10 Corso Como was a visit we did on May 27th in Milan, Italy. This place was all about trends, high-end fashion, elegance, and bold, distinctive pieces that really reflect a 21st-century fashion aesthetic. I really liked the floor plan and the way each floor and area was set up. Walking into the restaurant instantly created a feeling of comfort, and as you kept going, you reached the men’s section, which was smaller than the women’s section, of course. Some of the brands that stood out the most were Maison Margiela, Vivienne Westwood, and Comme des Garçons. They also carried more casual brands like Levi’s, Salomon, Adidas, and New Balance. It was a nice variety that felt inclusive, inviting people with different styles, perspectives, and price ranges.
Month: May 2025
Samantha de Lemos~Raving reviews vs reality
Venice and Florence are two places in Italy that receive rave reviews from tourists from all over the world. They are listed as some of the top places to visit in Italy, let alone Europe, yet the experiences I had made me wonder why these locations were so special.
After one of my favorite meals of the trip in Treviso with authentic cuisine and a magic show from our Italian waiter (who reminded me of my dad), we had a visit at the most wonderful workshop tour at a typography studio. Treviso, a place I had little expectation for, was perfect in every light. From the running water through the canals, to dinner with our professor, it exceeded any and all of my expectations. Venice, one of the places I was most excited for, turned out to be quite different than the reviews that put it on a golden pedi stool. The people were quite rude and there were tourists everywhere. I spoke more English than I had the entire trip and it was slightly disappointing, however, our visits saved the day. From gazing in wonder at the hand blown and colorful glass chandeliers to observing architectural design surpass landscape and time, the time I spent observing the rich history of Venice was wonderful to say the least.
I will say that the Biennale had to have been the best part of the trip! The beauty of representation of different climate conversations through visual representation was both impressive and thought evoking. Germany had a captivating and moving exposition and I could have stayed there for an entire day and still want to explore more about the countries exhibitions. Therefore, while Venice did not meet expectations in terms of what an average tour guide would tell you is good to do, I did find great pleasure in the sinking city. The rich cultural influence and history displayed through art was a reality far greater and awe inspiring than I could have imagined.
Moving on to my weekend excursion, I went on a solo mission to meet up with one of my best friends, Katrina, in Florence, Italy. I was super excited about the leather markets, steak and wine ordering through a tiny window. My friends and family raved about the beauty of Florence and how it is one of their favorite places in the world. Yet, as I arrived I was completely disappointed. The leather market was utterly consumed by tourists and scam artists attempting to sell obviously fake leather goods to oblivious vacationers. I found myself disappointed, confused, and holding my nose from the foul smells coming from random corner passes. Reality was met again, and my hopes of beautiful Florence were squashed, until I decided to change the narrative. Rather than going in with expectations, I played the game. I bargained and played hard ball to get the cheapest “authentic” leather purse, and enjoyed the overpriced lemon desserts while gazing at the twinkling merry go round. Florence overall did not meet my high expectations for it, but it ended up not being terrible after I learned to go where the wind took me and let go of said expectations.
Ultimately, I have found so far that raving reviews can only get you so far, and it’s more likely that you will find hidden gems within the small Italian towns that are less heard of, less populated, and not touristy, but quietly waiting to be discovered. Aosta and Livorno, you have been so amazing and I can’t wait to have my expectations blown in my next small town, I know it will be perfecto!
Sophie Leung-Lieu Week 3, 2025
For our second weekend in Europe, we decided to visit a small town in Switzerland, just outside of Italy. The train ride to Lugano was just over an hour, and the city was a perfect place to have a relaxing day trip. We arrived early in the morning and spent the day enjoying the beautiful Lake Lugano, shopping, eating, and exploring.
Along the coast were countless bright red benches for people to relax on. My favorite part of this trip was the time we spent sitting and sketching in front of the lake. It was a much needed break from the hustling city life of Milan and gave us time to relax and take in our surroundings.
We also rented a pedal boat to sit on the water, which was a serene experience and a great memory!
Week 3: Seeing Design (and Culture) in Action!
Ciao everyone~ this week was a very busy (and somewhat tiring) week, but every moment was worth it with how much I learned and how many cool new things we got to experience! We started off the week strong with our visit to La Scala, which was my first ever opera, it was really nice to get to dress up and see everyone else dressed up for the occasion, and a very rare thing to see my professor and classmates in this type of environment that I haven’t really experienced in any of my other classes in college so far. We got to make a lot of studio and showroom visits this week as well, and got to see the behind-the-scenes and fabrication processes at Artemide and Kartell which got me really excited about industrial and product design despite being 100% set on pursuing graphic design after I graduate from the design program here! Despite considering myself to be a graphic designer through and through, I’ve come to learn that there’s still so much I can learn from other disciplines (such as industrial design and architecture, as we’ve focused on in this program so far) and it’s one of the things I’m grateful for that this program offers–the opportunity to gain a multidisciplinary skillset and become a truly well-rounded designer. There’s a lot of visits this week that I loved, but these would be my main highlights:
Achille Castiglioni’s studio was a great way to start off the week and get to explore how he used his curiosity of the world and childlike wonder to create some very beautiful and captivating designs centered around functionality, with our tour being led by his daughter Giovanna; she was extremely welcoming and entertaining of a guide, it got me so excited about the possibilities of design and gave me a fresh new perspective and approach to it that I hope to carry into my preparations for my senior capstone project!
