Final Map, Final Day

Before this trip we were assigned to create a map of what we thought Milan would be like based on what we already knew. My map had to be of pictures I found on the Internet and my knowledge of the culture was small. By immersing myself in the culture I was able to learn about a lot of new places.

This new map was created with my own pictures to show all of the places I visited and the culture that I saw. Some of my favorite places I visited were Piazza del Duomo, the offices of Italia Vogue, and Lake Como. All of the Italians have a great passion, confidence, love for dogs, great craftsmanship, and traditions.

I am so happy to have had this experience and the memories will last me a lifetime. There were some ugly parts of the culture such as the hagglers but for the most part Italy is a beautiful place! I would love to come back and all that there is still left to see!

The Last Supper

One of the most incredible masterpieces done by Leonardo da Vinci was the painting of The Last Supper. The painting is on the wall of the dining hall at the monastery, Santa Maria delle Grazie here in Milan. Only a certain amount of people are allowed in the room at a time after passing through different automated chambers to help preserve the painting.

The Last Supper is absolutely spectacular, as it was an experiment with dry paint, called a tempera forte technique, so that da Vinci could correct, change, or get any special chromatic effects as he worked. It was started in 1494 and wasn’t finished until 1498. Across the room was another mural done by artist Giovanni Donato da Montorfano in 1495. This mural is of Jesus’ Crucifixion and is called just that.

Both paintings are breath taking to look at and the room was filled with silence as we only had a limited amount of time to take it all in. Some restoration has been done and was finished in 1999. Although there are many theories that go along with this painting, it was still simply a masterpiece, which I am very lucky and fortunate to have seen in person.

As The Last Supper is known for its symbols and the end, tonight is our last dinner as a group. I am very fortunate to have met the people on this trip and hope to continue the friendships I have made. All great things come to an end eventually and soon this trips time is up.

Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper from jamesmaybe.com

Santa Maria della Grazie

Conquered Goals

Before coming to Italy, I told myself that I would take in the culture in every way possible. I would try new foods, listen to new music, and enjoy the new culture around me. Once I was here I had goals of getting red pants, as that has been a major trend I was noticing. With all of the shopping I have done, that has been a success after finally getting the right size!

Red pant trend during Fashion Week

Another thing I noticed in all of the Italians was the confidence they have in everything they do. They dress how they feel and keep their heads high. The women are able to walk in high heels on cobblestone streets and watching this daily, it became another goal of mine to conquer. The night of the Vladimiro Gioia event, I walked between places in the only pair of high heels I brought. (This is not including wedges) I did not trip, stumble, or need to hold onto anyone, but I did go slower than usual.

Always fashionable in high heels

I have learned a lot about the Italian culture but also about myself. This trip has shown me that I love the fashion industry and can’t wait to start my career in it. I consider myself hardworking and determined in anything I start.  I have taken in all of the great advice I have been given here and will apply it to how I move forward in the public relations field. I want to come back in the future, but I know no matter how many times I come back, I will never be able to see all there is to see in Italy!

Where It All Begins

Instituto Secoli is a design school in Milan that was “born from the industry” says Stefano Secoli, the President of the school. The school started in 1934 for people that were working and held classes on nights and Saturdays. They have classes for everything of design and production as they built their foundation. Soon students were coming right after finishing high school and with this growth, the school focuses the classes on seeing what the industry needs now.

Stefano talked with us about the two different sides of the fashion industry. Although fashion is the trends, quality, details, and uniqueness of the clothes, fashion also is broken into atelier and industry. Atelier is the haute couture of the fashion industry, this is the side that very distinct pieces are seen as they are hand made and made to measure. Industry side is also known as the prêt-a-porter or ready-to-wear mass market.

Fashion shows are very important in this industry because no one has seen the collection yet. This is to show the collection in a way so that no one can copy ahead of time. With haute couture, the same people that produce the show produce the garment you choose to buy. This is very different from the ready-to-wear collections.

After the fashion show, orders from buyers are taken. Patterns and directions are sent to outside factories where they are produced for the stores. During this change of hands, a lot of information can be lost or misinterpreted. Italians are very good at keeping open communication because of a tradition they have. In the past, Italian designers were born from a production company such as a factory, so they understand both sides of the situation.

To fashion students, what he was saying was simple and clear-cut. He didn’t make anything complicated, but instead he put a different spin on it than we are used to. We are fashion business majors and we learn about the marketing and buying end of fashion. It was interesting and nice to hear about fashion from instead a designer’s perspective. He left us with advice of not being afraid of the future, but instead be in the present. To me this is very valuable, I have always tried to focus on the present and enjoy where I am when I am there. That is something I encourage everyone to do with their lives.

