their for just one night), brushed my hair and off we went to our first appointment. The Sportmax and MaxMara re-sees. I love these brands. MaxMara reinvented their iconic jacket in a teddy bear version long enough to reach the floor. I’m buying it next week. I have too. It might be a little bit of an investment, but it’s not like you’ll need anything else anyway.
Sportmax just keeps getting hipper. Their influences this time around were clearly from Marocco and the arm, but then translated into a very feminine way with the prettiest fabrics. After this show we could hear our stomachs grumbling. Let’s not forget, our alarms went off that morning at six and our editor Liesbeth would indignantly say: we’ve been in Milan since ten thirty and haven’t even had a glass to drink yet. I opted for one of my favorite restaurants: Rose Y Gabriele. Nothing over the top fancy, but an honest family run restaurant. With shiny red tiles covering their walls and a big bowl of fresh fish you pick from when you walk in. Can you picture it?
After an extremely lavish lunch (why do I always order so much?) we headed over to Missoni. For some reason they always manage to pick locations that are always a little off route. We had to be at number four. We kept searching. And calling out. We found a ballet school. a creche (which was open on a Sunday, how odd) but absolutely nothing that looked like a location for a show.
Alright, well. Number four was apparently number fourteen. We hadn’t been informed too well. But luckily we were on time and we were able to check out hair stylist Anthony Turner work his magic on the girls with Moroccan Oil transforming them into Kate Moss-like girls backstage. The poor models first had to get their hair drenched in ice cold water. After quickly chatting to Dutch models Vera van Erp and Julie Homans, we watched the show and then it was time for some risotto with parmesan cheese, artichoke and champagne. Buona notte and more about Milan tomorrow…
