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  • EURO TRIP: Day Trip to Venice and Learn to Speak Italian!

    Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

    August
    9
    2010

     

    After staying in Milan for a few days Chelsea and I headed out for a day trip to Venice. From Milan, Venice is about a 3 1/2 hour train ride. It makes for a long day but it is so worth it! 

    It was a super hot day so we walked around until we got tired enough to stop and take in the sights.

    I highly recommend sitting on the steps of where the Grand Canal flows out to the ocean for this!

    One of my favorite things about Venice are the textures and colors of the walls and shutters.

    I could stare at the stained and distressed paint all day!

    Chelsea couldn't resist picking up a masquerade mask and trying it on!

     Every time I go to Venice I can't believe that the guys in the gondolas actually wear the striped shirts and hats like you imagine them wearing as a kid!

    One last thing about going to Italy...

    If you are going there and don't speak the language then you should check out these free language videos made by Girls4Teaching. They are funny and down right cheesy but will prepare you for some begining Italian!

  • EURO TRIP: Cinque Terre, Italia!

    Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

    July
    29
    2010

     

    Ciao ciao ciao from Italy!! After Croatia, Chelsea and I headed over to Italy.

    We flew to Pisa for the night, where we stayed long enough to see the leaning tower, and then jetted over to the West coast.

    Our destination was Riomaggiore located in the sleepy coastal towns of Cinque Terre (translates as the five lands in English). The Cinque Terre are five small towns connected by hiking paths. Tourists and backpackers go there to spend the day hiking and swimming in the summer heat.

     

    The trails wind along the coastline and are set into the steep hillside making for one of the most beautiful hikes you could imagine.

    Above is the quaint harbor you walk through to get to the water where there is a nice pebble beach. Below Chelsea is wearing the Pamela Body Suit by Alternative Apparel tucked into a high waisted skirt and some sandals from Lulus.com!

     We happened to arrive in Italy in the middle of an intense heat wave so me and Chelsea made sure we kept cool eating lots of Gelato! 

     When the sun set over the ocean it was a remarkable view that we won't soon forget.

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  • Italy's Up and Coming: Duty Gorn

    Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

    June
    4
    2010

    In my pursuit to keep up with the international art scene (which is much harder than I anticipated) I did a blog a while ago on an artist named Duty Gorn. Duty has continued to keep my attention with his success and prolific creation of paintings. The portrait on the left is of Duty himself is one of my all time favorite portraits and was taken by a friend of mine from Milan, Alberto Zanetti.

     

    These paintings are the work of a writer and are drawn quickly and surely with confidence. A writer (graffiti artist) has to paint large scale designs with limited tools that have many parts and colors very quickly.

     

    Duty's painting addiction began when he was just 14. Duty is not only an accomplished and recognized Italian artist but has painted and spread his artwork all over the world.

     "In his paintings full of passion, the chromatic statements try to catch the precision of a line that accumulates the several expressions of a muse."

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  • Made In Italy: MISSONI

    Posted by: LuLu*s !

    March
    3
    2010

     

    "Color is a way of expressing light, not so much as a physical phenomenon but as that light which exists in the mind of the artist."
    -Henri Matisse


    Kate Moss in Missoni topColor, and the exploration of it in all of its abstract forms, is the bread and butter of the famous Missoni Family of Italy. The Missoni fashion house and its colorful history were founded in the province of Varese, Italy, where a factory was founded around scarves and embroidered fabrics.

    After the first runway show in 1958, the decorative patterns -- including multiple colors, stripes, abstracts, shapes, and florals -- became the staple of the Missoni House. The utilization of various textiles, such as silk, rayon, linen, cotton, and wool, is another signature Missoni attribute.

     For Fall 2010 Fashion Week in Milan, Missoni showed a variety of crop tops, knit wrap skirts, and blanket-like coats that had pin closures. What was really interesting about Missoni's collection was that the pieces were totally versatile. The pieces could be worn reversed, with the back changed to the front, as well as being able to be pulled up or down in any direction.

    My favorites from this collection were the the big wool jackets and wraps accessorized with sun glasses. The wraps were draped to hang and frame the beautiful faces of the models in just the right way.

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  • I WILL ONLY STAY 3 DAYS!!!

    Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

    March
    1
    2010

    Fashion Header

    I WILL ONLY STAY 3 DAYS!

    Flash mob protests Anna Wintour in Italy

    Hot new news has just arrived from the forefront of Milan's Fashion Week! The breaking news: Anna Wintour decided to stay only three/four of the five days of Milan's fashion week.

    What does that have to do with anything?

    Anna Wintour in a fur coat and trademark sunglassesWell, first of all, after the launching of The September Issue (the documentary about Anna Wintour) following the popular The Devil Wears Prada (also based on Anna Wintour), Anna Wintour has become synonymous with VOGUE instead of being the editor of Vogue. The blessings of Miss Wintour seem to change the outcome of one's success within the fashion industry instantly, and as Rodarte has seen, this blessing can be the basis of a fashion career itself.

    This being said, it is VERY important that Anna Wintour herself is at the fashion shows of fashion week, which has become in many ways, Wintour's week!

    This year five days worth of shows in Milan have now been moved into three/four days. That is 88 shows crammed into no time at all! The consequences of this is that models, stylists, designers, and photographers will be hard pressed to make even half of the shows (which will be running just minutes after each other).

    What was Milan's response to this dictator-like approach to influencing fashion week? Thanks to Attila Bene Ortz, a flash mob of Anna Wintour look-a-likes was organized to stand in front of the shows!


    Anna Wintour... I will only stay 3 days in Milan catwalks

    Although many of the reviews state that this flash mob was done in vain, it was reported on almost every single major fashion blog and site around the world! So, girls, was it done in vain? Doesn't look like it to me! I'm glad to see that fashionistas aren't willing to settle, even if they are "told" it is necessary.

    Viva LA MODA di MILANO!!

  • MILAN & Menswear!!

    Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

    January
    29
    2010

    This week, Megan from Milan has given us ladies a trend report on menswear. Menswear should be very important to any fashionista, because it will ultimately influence her clothes as well! Detailing in menswear is often used to inspire women's clothing, especially as the tomboy look is becoming more and more popular. So here is what Megan has to say about menswear after watching and following the latest fashion shows in Milan!!

    Reporting from Milano!

    This is for all you girls who dress their guys. Here are some trends that I’ve picked up on during men’s fashion week in Milan:


    “Military"


        Maybe it was the economic “crisis” that gave men the need to look tidy for all of those job interviews they have to go on now? Or the sudden surge of military styled clothes could just be the very fact that we are living in a warring generation. So why not embrace the silhouette of the uniform? 


    “Sports"


        This season there has been a particular focus on the skiing/snowboarding look, which was not only popular here in Italy, but also in Norway. I picked up on this growing trend when I was visiting Norway not long ago. The difference being that Norway had this wonderful BRIGHT color trend! This was so happy and uplifting for menswear, which tends to drown in neutrals and dark colors. 


    A “Softer Look” for your guy!


        The fabrics here are drifting from the usual and traditional. More and more funky knits are being used to create classic pieces. This gives your guy a more at ease look.


    I find all 3 to be totally different looks, but all great trends to embrace because they symbolize power and strength with a fresh new take! And who doesn’t want their guy to display that?


    Ciao!
    Baci e abbracci!
    <3 MJ

  • Must See: When in Rome!

    Posted by: Kathleen McHatton

    January
    27
    2010

    When in Rome, the much anticipated new comedy is coming out in theaters this Friday, Jan 29th! Go see it with the girls for a night of laughs and a little romance of course. Starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel, this film was shot partly on location in the historical city of Rome, where all the action and chaos starts. :)

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  • Reporting from Milan: Italian Craftsmanship

    Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

    January
    13
    2010

    Here is Megan's newest post from Milan!

    But first, below is a picture from the Dolce & Gabbana menswear line for Spring Summer 2010, which featured lots of ripped denim and expertly tailored velvet coats on beautiful men with ridiculously slicked back hair. When viewing Italian fashion, one must remember that Italians have a sense of humor, and they love things to be totally over the top. So if you think it's ridiculous, they probably do too! But you have to love it all the more!

    Below this, Megan has attached a picture of a large public statue that is an abstract needle and thread. Milan is a very strong center for fashion and design. Here is what Megan has to say about the tradition of menswear in Milan and Italy.