Although I am not at all a car person, our visit to the Alfa Romeo Museum was far from boring; it was incredibly captivating getting to learn the history behind each car design we viewed and the reasonings behind how their designs came to be, and while some of my classmates were completely in awe by the shape and forms of the cars we viewed, I loved getting to view the different types and logos for each car model and their variations (and took some photos to save for me to replicate later in my sketchbook~) it was also very lovely getting to celebrate our dear professor Kate’s birthday during our lunch there as well! (happy late birthday Kate :) we all love you so much!)
And finally: Tipoteca Italiana!!! I had been looking forward to this visit from the very moment this was mentioned during an info session back in September I believe (!) as typography is one of my biggest passions and what got me into design in the first place. I had such a great time seeing all of the mono- and linotype equipment they had, cast type samples, and most importantly getting to do a letterpress demo with everyone and having a chance to show off my letterpress knowledge after having taken Print Studio in the Design Lab this past spring semester where I got to work with the RRK! I held myself back at the gift shop but I know that I could’ve easily spent 100 euros there if I had the ability to fit that many books and magazines on type in my suitcase back to Austin.
Overall it was a really great week, our busiest week in the program so far for sure, and now after taking this weekend to have a good long rest, I’m ready to see what this last week will bring us here in Milano! Arrivederci for now, and see you all for our final blogs next week!
Week 2: Exploring and Growing in the “Living” City
Ciao ciao! It feels as if this second week here in Milan we’ve all finally started to become better acquainted with the city and our surroundings, despite how busy this week was~ we visited Lake Como and so many different architectural landmarks with Futurist and Art Deco styles, and I ended up embarking on a weekend trip with some friends to Monaco and Nice in France! And despite having been a bit sick this past week and having woken up with a (very) swollen eyelid on Monday, I truly feel that I’ve made the most out of this week. I’ve begun to notice patterns of how the city works, also thanks to my group and I having gone on our Mapping the City walk between Torre Velasca and Torre Branca. We noticed how the cityscape combines the old and the new and fully embraces all of it even if its history is bleak; even in those cases, the city seems to find a way to reinvent them and breathe new life into them, giving way to something new while still remembering its history and past. I feel like this week I finally understood what it meant when Professor Catterall told us Milan is a “living” city: not only is the city optimized for living, but the city seems to have a life and heartbeat of its own, changing and evolving with the times and people who come and go about it.
I also really loved getting to see in-progress works and sketches during some of the visits we had this week, like the Matisse and Picasso sketches we got to see during our visit to Villa Necchi; this was something that even followed me to France when my friends and I decided to visit the Matisse museum in Nice, where his paintings and finished works were displayed alongside thumbnail paintings and sketches he made in preparation of the final product! It felt really good to see these as I’m a bit of a perfectionist and tend to hold my work to a really high (and unrealistic) standard which can make me too scared to even begin sometimes, and since I’ve been especially nervous to make my sketchbook for this class really good as well…but seeing that even some of the most celebrated and renowned artists started with just a simple sketch and that just the fact that they were done by them and their hands is what makes them special gave me some encouragement that as long as I put in the effort and try my best, I know I’ll end up with work that I’m proud of~
I’m excited to see what the rest of our time here in Milan will bring, but for now, arrivederci!
Week 2 blog Audrey Kirwin
Where should to begin: the beach front vacation, the big win in the casino, or the delayed train.
After quite litetally the longest most fun week of my life, Cami, Jarvis, Hugo and I boarded a bus at 4:00 in the morning to head to Nice. We were at the station over an hour early, but my grandpa always said if you’re early, you’re on time, if you’re ontime your late, and if you’re late your in the dog house.
6 hours, a beautiful train ride, and a nap that lead to some neck problems later, we arrived at the beautiful french riveria in Nice. The first day we spent on the beach, cold but neverthless beautiful with crystal blue water. A couple limoncello spritzes later we ended up doing what we do best, walking around and shopping. Cami and I tried a beniet and a madeline with chocolate. After that we headed back to the hotel for a shower and to change for dinner. We had tuna tartare, foi gras (interesting, they served it with sweet soft bread which was not a fan favorite but gained appreciation for it once we tried a more nuetral, crunchier bread) and the magnum opus which was the gigantic bone in ribeye steak. We balled out.
Feeling full and happy, we headed to the casino. I have never been to a casino before- and it was pretty much what I expected – a lot of elderly folks gathered around slot machines and some suspect looking gentleman. Hugo and Jarvis won big (kind of) they walked out 150 euro’s richer each. Cami and I opted for an uber home because our heals did not mix well with the cobblestone. Nonethless, a great night for the first time I have ever been in France. 
Week 3 Blog! Audrey Kirwin
Week 3
Hi blog!
