The Ladybug’s Hell Design Week

For those of you who have been following my blog for while it is now a fact that the Design Week in Milan is my favorite event/time of the year!

I love the international atmosphere and even if the installations in town are not always at their best, I can’t help loving the people and the mood of these days.

But this year it was the worst Design Week since I live in Milan: I was sick during the whole week and I could only get out quickly on Sunday to have a look around in some of my favorite spots but I was a bit disappointed. So I’m just sharing a few pictures of my “Design Day”.

As it was a sunny day I first headed to the Blue Velvet market in Sant’Ambrogio where my friend Madame Ilary was selling her turbans.

We enjoyed the sun and the swing dancers, then I moved to Rossana Orlandi showroom in the same area, probably the best thing that I saw during the Design Week, especially in the beautiful area outside.

From there I headed to Marni showroom as last year I was in love with their installations for the event. I cannot say the same this year: the theme to present their outdoor design pieces made in Colombia was the Playland. Colored sand and playful children were everywhere and it was a bit of a mess although the overall idea was pretty cool.

I wore Acne Studios black jeans, Primark striped tee and my new vintage Burberry’s trench from Napoleone Vintage. I added white sneakers by & Other Stories, vintage bag from Cavalli e Nastri, Madame Ilary crochet headband, Metalica Creazioni brass loops and Valentino sunglasses.

I finished the day with the worst thing a girl can see in the street while peacefully enjoying the day and the sun: her ex with his new girl.

Design week over.

Sick again.

The Ladybug wakes up after a sweet dream of shoes, Luisa Tratzi shoes!

 

I’ve been a bit quiet lately: too much work, too many things to do and as usual when spring is coming I feel incredibly tired and I need to sleep a lot! For this reason I guess you won’t be surprised if I come back with a post talking about my favorite spot during the…Milan Fashion Week! I know it was a month ago but I needed time to tell you everything about the amazing Luisa Tratzi AW2017 shoe collection!

 

I needed time because it totally surprised me as it was a huge change. I’ve been following Luisa since her beginnings and every collection was a little surprise for me because she managed to give me always a new different idea of what beauty is when it comes to shoes. But this time I saw a more mature Luisa, daring with her creativity and making the most of every detail.

 

First of all, shapes: I was amazed to see a lot of ankle boots in her new collection; it is my favorite piece and hers are just incredible; cut-outs, Plexiglas details, new shapes and length of the heels, bows, buckles…the collection is so creative and strong, so much more feminine if I can say so!

 

Second thing, materials: soft leather is a label mark as well as shiny patent but the new pieces in soft suede added something more to the collection! My favorite piece was indeed the navy suede ankle boot that I held in my hand…it was just perfection!

 

Last but not least, colors: AW collections are sometimes more boring than SS because it usually turns around a few main colors (basically black and brown) but Luisa dared color-blocking (orange and purple) and pale pink also in winter plus all shades of blue, red and burgundy.

 

I really adored this collection, it was so powerful that her temporary shop in via Solferino during the Milan Fashion Week was absolutely glowing!

 

For more information you can visit her site http://www.luisatratzi.it

 

The Ladybug’s addiction: Manolo Blahnik – The Art of Shoes

It was announced as the event of the year and I must say that Manolo Blahnik exhibit “The Art of Shoes” at Palazzo Morando in Milan was really “the event” of these first months of 2017.

It is the first big exhibition in Italy dedicated to the iconic shoe designer, a real not-to-miss event not only for shoe lovers but for all fashion and art addicts. I say art because I cannot “reduce” Manolo Blahnik to a shoe designer. He is a true artist as his shoes are real pieces of art and this exhibit just recognize his talent as a “shoe artist”. No surprise that the exhibit will move next to the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg!