Vita della Moda: Hole in the Wall Treasures

For our last cultural mission, we were sent to find four different stores. These stores were not on the main streets and instead were down the side streets in little holes. The first store Angela Caputi Giuggiu had hand made jewelry from Florence. The store also had handbags and hats all made of natural materials. The jewelry was big and chunky with bright colors.

The second store was Venini; here we found hand made glass furnishings that were all made in Veroni. Even with the stores long history and tradition, the pieces were all very unique and modern. The colors were bright and shined with the artistic and innovative designs.

The third store was the Lisa Corti textile store. The store had fabrics that were hand crafted in India and then designed and turned into clothing, bedding, bags, and accessories in Italy. In the back of the store there was a design studio and sewing machines. The store was very bright with all of the different patterns and the hand-painted floors were just as unique as the merchandise.

The last store was Bellora, a bed and bath store. The color theme was pastels and the key furniture pieces were painted white. All of the products are made from an Italian company, however the classic pieces are produced in Turkey. The main material being used throughout the store was wood and cotton.

As a group we discussed why we would be sent to these very different stores. We saw a couple major themes as we moved from each store. The colors were captivating and the quality was always top notch. The atmosphere of each store was fun and inviting while also having a homey feel. Although not all of the products were made in Italy, the stores still had the complete pride in their handcrafted pieces that Italian merchants have always had.

As we enter the industry, these stores reminded us of the two main factors that impact the fashion industry. Quality and uniqueness are what helps products stand out against the standard designer labels. As we have learned in classes, this industry is very competitive. These stores all have specialized products and in order to be as successful they have to be different in the experience that they give their customer along with the product. This allows the stores to be distinct in their categories within the industry. From this we can take the same mentality and make ourselves stand out against our competition as we grow in our chosen fields.

If any of these stores were to come to the United States, they would be successful. They offer the customer quality and style that Americans are looking for. As some of these stores are small, they would present their customers exclusivity within the American market. We are glad we got to see these four hole in the wall stores and grow from the experience.

All about Passion & Quality

White Sposa has grown immensely over the past years. They started as a small-unknown bridal magazine, with an English name in Italy and are now one of the top magazines in the bridal industry. Their office is intimate, holding only a few full time employees and the rest as freelance. Editor-in-chief Simona Polli mentioned, just as other industry professionals have, that everyone in the office works together. They may have a title or rules to follow, but the rules are broken and everyone works extremely hard together. Fashion editor, Elena Todros then said, “to work in a team is very important, it is the philosophy of the magazine in a way.”

The magazine lives, or is paid by, the advertisements it holds, instead of like other magazines that live for the sales from the newsstand. It started with four issues a year, however because of the economy, designers and companies couldn’t pay for advertisements four times a year. The magazine then had to drop to three issues a year because they were unwilling to sacrifice their quality, to have the four issues and their clients thank them.

The magazine is always looking for ways they can grow. They organize 25 exhibitions each year that are open to the public, they help clients with fashion shows, and offer brides not only gown advice but also advice on the right the wedding planner, gifts, and location. As the total package, White Sposa has been in Russian boutiques and is the first Italian magazine with a Japanese issue.

The magazine is different than any other I have picked up. The cover is beautiful, not only with the editorial picture, but with the clean lines and shapes, the texture of the embossed elements, and the stiffness of the paper. These pieces of quality are continued throughout the magazine. There aren’t any cutout collages or flimsy pages; each magazine has great quality to it, like a book that is trying to tell a story. They believe that less is more and the sophistication in the layout shows.

Seeing the way White Sposa is run and being able to now compare it to Vogue Italia, the magazine business is very exciting. You are a little bit of everything in the fashion industry. You are a trend forecaster as you decided the upcoming issues theme; you are a stylists when discussing the layout and photo shoot; you are in public relations with the events that are held; you are an editor and journalist; and you are a designer in the sense that you make something from nothing and sell it.

I have always loved creating layouts like a magazine when I was in high school on the yearbook committee. The advisor there let us grow and expand anyway we wanted which led me to being the Editor for two years before I graduated. As we talked to Polli and Todros, their passion shined through and reminded me of the same passion I had for the layouts. I remember the hard work and dedication that is necessary to produce top quality and White Sposa has both. I would love to work in a PR department for a magazine so I can have both of my passions under one roof.

Special packaging for White Sposa clients

Info packet designed for JWU & the latest issue, The British Issue

When In Milan, Do As The Milanese

One of the main ways to travel around the different cities around Italy is with a bike. Milan has different stations opened that you can rent a bike for your commute to work, an appointment, or just for fun. This was a cultural thing I wanted to soak in and with a group we looked into how to go about renting a bike for a little stroll.

