Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Milano Fashion Week. Back in Milan for the fashion shows. If you arrive by train the first impact with city is the Central Station. The Stazione Centrale was designed by architect, Ulisse Stracchini in 1912 and admired by Frank Lloyd Wright as one of the most beautiful stations in the world and recently has undergone a “facelift” an internal refurbishment.

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Max Mara Autumn/Winter 2009/2010 Collection. Evolution and Tradition is the title to the Max Mara Autumn/Winter 2009/2010 Collection. The fabrics are luxurious: cashmere, alpaca, pure camelhair, wool jersey, occasionally smoldering with sequins in tonal colors. The colors are classic: tobacco, beige, pewter grey and black.Backstage at Max Mara. The comeback of the allure of tailoring, never

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Prada Autumn/Winter 2009/2010 Collection. The grand finale.Prada runway – a detail. There was tons of fur in the collection.Prada backstage – a detail. The make-up.Prada runway – a detail. The leather boots, a take on fishing rubber waders rose thigh high and are held up by garters.Prada runway – a detail. One of the new shoes for next winter.Prada runway. An elegant gladiator?Seen

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

. Etro Women’s Autumn/Winter 2009/2010 Collection. Etro’s Autumn/Winter collection is an ode to the Italian fashion house’s venerable heritage. With notions of recycling and re-use top of mind, Veronica Etro has sourced patterns, fabrics and techniques from its vast archives, reinterpreting them in a completely new and unusual way. A fresh Byzantine undercurrent plays throughout the collection,

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Seen in the windows of La Rinascente – Moschino Cheap and Chic. Only Rossella Jardini creative director of Moschino could come up with the idea of dressing pigeons with the Moschino Cheap and Chic Spring/Summer collection, in the windows of La Rinascente. The windows look onto the Piazza Duomo, which is the “home” to Milan’s pigeons. Seen on Piazza Duomo. The real thing; pigeons are at "home"

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Max Mara Boutique – Max Mara Atelier. A totally new collection, Max Mara Atelier is the research laboratory where Max Mara explores new territories, updating itself whilst still maintaining its original DNA. The collection is compact; the image is sophisticated. Seventeen styles, with as many variations, on the theme of one single item that makes women dream – the coat. Steeped in the

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Seen in the Bisazza window. Seen in the Bisazza window on Via Senato, this giant briefcase designed by architect, Alessandro Mendini for the Bisazza Limited Edition Collection, called Mobili da Uomo, its a series of large scale sculptures in 24 K gold mosaic.

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Seen Backstage at the Marni Autumn/Winter 2009/2010 collection. In the center, Marni's designer, Consuelo Castiglioni, her daughter, Carolina and International PR, Karla Otto.Backstage at Marni. The iconic interaction of felt and fur, the metallic glints of large pleated sequins, treated fabrics and knits, geometric motifs and abstract floral jacquards create a style that is pure Marni. A

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Libreria di Via della Spiga at Gio Moretti. Inside the Gio Moretti boutique, in the basement, is located the Libreria di Via della Spiga. Together with the bookstore in the Emporio Armani store on Via Manzoni and the Milano Libri bookshop on Via Verdi, the Libreria Di Via Della Spiga stocks the most beautiful coffee table and picture books. Adriana Strasiotto with her excellent eye and

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Palazzo Visconti: Mailiparmi presentation. Maliparmi’s Annalisa Paresi poses with two mannequins in the first room of the stunning presentation of Maliparmi’s Autumn/Winter 2009/2010 collection. For three seasons Palazzo Visconti has provided a setting for Maliparmi’s ideas, collections, clothes and colors. Every room is a transformation expressed through different symbols, light and music.

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Nilufar: Louisa Maisel. The Nilufar gallery on the trendy fashion street of Via della Spiga specializes in rare international 20th century lighting, furniture, carpets and with a selection of high-end contemporary art and design. For Milan Fashion week, in the window a enameled ceramic sculpture, by American artist, Louisa Maisel, entitled, Exile-If I was forced to leave my home what would I

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Seen on Via della Spiga. American Vanity Fair's Michael Roberts:Cap: LockJacket: GapJeans: Levi'sScarf: Fendi

