All week I have been SO LAZY with my Italian – have been around so many great people translasting for me that I haven’t been flexing my language muscles at all. Usually by Saturday I can fully understand a slow conversation (piano piano!) and/or carry on myself as well. I have been told I have a lovely accent in the three words I do know so that’s a step in the right direction (certo, andiamo and prosecco!)

Anyhoo, after a short cab ride, I catapaulted upstairs where Gianni awaited me. After a flurry of pictures and buono giornatas and excitement, we sat down to a full fashion show of highlights from his collection. The wonderful Stella made me comfortable and brought me more champagne and snacks (see the giant chunks of parmesan we noshed on in the pic), we talked about how bringing shoes into the world is like welcoming babies.

The three ragazze who were modeling the shoes were super fun – they helped tranlaste as well and reveled in the shoes telling me how they felt in each. I learned more about Gianni’s story – he’s had the idea of designing womens shoe since he was five, sketched his first collection at 15, and started manufacturing at the tender age of 21. He truly knows everything about fit, proportion, balance, technological innovation – and above all, sex appeal. He whole focus, like many of the Italian shoe designers I talked to this week, had more what to do with how a woman feels than anything else – from comfort to balance to the rise of the heel. It is the key driver in creating scarpe for le donna, and a sentiment I have heard echoed many times over from Giuseppe to Gianmarco to Rene – thye just want to make women feel good. Hello.

Back out n Montelenapalone, the street was bustling with hundreds of shoppers, basking in the warm glow of an unusual temprate and sunny day. From McQueen to Casadei, there seemed to be no slowdown in spending on this street, and I had a little moment of homesicknesses for Bleecker and 10th, right outside my old door in the West Village.

Circled back to the Melia for a quick tea and to change out of my Alaias and into my Jerome Rousseau’s and headed off to Premiata. The day continued its absolute gloriousness as we drove over the to showroom passing some sort of vocal disarmanent protest and getting lost a few times during the twisty turn streets. Finally we pulled around a curve, barely wide wide enough for our car, paved with bricks and lined with ornate doorways, into a little driveway. The Premiata space is very industrial and spare – white walls and raw wood. We previewed Endless the men’s line and then headed over to the women’s Premiata collection – Graziano is a man who has been in the shoe business since he was 21 when he took over his father’s factory in Marche. Quickly having to learn the business and step into a big role, he has parlayed the business into a key design house who consults and produces for many of the top designers you know’s footwear. I wish I could tell you who but I can’t. He is very highly esteemed among these designers for being able not only to interpret their sketches and designs into gorgeous lasts, but then to manufacture them as well. Well it turns out Graziano also makes wine these days, and of course we had to sample a glass (or four) which led to me trying on all his gorgeous women’s clothing samples with Ludmilla his wonderful sales director, and promptly falling in love with a few jackets, sweaters and above all, three pairs of shoes in particular. Can you say laser cut fir-green calf and grey paper-suede wedge boots?

He is an interesting shoe designer in that his shoes came first, then his clothing line which is very unusual in this business. The lines are classic and clean, and extremely elegant, the shoes are the kind of shoes you’d way day after day for years – classic pumps and flats but with subtle, rough-hewn design details that ground the footwear in a visceral earthy way.

Headed out into the now chilly night to Corso Como where I fell in big time love with a pair of crème flat alaia sandals adorned with mini conch shells. Persued the Marni and the Margiela, then went to see if Corso Como restaurant had any tables. Because the wait was one and a half hours (?) what, we haded down the street for gnocchi and torteloni. Then it was packing time. Of course I had some gelato to help me get those six pairs of platforms properly in the suitcase!

Sunday morning a delicious omlette at the hotel then off to Linate, with a gorgeous view of the alps as I headed out in the Italian sunshine.

Ciao Milano!

back soon!

xo
Meg

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Visited with Minna Parikka, the Finnish shoe designer who I’ve been following for about a year and a half. We were supposed to connect at FFANY last year, and so now was great to finally meet her. She launched knitwear to accompany her sophisticated 1930’s inspired pop-art whimsy creations and I quite like it. Graphic dresses and separates that pair well with her footwear. We had a laugh as I tried to properly pronounce her last name and interviewed her on the Flip, without pressing the record button. Whoops. After the second try we got it. Then met her friend Rae Jones a British designer, who is a consultant for WGSN and has a new line of footwear very 40’s inspired but with some details like gorgeous shoe clips (you know how I am a big big fan of shoe clips), and two styles of boots made from organic leathers — tanned without chemicals and happy cows — which were buttery soft and supple.

Caught up with Sandro from Alternatives shoes in Chicago at the bar with a glass of Prosecco, and talked a little biz. Retailers seem to buying later in the year in order to fully suss out the market and wait as long as they can to place orders, which is to be expected in the current climate.