Instead of just putting cash into the station, taking the bike around, and returning it, the process was much more! We had to travel by Metro to an ATM station. The ATM’s here allow people the get Metro passes for long periods of time as well as the codes for the bikes. Through some broken English we had our codes and passwords and were on our way back to the bikes.

We unlocked the bikes and after some shaky starts, we were on our way. The city is so beautiful on the bikes, as we rode around the Sforza Castle and through Sempione Park. There were many people out so we careful not to run into anyone. It was a beautiful day and a great experience. It may seem like such a small task, riding a bike, but to have the experience, it put a small part of the city into a completely different perspective that made it shine.

Me bike riding

Sempione Park

Station to rent bikes

Art vs. Fashion: Bob Krieger

Bob Krieger is one of Italy’s most famous fashion photographers. He has had the opportunity to photograph some of the most important people such as, various heads of State, the first ever Miss Italy, top models, and iconic figures like Valentino, Bill Gates and Vogue Italia’s Franca Sozzani. His photographs have also been featured in prominent magazines such as, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Time and The New York Times.

Early this month an exhibit opened up in the Palazzo Reale museum in Milan, which featured many of his works. One of the plaques stated that Bob Krieger had the “ability to depict the soul of his objects; with no pretences or concessions.”

One photograph really caught my eye, as it was a zoomed in eye edited quite interestingly. The piece is called Evoluzione and the rough elements of the eye and what seems like sketching is very unique. The eyebrow looks as if it is sweeping pencil marks, however I also see a feather shape.

A major trend for the Spring/Summer 2012 that has already started to catch on is feathers of every kind. The hairs of the eyebrow in the photograph fall and shape the same way the hairs of the feather fall. The designer Blue Man, from Rio de Janeiro, used feather earrings during its runway presentation to follow this growing trend.

This relation of the art of Bob Krieger and the fashion of Blue Man show that fashion and art really do go hand in hand. Art can influence fashion the same way and amount that fashion can influence art.  

From Stylesight.com

Photograph by Bob Krieger

A Trip Full Circle

During our trip we have been working with Pink & Chic Communications and an upcoming luxury designer, Vladimiro Gioia and last night an event in honor of our JWU Web Reality Project with Fashion Times Mag, an Italian blog, was held. The event was chic and classy as awards were given to students offering an internship with Vladimiro and recognition for garment and shopping bag designs being chosen to go into production.

Having the opportunity to see all of the different types of events while here in Italy has been a great learning experience. As I want to work in the public relations field, there will be times I will have to come up with new ideas and ways to present collections or sponsor an event. It has confirmed my desires to work in the fashion industry and help designers or labels communicate with the public while keeping a mutually beneficial relationship.

Italy has taught me many different points of view in the fashion industry. Although we may want to follow trends it is still important to have your own confidence and style so your personality doesn’t get lost behind. This is a point that a Professor at NABA, Orietta, told us today. She is a trend forecaster and she talked about all of the different things she looks at in order to see what the trends could be in the future.

To be a trend forecaster, you have to observe what is happening, not only in fashion but also in social areas, like reading books and listening to music. You have to keep an open mind and understand not only the customer you may be working for, but also the quality of the products.

Orietta said, “Fashion is creativity first and business second.” As she said this it brought me back to something Vladimiro had said when he was talking about designing. He mentioned he is always designing and creating, everything inspires him and he will always take the time to stop and sketch something if it moves him. Maybe this is why he is late as Maria Chiara Arona says. Because he doesn’t think of it as business as the public relations or marketing departments do, but instead only the creativity.

As I move forward in my career in the fashion industry, I am going to remember all of the valuable advice I have been given. I am going to strive to find the balance between the creativity and the business, while keeping in mind what my customers need and want from me.  It may seem like a struggle at times, but I am always up for a good challenge.

Announcing the winner

Me with Pink & Chic Owner, Maria Chiara Arona

Me with Italian designer, Vladimiro Gioia

Vita della Moda: Pitti Market

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.

Art vs. Fashion: Gallery of Contemporary Art

When designers look for inspirations for each collection, it can come from the simplest of things. While looking though the Gallery of Contemporary Art in Milan there were many sculptures and paintings. The detailing of a net on a sculpture called Venere by Pompeo Marchesi in 1826 could be a major influence as a detail on a whole collection. Venere translates to Venus and Pompeo Marchesi studied in Rome before spending a majority of his life in Milan. “He executed a great number of groups in marble and portrait busts” 1 that are currently spread all over the world.

Venere by Pompeo Marchesi

Rope/Net detailing

The rope or netting detail was a major trend throughout a collection done by Samuel Cirnansck for the Spring/Summer 2012 collection. They were either wrapped around the waist, the neck, or twisted around the whole body. Some of the ropes weren’t really part of the clothing but instead just a general theme throughout the show, as models had their hands tied behind their backs.

