Given everything that’s going on in the world at the moment, no one would begrudge you not remembering what the great fashion houses of the world showcased at Milan Fashion Week for their Autumn/Winter 20-21 collections.
In fact, no-one would begrudge you not remembering February’s Fashion Week at all. It’s a fair guess, however, that Milan’s catwalks did not feature a quarantine couture of hoodie-over-iso-hair, your best-going-out trackies and uggies. Although, maybe we’ll see something like that the Spring-Summer Covid-collection.
And, with a little luck, when Spring-Summer comes around, we’ll be winging our way to this gorgeous boot-shaped land. What we’ll be wearing, who knows?
[Hint: If Milan Fashion Week has anything to do with it, it’ll be lashings of sparkle and fringing galore on everything from evening dresses to blazers and clutch bags; bedazzling evening wear, knitted gowns and lace. Just not all at the same time.]
Italy is supremely stylish. It can be hard to fathom just how effortless it all looks to them. Season after season, Italians sport a confident mix of fashion-forward and classic, timeless looks. From hat-to-heels, there’s a sense of style that’s irresistibly seductive. Looking good when you’re out and about is clearly important.
In fact, there’s a uniquely Italian custom that’s solely about looking good out and about — the passeggiata. This daily, early-evening stroll is embedded in Italian society. It’s a way to see and be seen, and certainly requires a certain self confidence that comes from being well-groomed and presented. Clearly, cutting a dash is part of what it means to be Italian.
We encourage all of our travelling divas to indulge in a lttle passeggiata when in Italy. Frock up in Florence and visit the Ponte Vecchio to drink in the view, or head to Piazza della Signorina for some world class people watching…you’ll get the hang of it in no time. When in Rome, as they say.
But Italian fashion is not simply a spectator sport. We know that a Travelling Diva journey is incomplete without a shopping adventure. In Tuscany, we visit the most luxuriously gorgeous outlets you’ll find anywhere. Forget DF-whatsit, this is next level. Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, McQueen and more. Oh, My Giddy Aunt!
Italy is an easy place to explore, even if the only Italian word you know is ‘Bulgari’. Friendly, fabulous and as fast or slow as you like to take it, Italy is absolutely one of our favourite places. Whether you’re a people-watcher, a chianti-quaffer or a foodie-fashionista, you’ll feel right at home here.
Italy’s fashion roots run deep. For many, those roots took hold in 14th-Century Florence—the cradle of the Renaissance. For the elite families of the time, appearance was intimately connected to identity. Affluent Florentines, it is said, were obsessed with fashion, spending fortunes on clothing. Evidently, not much has changed in 700 years.
But we think Italy’s fashion bloodlines run much deeper than 14th-Century Florence. Look closely at depictions of ancient Romans resplendent in their tunics and togas produced by specialist artisans, fastenings and brooches for embellishment and display, and you just know these are people with fashion in their DNA.
Wander through Florence’s remarkable Uffizi Gallery on our Fabulous Ladies Getaway: Florence, Tuscany & Rome tour and you’ll see what we mean. Likewise, at the nearby Galleria dell’Accademia, although we don’t mind one bit that Michelangelo let David’s toga slip before he put chisel to marble.
After all, when it comes to fashion, sometimes less is more.
Especially with a — ahem — torso like that.
