Although I am currently not back in the US, I have had time to think about my experiences in Italy. I went into this trip not knowing what to expect. This was going to be my first time in Europe and my first time taking a design course.
Milan itself is an interesting city. All the women were very fashionable, and the men in navy suits were not limited to the downtown area, but instead throughout the whole city. This is all minus the horrible popped collars that both men and women seem to think is a good idea. I knew going in to the program that Milan is one of the fashion capitals of the world but the fashion is definitely… different. The amount of Zaras and H&Ms honestly kind of shocked me, not to mention the addition of some new fast fashion brands to my vocabulary (Bershka and Pull&Bear) . How could a city so forward thinking in design, still be limited to such fast fashion brands? Analyzing this, I realized that the US is not much different. Go to any major city and you’ll see the same stores lining the crowded downtown area. I feel as though these cities that hold the power of being fashion capitals should definitely at least try to be more involved stopping bad practices in the fashion industry. Are we all just high on the buzz of finding a great sale or is the aura of the Duomo so alluring that it blinds us of the realities of cheap/low quality fashion?
It’s also saddening to realize the amount of men in all of these aspects of design. We are not in a world of equals until we can all name at least 5 female architects, artists, clothing designers, furniture designers, etc. Even the Armani Silos exhibit didn’t blow me away. It was a lovely museum, don’t get me wrong! There are some really beautiful designs there, but those were the same silhouettes in each category. It wasn’t anything innovative for me. It made me think- men can have really mediocre work and have museums named after them, whereas women have to work twice as hard to even get their name on the label. The intricate embroidery and beading on those dresses were most likely done by women working for the brand, but where are there names? Why don’t we ever question this? Why is it never discussed? Are their designs really that innovative, or were they just given the means and freedom to create as they pleased and call it a “design masterpiece”?
Needless to say, I had an amazing time in Milan. I am actually glad that we went to the studios that we went to, because that made me realize that there are many issues in design that need to be solved- and this is not talking about problems that that have tangible design solutions like a “spoon for a mayonnaise jar”. I will definitely be visiting Milan again. The city is intoxicating and has that certain air that fuels creativity.