But while it is here in Milan (until the 9^th of April) don’t miss the opportunity to visit The Art of Shoes where 212 shoes covering 45 years of Blahnik career are exposed along with 80 drawings. This is not only a celebration of shoes and fashion but also a celebration of Italian influence on Blahnik’s creations: classical sculpture, baroque age, Visconti movies, the corals of Sicily and much more.

You can find here vintage iconic shoes with more modern iconic pieces like the shoes created for Marie Antoinette movie directed by Sofia Coppola, the shoes worn by Carrie in Sex & The City and more iconic pieces celebrating the world (from Africa to Scotland, from Spain to the Far East), nature and plastic arts.

The location Palazzo Morando is just perfect: art surrounding art, with the incredible permanent collection of the museum and the chance to visit with the same ticket a very interesting exhibit on the history of sequins “Ricami di Luce”.

I must be honest, I took hundreds of pictures during the exhibit and it was hard to choose my favorite pieces but I tried my best!

The Ladybug’s chronicle of a fairy tale: Malick Sidibé “Portraits” at Spazio Marras

A couple of weeks ago I lived a real fairy tale for about one hour of my life.

I read about Malick Sidibé exhibit “Portraits” at the Antonio Marras showroom in Milan and I decided that it was the great occasion to visit the space and the photography exhibit at the same time. “Nonostante Marras” is placed in a lovely court full of green (with some yellow and brown as it was end of the Autumn – which made it even more suggestive!) and it is one of the most incredible places I’ve ever seen. I have been loving Antonio Marras’ fashion art since I was a student but this talented man never stops surprising me. Everything in this space was just amazing: the clothes, the accessories (I fell in love with his turbans!), the jewels, the furniture, the books…I just felt like a kid in Disneyland! I couldn’t stop staring at everything and I understood why this modern loft with a retro twist was indeed the perfect location for Malick Sidibé’s photographs.

On a vintage wall about thirty black and white photographs were hanging, near vintage sofas and couches, some of the portraits taken in the 70’s by this incredible Malian artist in his studio in Bamako.

Sidibé died in April this year but he told the story of his people through his amazing art, even if he didn’t like to be called an artist: he was “just” a photographer, he used to say!

The portraits exposed are simple yet very powerful and they all tell a story about these people’s life, relationships, tastes, that you try to guess with your imagination : it’s so incredibly inspiring!

For the day I wore a vintage Rolling Stones tee (from a charity shop in London), Acne Studios jeans, Zara boots and my new favorite long camel coat from Diffusione Tessile.

I added a wax headband from Sine Modus and a vintage tapestry doctor bag from Humana Vintage.

The Ladybug’s retro fun at Archivio Vintage

Christmas is coming and the hunt for the perfect Christmas gift has already started: this is the time of the year when I start looking for markets, fairs and events to find something original possibly handmade to offer to my friends and family. I must say that Milan is the perfect city for that: during the weekends you can find all sort of event but I am always surprised when I find something new that I didn’t know about.

It is the case of Archivio Vintage at Arkivio Showroom: my friend Ilaria, who is also a seller at this kind of events always has a good eye to find the greatest ones. This is one of the reasons why I went to see her exposing at this event and once again she wasn’t wrong! I was so happy about my find that I wanted to share it with you!

Archivio Vintage was born as a seller of handmade pouches with vintage and modern fabrics. Now you can find there beautiful handmade bags and clogs and original vintage pieces (especially bags) along with pieces like French Bonne Maison socks (my favorite ones!). Susan, the creator of Archivio Vintage, also organizes lovely events at the Arkivio Showroom, putting together some of the best handcrafters: clothes, shoes, jewels and accessories all completely handmade! It is the perfect place to support local business and handcrafters while getting very rare pieces for yourself and your loved ones!

Of course it was also the occasion to see live Heka Couture 2016-2017 winter collection, one of the best so far: velvet pieces and turbans, big bows and volumes…we couldn’t help trying our favorite pieces like the navy velvet jumpsuit (my favorite piece) or the animal print top and skirt with matching suspenders; the big 50’s circle skirt and of course, the greatest turbans!

