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Milan Fashion and Travel Diary

“You may have the universe if I may have Italy”

— Giuseppe Verdi

 

 

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

The three days in Milan felt like 5 weeks and 3 minutes. The first day felt like a week, the second day felt like a month, but the third day gave us the impression of a quickie.

 

Table of Contents

Personal Reflections on Milan Fashion and Travel | Voyage and Philosophy

My forest green velvet tailored jacket embellished with a red flower brooch and a 90’s inspo belt, snake print cowboy boots, tiger trousers, and some “casual” elbow-length golden gloves appeared to be the proper outfit for the Sunday morning Milan flight, but it wasn’t. It came in complete anthesis with the way too relaxed hoodies and oversize sweaters and the already uniform leggings. I’m fully aware I’m more into “advanced style” than anything close to minimalism, yet I’m still nostalgic for the Pan Am travel in style era. That “studied” classic, with a touch of boldness and romantic undertones. That joie de vivre.

 

 

 

Milan Fashion Trip

The three days in this Milan Fashion Trip felt like 5 weeks and 3 minutes. The first day felt like a week, the second day felt like a month, but the third day gave us the impression of a quickie.

We landed in Milan on an amazing weather day, and all the sorrow from a week before, when our initial flight was cancelled due to an air traffic control strike, was forgotten. And how to start a trip to Italy if not with a pasta meal and a good coffee? Said and done!

 

 

 

Milano Pasta

Armani Silo Fashion Art Museum

With a tight agenda and the pressure of museums being closed on Mondays and some even on Tuesdays, we rushed to drop our luggage at the location where we were accommodated and head to the Armani Silo Fashion Art Museum, dedicated to the Armani style. Home to a selection of dresses that showcase the professional experience of Giorgio Armani. I loved it!

 

 

Maria Drob_Armani Silo
Beautiful velvet, classic blazer.

The exhibition is divided into themes:

Ground floor: Temporary exhibitions; this time we got to see the photographic exhibition Magnum Photos: Colors, Places, Faces, which is extended until January 29, 2023. 
First floor: Androgynous 
Second floor: Ethnicities
Third floor: Stars and Digital Archive

 

Maria Drob_Milan Fashion Trip
Armani Silo Expo

The finesse, the attention to detail, the creativity of the design, the stylistic layers, the juxtapositions everything was a firework of lessons. I got out of the museum richer than when I entered, although with 12 euros less on my budget.

And just like that, day 1 was finished in what seemed to be a week.

But as the sun goes down and the moon rises over the Duomo cupola, another day begins. And what a day!

Maria Drob_Fashion Museum Milan

Stores Marathon and Some Alcohol

What started as a chill day with a croissant and coffee served in a posh glass at Bistrot Cafe, right in front of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and Duomo, turned into a shopping race. In fact, it was a marathon. We literally went shop by shop, store by store, scanning, feeling, touching, smelling, trying, dreaming, budgeting, and re-budgeting. As an image creator and real-life character designer (which to me is more than a personal stylist), you might be tempted to believe shopping is a must when I travel. You’ll be surprised to find out that it is not a priority, yet it does complete the trip, and since I like clothing items with a story, I love to link them to a specific location and time. I’m now the proud owner of a few statement items, but I do regret not having enough time to see A.N.G.E.L.O. — Vintage Palace, is considered one of the most influential and important vintage clothing stores in Italy and the world, and its historical archive is today an international reference point for the entire fashion system.

This sounds like an excellent excuse to plan another visit to Milan, isn’t it?

 

Maria Drob BAROQUE print on the dress
BAROQUE print on the dress

Long story short, shopping led to pizza, pizza led to wine, and wine led to Terrazza Duomo 21, a lounge bar. The cocktails were not cheap, but the extra treats, the location, the view, and the opportunity to look over the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele from the inside windows paid off big time.

 

 

Maria Drob What to do in Milan
What to do in Milan

Culture Thirst and Goodbye

The third of this Milan Fashion Trip day brought with it goodbye sorrow and a feeling of being unaccomplished cus the to-do list was way longer and the time out of the sudden vanished. Since we had a late-night flight, we decided to end it cyclically, as we started: with coffee and dessert at the girly EL & N world’s most instagrammable cafe and one more museum. And yes, this is my priority when travelling: to see museums and exhibitions, as my job strongly relies on symbolism. That is why I do consider myself more than a personal stylist— a real-life character designer.

 

 

Maria_Drob EL_N Milan
EL & N Milan

Palazzo Morando, a Renaissance palace in the heart of Milan, was selected as the museum du jour. Another one of the hidden gems of art and history that should be better known to tourists is located on Sant’Andrea Street 6 in the heart of the Fashion District. The Museum of Milan is now housed there, along with its Costume Fashion Image collection.

 

Maria Drob_Palazzo Morando
Palazzo Morando Milan

Palazzo Morando’s main style elements are eighteenth-century. The House Villa’s rockery lines and ornamentation, still visible in the façade overlooking Via Sant’Andrea, the monumental staircase, and some of the rooms’ decorative elements, are significant. “Rockery” is a type of rococo.

We ended the day with a panini at the airport and a well-deserved sleep during the flight to Romania. Lucky for me, I got to sit on three seats, just about enough for my height.

Thank you, Milan, for being sunny with us; see ya next time!

 

 

Maria Drob-Milan Fashion Week
The Drama BLACK Fishnet
I'm assessing fashion and iconic characters through the lens of cultural theory, with a focus on symbolism, art, and anthropological references. Making connections between diverse things and thinking extensively about a particular topic is what my reflections entail.

A good article to read is: “Visit Milan in one day (visit Milan on a budget)“.

Next time we will talk about the “Czech Visit”.

Photo source: Personal Archive

 

MARIA-DROB_Fashion Archivist

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