I kept on down the hall of international designers, and caught u with Bettye Mueller over some m+m’s. Loving her haircalf leopard flat with sweetheart cutout on the toe BTW. We had a laugh about jet lag + the cranky factor, and then I was off down the hall to check out Vanessa Bruno’s woman warrior inspired first full collection of footwear. Their first time at MICAM and the collection is looking fierce with a cone heeled, warrior sandal with chain that I was especially digging in red. The boot silhouettes were also quite aggressive and fun. You’ll see them for the first time next week when they show in Paris on the runway at her show.

Next, New Balance. Yes, New Balance. in the international designers hall. They just launched a collection of supple soft flats for the urban woman running about who wants a bit of downtown Nylon magazine style. Conceived by one of the designers and brand managers in Manchester, England, the collection was quite intriguing and represents quite an innovative take on the sport meets chic concept.

Down to Banfi Zambrelli where I nearly fainted at the aggressive python platform pumps with the turned up, almond shaped toe box. They have sample sizes in 8! what?! so I was actually able to try on shoes which was a little bit miss meg gone wild in a shoe heaven.

Met up with the CEO of Repetto briefly before jetting back to the hotel. They had some really wonderful colorways — red + green, and besides their wonderful flats, had a fab take on a hi heeled dancer shoe that is quite elegant in line.

In between all of this, there was a delicious pasta, amazing desserts, prosecco, and lots and lots of walking.

Back to the hotel to rest my stiletto weary legs, then out to the British Footwear Association showcase at Vivienne Westwood. I was starving and fortunately ran into the entire Terra Plana and Vivo posse — Ben, Damian, Galahad, as well as Ajoy, the CEO of Raddishme, a footwear design studio in China, who invited me along to dinner at Trattoria Toscana, a place that looks a bit like a store from the outside, but keep going back and back through a kitchen, and you happen upon a huge outdoor space dimly lit, fab music and even fabber (is that a word?) food. Cedric from United Nude held court at our table along with the head designer of Armani, who’s fab flat we headed back to after our meal for a roaring fire and more vino. . .

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Arrived in Milan Monday afternoon at the Sol Melia, the epicenter for all things ANCI this week during the shoe show. Enjoyed the best pizza I have ever had, and then tucked in to try and catch up on sleep from the 16 hour journey from LA. Tuesday had a wonderful lunch of the most divine branzino and pinot grigio, with Philippe in the canal district on Milan (they have two canals, thank you very much). Wandered about and bought a new pair of 70’s sunglasses at the marvelous Superfly on Ripo di Porta Ticense — a little vintage shop chock full of well-edited pieces like Thierry Mugler dresses, vintage belts, skirts, accessories . . .Janinine the proprietor has a fab eye for unusual prints and well-cut silhouettes. Kept wandering down the streets across the canals to the Naviglio, where the stones on which the washerwomen did the laundry still cluster at the edge of an offshoot of the canal. There we had the most amazing discovery — at first we thought it was a gallery, full of the most ethereal chiffon creations, but after we wandered inside, discovered to our surprise and pleasure it is the four week old shop of Selene Giorgi, a former stylist with a background as an artist. Her one of a kind creations feel like a sumptuous Issey Miyake meets Audrey Hepburn sensibility, and the space itself is full of rough hewn details worthy of a top-notch gallery. She doesn’t make patterns, only drapes to create her forms, and I fell completely in love with a silk white empire waist full length dress adorned with the most interesting origami pleats up the front. After a short visit with Selene, we kept wandering and Philippe dropped me off on Via Montenapoleone where I had the pleasure of meeting Stella at the Gianmarco Lorenzi showroom. Surrounded by hundreds of some of the most fantastical and amazing creations, we chatted about Gianmarco’s design sensibility, global expansion (kuala lumpur and korea) and their new manufacturing facility in Marche where their 80 employees birth shoes with as much anticipation and excitement as people birth babies. I love the idea of giving birth to a new shoe creation, Italians always know how to express these things! After being wowed by a python platform mule with citrus flower detailing, among other squeal-worthy items, I wandered down the street and stopped into Casadei, giuseppe Zanotti (ankle cuff flat grecian sandals I had a moment over), Rene Caovilla (love the color I am seeing there), Sergio Rossi (think sorbet), Hogan, Ferregamo, Prada. . . then happened upon an outlet store claring American gospel music and selling everything from Maria Cornejo to Marc Jacobs to Prada to Cavalli to Lanvin – all half off. Had a moment with an ivory Cavalli dress and then the light was falling and time for me to head back to the hotel. Bought three “bellissima” roses from a street vendor and hopped on the subway home. When I got out at my subway stop, I inadvertently caused a frenzy by looking lost — about eight people proceeded to help me find my way to the hotel, all arguing with each other about which was the best way and who spoke the best inglese. After about 20 minutes, when it was decided the way I should go, I was off through the darkening foggy night back to warmth and Sky TV at the Melia.

Now have just arrived here at MICAM and am salivating getting ready to go inside. More updates soon,
ciao!
Meg

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