No need to say we didn’t leave with empty hands!  

If you want to know more about Archivio Vintage events you can follow them on Facebook (archiviovintage) or on their website http://www.archiviovintage.it

The Ladybug is…at “David Bowie is”

When I first read about the “David Bowie is” exhibit at the V&A Museum in London I immediately thought that it was the perfect excuse for a trip to one my favorite cities! I was ready to buy a flight ticket just to see the exhibit; it only happened once before, when I was ready to fly to Paris to see Basquiat exhibition a few years before. In both cases the exhibits somehow came to me. Basquiat is still exposing at Mudec in Milan (I will share my visit soon here!) and “David Bowie is” was in Bologna until mid-November.

I took the occasion of my friends spending two days in Bologna also to see the exhibit during the All Saint’s bank holiday to join them. The first day we arrived at the Mambo museum without buying the tickets online and the queue was so long (more than three hours) that we decided to buy the tickets online for the day after. I couldn’t believe the long wait but when the day after we finally managed to see the exhibit I suddenly understood why so many people wanted to see it.

I have always loved David Bowies since I was a kid. I was not a huge fan but I have always admired his persona and his music, his way of changing and surprising, his art and flair. I consider him one of my favorite vintage icons. All of this things I love him for where at the exhibition

“David Bowie is” is a huge comprehensive journey into David Bowie’s career: “over 300 objects including handwritten lyrics, original costumes, photography, set designs, album artwork and rare performance material from the past five decades are brought together from the David Bowie Archive for the very first time. The exhibition demonstrates how Bowie’s work has both influenced and been influenced by wider movements in art, design, theatre and contemporary culture and focusses on his creative processes, shifting style and collaborative work with diverse designers in the fields of fashion, sound, graphics, theatre and film” (www.davidbowieis.it).

But it is not only about the content of the exhibit, it is also (or in particular) the way it is presented to the visitor: multi-media art is everywhere, animations and video installations makes you feel like a part of the art.

I can definitely say that it was one of the best exhibitions I have ever seen: I didn’t even want to leave the last room when I realized that the journey was over!

I wore my adored Twenty8Twelve military jacket with a vintage grey leather pencil skirt (a bargain from Humana Vintage in Milan!) and my Frida tee by Vanna Vinci with Michael Kors bucket bag.

I couldn’t take any pictures inside then the only pictures from the exhibit are taken from Google.

The Ladybug explores Japan in a vintage kimono

Saturday afternoons that I love:  brunch, exhibit and movie with my best friends! I can’t really ask for more!

In preparation of our Deejay run we decided to feed our soul with art (but also with food!) and we dedicated our afternoon to see the beautiful exhibit dedicated to the Japanese artists Hokusai, Hiroshige and Utamaro at Palazzo Reale in Milan.

This journey through the art, nature and culture of Japan was full of amazing moments: the beautiful landscapes of Hokusai (especially the ones dedicated to bridges and to Mount Fuji) made me feel the need of traveling to this amazing country that I’m dying to see.  So did the nature drawn by Hiroshige and the beautiful Japanese women described by Utumaro.

The Great Wave of Kanagawa is definitely one of the most powerful pieces but it is hard to pick up your favorites among two hundreds “ukiyoe” prints that you can admire there.

As I was in a Japanese mood I thought it was the perfect day to wear my vintage kimono from Episode Vintage in Brussels paired with my new Frida tee by Vanna Vinci and mum jeans from Topshop.

I added my BFF heart chain from Black Heart Creatives , Superga shoes, Celine sunglasses and Michael Kors bucket bag.

If you want to visit the exhibit it will be in Milan until the 29^th of January, I am sure that you will love it too !

 

The Ladybug’s new running challenge completed: Deejay Ten 2016!

The last big run of the year in Milan is probably also one of the funniest: the Deejay Ten is such an event in Milan!