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

I.M. Pei building near Garibaldi railway station. For the Expo 2015, which will be hosted in Milan, buildings are going up all over town. This wavy curved glass skyscraper designed by renowned American architect, I.M. Pei is situated near the Garibaldi railway station and Piazza della Repubblica it will be the new seat of the Lombardy Region offices. Other architects participating in changing

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Backstage at the Gianfranco Ferre Autumn/Winter 2009/2010 Collection. There was much request for interviews of the Gianfranco Ferre designers, Aquilano and Rimondi now in their second season for the house.Gianfranco Ferre. Experimental approach of materials mixes of volumes and geometric digressions play back and forth with modern takes on fluidity. For next winter the Gianfranco Ferre

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Urban Florist. On Thurdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Salvatore parks his Ape Piaggio pick up on the corner of Via Pontaccio and Corso Garibaldi. The Urban florist sells the freshest flowers. I like his assortments; freesias, tulips, daffodils, iris, roses, they are my kind of flowers.A Detail. On top of the Ape Piaggio pick up, Salvatore keeps vases of plain and parrot tulips.

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Giorgio Armani. This is the classic Giorgio Armani pose after the runway shows. It tells it all.Giorgio Armani. The evening gowns are always glamorous and as you can see very red carpet.Giorgio Armani – a detail. I loved these sequined boots Armani showed with long evening gowns.Giorgio Armani – the front row. For the first time there were no international stars. Amongst those in the

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Hogan: When L.L. Bean meets Hogan or rather when the outdoor spirit meets urban attitude. That sums up the Hogan’s women’s autumn/winter collection, which was presented in their showroom. A fresh makeover for the iconic Hogan, experimenting new proportions: a full volume plateau injects a feminine yet forceful look whilst keeping true to the DNA of the celebrated style: attractive.Seen at the

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Seen at Angela Missoni's Surprise Birthday Party. A detail of the birthday cake. The evening of the fashion show the Missoni’s threw a belated surprise birthday party to celebrate the house designer, Angela Missoni’s fiftieth birthday. It was held in the Visionaire theatre converted for the evening in a disco where on the walls a slide show of Angela’s personal photos played all night. The

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Prada - Via Montenapoleone store: The Iconoclasts. The window of the Prada store styled by Olivier Rizzo. This was the third stage of The Iconoclasts project, where four iconic fashion editors remix merchandise in Prada stores. Previously, the New York and London stores were dressed by Alex White and Katie Grand. Next and last stop Paris, where it will be Carine Roitfeld turn. The project

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Cardi Black Box – Shirana Shahbazi exhibition. A new art gallery, Cardi Black Box opens to the public and launches its presence on the contemporary art scene with an exhibition dedicated to Iranian-German artist Shirana Shahbazi, at her first solo show in Italy. Seen here with her husband, graphic designer, Manuel Krebs, Shahbazi was born in Teheran in 1974, she moved to Europe at a young age,

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Backstage at the Missoni Autumn/Winter 2009/210 collection. Before the show, American Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour gets a special preview from the designer, Angela Missoni.Backstage at Missoni – The models are ready to go. A layering of stories, fabrics and colors lightly woven into one. Voluminous scarves, soft cardigans, deconstructed jackets, elongated revers on boyfriend jacket,

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Lunch at the Thun’s. Every time I’m in Milan, I usually have lunch with Susanne Thun in her penthouse apartment and if I’m very lucky, her husband, Matteo joins us. The famous architect and designer is usually away on a jet around the world for business. He is wearing:Waistcoat: HermesShirt: Loro PianaEyeglasses: Hoffmann Natural Eyewearphotograph courtesy Studio Matteo ThunMatteo Thun’s design

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

At L’Oro dei Farlocchi: Hermes and Maurizio Epifani. Maurizio Epifani, tastemaker par excellance is obsessed with Hermes memorabilia. In his shop, L'Oro dei Farlocchi, of unusual and elegant objects, in the heart of Brera, he even has a room dedicated exclusively to the French Luxury brand. Maurizio is standing in front of a framed rare commemorative Hermes scarf designed in 2007 by artist,

Milan: Women's A/W Fashion shows 09/10

Milan – Emporio Armani Billboard. It is the first time that the attractive couple, David and Victoria Beckham have posed together for the Emporio Armani underwear advertising campaign. The handsome soccer player is on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy to AC Milan for the rest of the season. This huge black and white billboard went up in Brera for the menswear shows in January.Note: the tram wires