From stylesight.com

The sculpture is of a beautiful woman in all of her delicateness while still being hard in her raw state. The same goes for Cirnansck’s collection as the dresses are of delicate materials and soft colors, while still being hard and raw in their presentation.

1 Handley, Marie Louise. "Pompeo Marchesi." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 22 Jun. 2011 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09643b.htm.

Rubbing Elbows with Journalists & Buyers

Fashion Times Magazine has been following us around on our trip in Italy. They have been taking videos of the opportunities we have had and allowing us to learn about the Italian fashion culture. Today, they were able to get us into two more fashion shows for Milan’s Men’s Fashion Week.

The first show was for the Spring/Summer 2012 collection for Gazzarrini. The show was held in a museum for ships and aviation. Instantly I thought the collection might have a nautical theme, as it was inspired by a romantic trip of an adventure in uncharted land. The collection was very relaxed with neutrals and a pop of soft green. All of the collection was beautifully tailored and followed a trend I have seen a lot of, rolled pants and sleeves. The nautical theme came through with some of the outer coats and pants having rope to secure them. According to the collection summary, Gazzarrini hopes to blend the East and the West with contemporary refined clothes.

Outside the door

Tailored suit

Runway

Finale with designer Gazzarrini

Relaxed looks

The second show was for the Spring/Summer 2012 collection by Enrico Coveri, which included men and women’s clothing. The collection referenced the seventies with a modern twist on the mod look. The show started with beautiful flared dresses and relaxed jackets. The colors were of prints that used geometric designs with bold colors. As the collection presented itself, the atmosphere was upbeat. The music was fun and with slight glitches from the models, a smile or a giggle would show. The colors on every piece were bold, bright, and in your face. By the end of the collection, pieces were coming out in couples. The men were in tailored white suits with colors on the lapels, trouser waistbands, and bow ties while the women were in long dresses made of sequins.

Invitation for Coveri

Sequin dress and tailored suits

Finale with Designer Enrico Coveri

Both shows were uniquely different and incredible to see. I loved each collection equally; however for me the sequin dresses of Coveri stole the show. The colors and designs of the sequin were spectacular, showing the attention to detail, shape, and color that the Italian designers have. I can’t wait until I am in industry and shows like these are things I have to go to. See you in the front row!

Light Bulbs Flashing: Iceberg Catwalk

Iceberg's Spring/Summer 2012 collection was my first Italian runway and I can’t wait to attend more. While standing in line for about an hour, all of the fashions were already amazing. I saw bright colors and very different styles, from grunge to professional. I loved every minute of simply standing in line. When we finally got into the runway and settled in our seats, I couldn’t be more excited.

The lights went down and the music changed as all of the models filed into a line. One by one scales of gray, maroon, and blues were coming down the runway.  The models were wearing pants rolled up slightly, blazers with rolled sleeves and cable knit sweaters. The style was tailored but relaxed as some of the models even had messy long beards and hair in buns.

The show was over as soon as the first flash of the journalists went off. It confirmed what a book I had to read for the Executive Decision Making class had said, “nearly five months of hard work and planning [it] is over in eight and a half minutes.” (Edward-Jones, 329)

Fashion shows have always been something I loved to watch and plan. Working in fashion public relations this is something I would be doing regularly along with other tasks. To see the set up and how everything was run today was an incredible insight to something I will be doing in the future. I can’t wait to get started!

Edwards-Jones, Imogen. Fashion Babylon. New York: Atria, 2007. Print.

My ticket!

Iceberg Spring/Summer 2012

Press box and end of runway

Security at the door

Art vs. Fashion: Giardini Pubblici

The public gardens in Milan are the perfect spot for any designer who is looking for inspiration. These gardens reach a span of around 40 acres and are one of the largest in the city. “Designed in 1786 by Piermarini, the gardens were made larger in 1857 and further changes have been made over the years.” ¹   As I walked around, I tried to capture as many beautiful plants, statues, and lakes as I could.

All of the colors around the park were very inspirational and the red and yellow marigold really stood out to me. They are brighter than your typical pink flowers and stood out against the grass. A designer may look for something like this when they are planning a collection for a particular season, something that will stand apart from the rest.

A collection that had this same idea was from designer Nica Kessler for the Spring/Summer 2012 season. The fabric that was used had the same pattern of yellow and red stripes. The dresses flow as the models walk the same way the petals of the flowers move in the wind.

How this simple flower could have influenced the beautiful collection is the same as how art can influence a how collection or trend.

Marigold's from Milan's Public Gardens

From stylesight.com

1 "Milan Parks and Milan Gardens." World Guides. Web. 20 June 2011. http://www.milan.world-guides.com/parks_gardens.html.