Sunday, January 15, 2012

Men's Fashion Week Blog...for a day...and Beware of Area C

Men's fashion week is a happening in Milan. Not quite as big as the women's fashion week, but Milan lives on and for upper end readymade wear just the same...and it conveniently coincides this year (at least) with the winter time sales (proof in the pudding is in the eating...here's a snap I took this foschia*-touched afternoon down via Spiga, together with via Montenapoleone, one of the two most chic readymade wear shopping streets in Milan...and that means in the world....More......

*"foschia" is the lightest of light fogs, not even a mist, that gives a pearly gray sheen to eye level views, though the sky overhead is still blue.

Fashion buyers, fans, journalists, photographers and bloggers from all over the world gather here...and those yearning for their ten minutes of Warhol-esque fame get their golden opportunity. (I didn't have the courage to take a picture of one ripe example of a fashion victum, uh, buyer, et al. ... a pudgy fellow with wild and crazy curly hair, heavy dark-rimmed round glasses, a hunter-style mid-thigh length plaid jacket in a dusty mustard and siena, dark pants and strappy army style boots ... how does one politely say, "Excuse me, you look like a hick from the sticks, may I take your picture in order to poke fun of you on my blog?" ... what *is* it with "high" fashion, anyway? Why does so much of it have to look goofy, or purposefully odd? "Signs o' the times" would probably be the answer.)

In past years, the streets in the Montenapoleone area, where the (enchanting) Bagatti Valsecchi Museum where I work also is located, were packed with strolling local window shoppers and (sticking out like sore thumbs) fashion floods, but this year I was hard pressed to get some populated shots. Could have been bad timing...right after lunch...could have been the freezing weather (2°C / 36°F)...I hope it's not the crumbling economy. Here's a snap in via Montenapoleone with some typical Italian and Milanese details and the brightly colored Gucci shop enlivening the shot.

This couple is stylin' down via Spiga (though the woman should do something with all that HAIR). Guys, please notice that you CAN wear comfortable AND attractive shoes that AREN'T tennies (one of my pet peeves).











Here's proof that it really was a sunny day. A stylin' guy on the left, a couple of visitors checking their map on the right, and one of Milan's two remaining medieval gates in the rear, right where via Spiga hits via Manzoni.

For more info on men's fashion week...in English!...here's a link to the web site of the national Italian chamber of commerce dedicated to fashion: http://www.cameramoda.it/en/fashion-show/63_MILANO_MODA_UOMO___14___17_GENNAIO_2012/#timeline

Before closing, a word to the wise..."Area C" is due to start up tomorrow, the 16th of January, 2012. I mentioned it a few posts ago. Remember what it is? In case you don't--and don't want to pay the city entry fee, or get a whopping big fine--it's a new approach (replacing the ZTL) to limiting traffic entering the downtown circle/cerchio (hence the "C") once delimited by the Renaissance era Spanish city walls. There is an entry fee to pay from Monday to Friday from 7:30 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. Check out the city's pages about it...in English (yeah!): http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/portal/CDM?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/contentlibrary/Per+Saperne/Per+Saperne/Area+C/English/

Enjoy!

1 comment:

Christina @ Men Tuxedos said...

Now I know what the meaning of that word "Area C", thanks for that info.

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