Almost thirty thousand people participated this year and it is always a great party during and after the run: music, tons of gadgets and all the deejays from the radio are there to support the runners! There is always a relaxed and festive atmosphere even if this year the weather was not as nice as last year. It didn’t rain but it was quite chilly and grey…typical Milanese weather!

It was this year my second Deejay Ten, ten kilometers all around the city center of Milan passing by the most iconic areas of the town: departure from the Duomo, then Teatro alla Scala, Liberty area, Fashion District, new Business district and then Parco Sempione, the most famous park for runners in Milan!

This year it was a real challenge for me: I didn’t train enough to prepare for the race and the last time that I managed to run 10K was probably before summer. When I was there I said: Ok Angela, it doesn’t matter if you cannot finish it, just enjoy it!

This positive thought made me forget about pace, timing and other mental constraints and put me in a mood for just enjoying the run! Well, the result is that I really enjoyed it: I unexpectedly completed my 10K, probably not with my best result but very satisfied and happy…isn’t it the real goal of a run?

There was no personal after party with the running crew this year: some friends couldn’t participate and we couldn’t organize our usual after-run feast but I closed the running season by celebrating the results with some after-run shopping…not bad after all!

The Ladybug’s personal view on William Klein

Before going on holiday I made sure to visit all the interesting exhibits happening in Milan…just not to miss any of them as they will mostly end in September and I don’t want to be famous anymore for being the last visitor of the last day of the exhibit!

In a hot Thursday afternoon I joined my friend at the Palazzo della Ragione to visit the William Klein exhibit, “A modo suo”. I always love the exhibits in this amazing place and I fell totally in love with this one! Klein’s multifaceted work (from painting to photography, movies and literature) is grouped in nine thematic areas starting from Abstractions, his first exhibit in Milan collecting his wall paintings for various Italian architects.

And then New York, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Moscow the towns where he lived and/or worked, a real journey in his favorite places in the world where he didn’t stop going around with his camera day and night to catch the essence of events or just ordinary street life.

The last part is dedicated to fashion and movies, two big areas where Klein exposed is talent and spread innovation.

If you want to visit the exhibit it is open until the 11^th of September 2016.

For the event I wore my new vintage gem: a dress that I bought from Vintwear2 at Frock me Vintage in London, an original late 40’s dress with rare tropical print that I adore!

I paired it with Swedish Hasbeens shoes, Traffic People headband (both from London but from a few years ago!) and Miu Miu bag.

The Ladybug finds relief in Escher’s geometries

Milan is too hot to do anything these days. It is hard to go out running or walking and when I cannot reach the beach I need to find a way to reduce my pain caused by the awful heat.

The only way to do it is finding a nice place with air conditioning, like a museum! Thanks God there’s always a good exhibition to visit (there are a few actually!) then I called my friend to reach me for what became more than a simple visit, but a real interactive experience: the Escher exhibit at Palazzo Reale.

I have always loved this artist, especially how his art was involved in fashion and music industry (one of my favorite pieces ever is the so-called Escher dress by British designer Matthew Williamson for example!) but it was the first time that I visited an exhibit dedicated to his work.

More than 200 works were exposed in six different sections going from his roots to his love for Italy (especially Southern Italy!) and the discovery of geometric art in Spain. What I love more about his art is that it challenges the viewer and his ability to “read” his work, to find new images in images, to discover new paths from the visible paths. A large part of the exhibit was also dedicated to his huge influence on comics, advertising, music and films during the 20^th century…but I couldn’t see the Matthew Williamson dress!

You can visit the exhibit until the 22nd of January 2017.

I wore Topshop mom jeans, Please golden tee, Zara laced shoes and vintage 70’s bag from Foxy Brown Vintage. I added my new handmade turban from Heka Couture and handmade silver Nepalese double necklace. ..I was totally in my “Princess of Persia mood”!