What another fantastic week, but the star of the show was the Venice Biennale. I felt really lucky to have gotten to the Biennale with the class this weekend, it was a total life bucket list. Some favorites (in no particular order)
- Japan. To be completely honest, I was not completely sure what was going on, but I found it completely captivating and almost eerie. I thought that the teleprompter typography, the 3D rendered visuals mixed with documentary style videos encapsulates what I have experienced as “AI” generated art- without being AI generated.
- HUNGARY (this has to be my winner) – No is more… what a perfect thesis statement to convey the feelings architects are having towards market demands. Cheaper, bigger, better. I thought it was a captivating (and meta) depiction of burnout and how creative dream and aesthetic is often sacrificed in the reality of work. There were so many layers to the instillation- one touch that I especially loved was the wires intersecting in squares on the ceiling- putting the user who walks through the space literally into a 3D computer model as in a life size scale
I will never forget our afternoon at the Bienalle!
Fun week in Milano!!!
This week was very beautiful and eventful. Venice was the most beautiful place and the weather cleared out by the ens of the day. During the Biennale visit I realized how intentional all the details were. It has been my favorite place we have visited so far. My favorite places were Hungary and germany. We were able to learned about climate change through feeling it but actually seeing stats and factual information which seeing it straight up really exemplifies things. The other one really showed how architects find success outside of the architecture field. These two really brought their ideas to life and attempted to demonstrate their concepts by engaging with the viewer.
Sophie Leung-Lieu Week 2, 2025
On Wednesday, May 21st, we took a bus west of Milan to the corporate headquarters of Artemide, a hub for Italian-designed lighting fixtures. The day before, we also visited their smaller showroom closer to central Milan, which was a glimpse into the creative designs they produce. In our visit, we had the privilege of experiencing private tours of lighting design, testing, and production from experts at Artemide.
I was very interested in the multiple ways that Artemide experiments on its products to ensure that they are not only elegant in visuality but also have limited flaws in their functionality. They were running tests on transportation and wire durability, heat levels emitted from the lamps, light strength compared to candles/natural light, and more. This showed how unique their production process and was very impressive to me.
We also had the opportunity to walk through the factory where they made lighting fixtures. We saw the process of creating and packaging lamps through the work of many people and machinery.
Photos from the gallery of lights inside the factory!
Photos from the Artemide showroom from 5/20
Carla Garcia Leija – Week 3 | A Love Letter to Carlo Scarpa
Everyone say, “Thank you Carlo Scarpa, I love you Carlo Scarpa!!”
This week was busy! We walked a lot, saw a lot, learned a lot; my designer heart is full.
La Scala was gorgeous – the space was beautiful, as was the performance, but I also loved dressing up and going out with everyone. There’s something really amusing and entertaining about seeing people in a way you’re not accustomed to seeing them, like we unlocked new outfits for everyone’s characters.
If our trip to Treviso and Venezia had not happened, this post would’ve been a love letter to Achille Castiglioni. Achille and Giovanna have such a youthful spirit to them, and their love for the Castiglioni craft is so evident in everything we saw at the studio museum. To hear that Achille designed things specifically for his children and his wife is so compelling; he loved to the point of invention. The studio museum is a reminder to nurture the brain of your inner child and to let them be present in the work you create, something I’ve forgotten to do lately.
As a former theatre lighting nerd, the Artemide visit was so exciting to me. I love their attitude towards light – to them it is a tangible thing that flows and can be molded. They’ve tamed light. I have infinite respect for the amount of thought and work that happens before a lighting fixture even reaches shelves.
Tipoteca was beyond entertaining for me. I am not the best or the most active type designer, but by proxy to Carley Law, it was so fun to see it all. I loved making a poster with everyone – this is co-design! I think the moment where we all clapped for each other as we printed will be one that reminds me how special our cohort is, and how much I’ll miss everyone once this is over.
Of course, the thing that made this week so special was Carlo Scarpa’s work. Seeing him at Brion, Negozio Olivetti, and Biennale was such a treat. You can just tell when he’s the brain behind a building! His references to Japanese architecture, as well as his details in corners, edges, and movement in stillness make his creations so unique.
I recently learned that his peers referred to him as “Professor,” rather than “Architect:” because of his refusal to take the Italian pro forma professional exam post-WWII, he was not allowed to call himself an architect. I think the title suits him well – we’ve learned a lot from him.
In this blog post, I would also like to apologize to anyone who was in my vicinity while we were at Biennale. I’m sorry if I freaked out too much. It was like Disneyland to me. There was so much dialogue about placemaking (USA), biospheres (Belgium), the role of design in today’s climate (Hungary), and other fascinating topics. Cathryn Ploehn would’ve loved Biennale, and trust, I will be writing to her about this. The exhibitions here were immersive and inviting, perfect timing as I begin to think about capstone.
While not part of our scheduled programming, some friends and I went to Lugano, Switzerland this weekend! I had a wonderful time slowing down.
This week was exactly the kind of thing that makes me feel awe and respect for the designers that came before me, and excitement for what my peers and I will create moving forward. There’s nothing else I’d rather do than design.
