Category: Karina Gambola

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.

 

The program is almost over and I really can’t believe it! It all seems so surreal to me to even be on this trip. This week was full of designs that made me think of home. I’ve loved Italy, but I think – dare I say it –  I might be ready to go back.

This past week we visited Kartell and Artemide. I loved the playful/ beautiful nature they brought to their designs. At Artemide, I particularly loved their colorful cross light that had names of different authors. My brother actually did his study abroad trip researching Jorge Luis Borges and living in his hometown in Argentina. I was subtly reminded of the guy who pushed me to apply to the program. He’s also the guy who gave me a copy of Calvino’s Cosmicomics as a birthday present when I was 12 – so moth to a flame with me and this light, right?

We also went to Venice this week. I really enjoyed visiting the Biennale and going to all the different countries. Germany’s “UnBuilding Walls” was among my favorites and it hit really close to home- quite literally as my family now lives 30 minutes away from the Progresso, Mexico border. In fact, this whole week in politics has been rough on myself and my family- hearing  the horror stories of children and families being pulled apart.  How can I, a daughter of immigrants who took the same route less than 50 years ago, truly enjoy myself in another country when my own blood is suffering?

If you aren’t completely broke from this trip, consider donating to: RAICES, TX Civil Rights Project, Together Rising, or the ACLU.

I know, I KNOW- what a depressing blog post, but this is the personal level that design speaks to me on !!! & honestly- isn’t it so much better that way? Shouldn’t design make you feel something?

#dont@meImnotadesignmajor

This week had some great highlights. Some of my favorite places we visited were the Armani Silos, The Triennale, the Fondazione Achille Castiglioni, and the Ballet at La Scala. It’s really amazing to see such interesting designs by different people. At Armani, the reoccurring trend seemed to be the intricate beading on many of the dresses. Castiglioni said “Function, what a beautiful form” and this remained relevant in his designs. Another great week filled with many design lessons.

On our own time, we explored the city. One night, we decided to check out the club scene and danced the night away. We ate dinner at the authentic Trattoria da Mauro and had amazing pasta. We also went to some vintage shops and scored some sweet souvenirs for friends and family (as well as some things for myself). I downloaded an app called “LOST iN”, which also does publications, but the app is much easier to use on the go.

Also just a fun little story: One of the nights at our apartment, our electricity went out. We had no idea how to get it back on. We tried all the switches that our CA had told us to try. Pamela went knocking on our neighbors’ doors but no one opened. Finally, on the floor below us, an older woman named Lorenza came up to help us. She was extremely sweet and reminded all of us of our own grandmothers. The next day we bought her a small tiramisu cake. She (and her husband) were absolutely delighted. The day after that- she made us homemade spaghetti!! It was SO good. How lucky are we to get homemade cooking from a real Italian grandma???!

Another week in Milan and I’m already so used to everything. No GPS is needed to get back home from key areas of the city, and (for the most part) I can order coffee and a croissant. This week was a long one. A cemetary, science museum, design studios, and a trip to Como. I’m truly learning so much about design and starting to connect a lot of things I knew with different aspects.

At the end of the week, I went to Budapest with Kate, Jojo, and Courtney. Kate had a family friend that lives over there and he was SO SWEET. He picked us up from the airport and had someone help us buy a metro pass so we knew how to navigate the city. Budapest is actually split into two different parts: Buda and Pest (which I did not know). The whole city was a lot more quiet than Milan, and I could definitely still feel the remnants of communism.

The first day we did a pub crawl with some other backpackers. These bars were just so cool. They were all in sort of old ruins of buildings. The next day we went to the thermal baths and just relaxed all day. We also did a night cruise on the Danube river where we were able to see magnificent bridges. On our last day, we walked around and went to the castle hill to admire the city even more. All in all, it was a beautiful trip with great friends.

 

My first week in Milan, and I already feel like I like I’m a local (minus the speaking Italian part). Honestly, I thought Italian would be easier to learn since Spanish was my first language – BUT I WAS WRONG. Besides my cringe worthy ordering of croissants and gelato- this week has been a whirlwind.

To start, I had a 12 hour layover in NYC where I actually visited some really cool design events:

When I got to Milan, I was hit with the scent of Jasmine. It’s amazing how the city perfumes itself with these flowers.

I quickly became extremely close to my housemates, and it felt as though we had known each other forever. Throughout the week, we visited different design studios, museums, and beautiful feats of architecture.

My favorite parts of the week however, were the free times we had. We hosted a dinner at our apartment, explored the city, got off on the wrong subway stop, explored some more, had a dance party with LUSH workers, went shopping, got drinks on the Naviglio, and SO much more.

Linda, Baylea, and I even took our first adventure outside of Milan to Cinque Terre! And yes- we got on the wrong train (and freaked out a bit), but is it really an adventure if you don’t get lost at least once?

Week 2  : I’m ready for ya!