    On the dawn of men’s Fashion Week, Milan is the city to be in!     Here in Italy, men’s Fashion Week is almost bigger than women’s Fashion Week!

    With menswear, the changes every season come in the details, and there is rarely anything too drastic. The focus on detail is probably because Italians take great pride with their craftsmanship, and something that I’ve learned from being in Italy is that nothing less than perfection is acceptable.



    To further prove this point, I have gotten a closer look into one of Italy’s leading luxury brands.

    Because the adherance to detail and craftsmanship applies across the board for all of the Italian luxury brands, I will leave them unnamed, but I got a chance to talk to someone that works as a bag tech designer for a luxury company. He was, as did others in his family, brought up in the trade of leather accessories.

    The particular brand that he works for wouldn’t even considering hiring you without an apprenticeship for a number of years. To them, quality is first, always. Italians don't play around with the craftsmanship of their leather goods: handbags, wallets, shoes, etc. They view it as something that is literally "in their blood," and they have to do it right!

    So for this upcoming Milan men’s Fashion Week, I hope you definitely check out all of the details! If you find yourself in Milan for Fashion Week, check out the schedule, throw on some sunglasses and lipstick (celeb status), and try to get into the shows!

    Ciao, Baci
    MJ

  • New Year Hot Spot Style: Venice

    Posted by: Valerie Murphy

    December
    29
    2009

    Ahh, Venezia! Que bella!

    Every year, this city of bridges and islands gathers in the Palazzo di San Marco for one of the biggest gatherings of New Year's kissers! The Palazzo di San Marco, being the biggest and most culturally relevant square in the city, is a great place to gather with your sweetie and snuggle up until the Campanile di San Marco, or bell tower, strikes midnight.

    I would suggest making the effort to stay up to see the sun rise over the Adriatic Sea from the beach island of Lido, where the Auguri di Capodanno sulla spiaggia del Lido di Venezia takes place ... aka jump into the freezing cold water a la Polar Bear Swim.

    Venice is high fashion, and the Palazzo di San Marco has no heaters outside. When I was there last year, the stone ground was iced over, so make sure to watch your step and have some cute walking boots like the Bamboo Follie 04 Black Mid Calf Riding Boot in Vegan Leather [sold out!] (great for going over jeans!).

    Add a little bit of sparkle with the Kismet Karma Dress  so you don't have to wear any metal on your neck. Again, it will be cold, so the Emma Pillsbury Coat in Soft Pink is a great piece to keep toasty in, and attract the eye of any cute Italians walking by!


    Pucker up, New Year's is almost here!

  • News From MILAN by Megan Jones

    Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

    November
    30
    2009

    MILANO:

    This past week, I attended a private viewing of East London Boys, the latest exhibit by hot new photographer Jacopo J Moschin. At only 22 years old, he has had a lot of success here in Milan.

    His latest exhibit was focused on the contemporary masculine image. The photographs portrayed the youth that has been influenced by “cultural creativity and originality.” I was lucky enough to have a chat with him and ask him a few questions about his work!



    So how long have you been doing photography professionally?

    I would say about two and a half years. I’m new to the scene, but then again I am also very young.

    I think the subject matter is very interesting. What would you say influenced you more: the different fashions of men’s clothes, or the attitude and personalities of the “London Boys”?

    Well, what I found interesting was, if we look at the 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s punks and rockers they had their set styles. But these aren’t necessarily punks, they can look like this one day and can look totally different the next, I wanted to capture that.

    It was an interesting show; the portraits gave an aura of wonder, as if you really wanted to get to know the subject’s story. And for anyone interested in men’s fashions, this was a perfect display of new trends.

    Personally, I think he is right on the money with the theory that today’s men have this opportunity to express themselves though fashion, but not let this expression define them (as it once did). Moschin also admitted that he prefers working with real film, even though it might be pricey, he would rather spend the money than work digital.

    Aside from this new and exciting work, he has had a lot of previous experience in fashion photography. If you want to see more from Jacopo J Moschin, you should check out his website. He is also featured as the cover story in H Magazine, Issue 107.

    Ciao,     Baci
    MJ


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