MILAN — Shows and presentations might not be the only thing to attend during fashion week, taking place until Monday.
This season is poised to be a packed one so if running around makes it hard, take a moment to enjoy what Milan has to offer during those days.
Here, WWD suggests the best places to eat and shop, and exhibits to see during Milan Fashion Week.
EAT
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Lom Dopolavoro
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The philosophy of this newly opened cocktail bar and restaurant is quite literally in the name. In Italian, “dopolavoro” means “after work,” and this spot wants to be the place for anyone wishing to have a well-deserved drink or enjoy a nice dinner to unwind after a busy day.
It is unusual in a buzzy city like Milan to find a place that looks like it could be located in the bucolic Tuscan scenery, yet Lom Dopolavoro combines the quiet and peaceful ambience with a cool and young vibe. Originally, the structure was a farmhouse in what was once the outskirts of Milan. Today, thanks to the restoration of Andrea Borri’s architecture studio and Dopolavoro’s cofounder, Stefano Aiesi, it has been revitalized and become an upbeat place in Milan’s city center.
The cocktails list is Lom Dopolavoro’s strong point. With a fine selection of more than 30 spirits, it will make for the perfect aperitif. For the cuisine, Aiesi decided on an all-vegetarian menu to maintain a more sustainable, approachable and inclusive philosophy.
When entering Lom Dopolavoro, guests may notice a neon-illuminated sign that reads “Say No.” Aiesi wants to remind his customers that when work — or fashion week — becomes overwhelming, sometimes it’s OK to say no.
Lom Dopolavoro
Via Galileo Ferraris, 1 – 20154
+39-327-069-8267
Vesta
Vesta is the first opening of the hospitality group Triple Sea Food founded by three young Italian entrepreneurs, who aim to bring the high level of traditional Italian seafood to elegant and modern locations.
The restaurant is located at number 1A in Via Fiori Chiari and offers a large outdoor area that welcomes guests to the main room, while the modern interior design poses a nice juxtaposition to the classic vibe of Brera, the area in which Vesta is situated.
A smaller room on the ground floor offers the possibility for guests to have a more intimate dining experience. The menu has a vast choice of Mediterranean cuisine, such as the grilled lobster, Zolfino beans and rosemary bread crumbs or the raw red prawns from Mazara del Vallo, roasted lettuce and pink sauce.
Lom Dopolavoro
Via Fiori Chiari, 1A – 20121
+39-02-49500-590
Clepsydra
Porta Venezia is the place to be for all of those who wish to spend an enjoyable night in one of Milan’s most vibrant areas. It’s also where Clepsydra decided to open last May, in Via Melzo.
The bistrot and cocktail bar has a curated interior design, and has become the place to be to order a drink and indulge in well-prepared fusion cuisine.
Its drink list is divided into chapters and is seasonal. Every four months, customers will be able to find a different offering. Each cocktail is carefully described and inspired by classic drinks but revisited with a modern touch.
The kitchen offers small, sharable plates, like Bao buns, Japanese noodles, South American picahna and its famous dumplings filled with a creamy carbonara sauce.
Clepsydra Milano
Via Melzo, 16 – 20129
Tel. 02-83-45-1749
clepsydramilano.it
SHOP
Giorgio Armani Boutique
For all of those who want to have the full Milanese experience, a shopping stop to one of the most famous Italian brands is a must and, at the beginning of September, Giorgio Armani opened its brand new second store in the city. It is located in the prestigious shopping area of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II — a must-see when visiting Milan.
The boutique extends over two floors with an area of approximately 3,240 square feet. The luxury quota is further raised through the sophisticated marble and mosaic flooring.
The store carries the brand’s accessories and the men’s and women’s collection, in addition to fragrances and beauty products.
Giorgio Armani
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, II
Borbonese
After its summer opening in Porto Cervo, the heritage Italian brand has inaugurated its new flagship in Milan. The unit is located in Corso Venezia, near the busy Piazza San Babila and Milan’s Duomo square.
Small, yet refined, the 648-square-foot boutique spans a single floor characterized by the use of materials like travertine, glass and neon LEDs.
The store will act as the brand’s creative hub by hosting exclusive cocktails for the drop of new collections, and will showcase art installations.
Borbonese
Corso Venezia, 5 – 2012
Tel. 02-49-70-3730
SEE
“Richard Avedon: Relationships” — Palazzo Reale
This much-anticipated exhibition is finally opening its doors to the public. The Richard Avedon photographic show will run from Thursday until Jan. 29, 2023, allowing visitors to dive into the work of one of the 20th century’s masters of photography.
The exhibition, a collaboration with the Versace House and counting Vogue Italia as a media partner, retraces Avedon’s 60-year career through 106 images. One entire section will be dedicated to Gianni Versace, starting from the campaign for the spring 1980 collection, which marked the designer’s debut and ending with the first advertisement directed by his sister and current chief creative officer, Donatella Versace.
Avedon was a longtime Vogue collaborator, lensing the likes of top models such as Dovima, Suzy Parker, Penelope Tree, Twiggy and Veruschka.
Palazzo Reale
Piazza del Duomo, 12 – 20122
Tel. 02-88-46-5230
palazzorealemilano.it
“The Witness — Climate Change,” Fondazione Sozzani
Back in January, Fondazione Sozzani x Vestiaire Collective’s collaboration yielded an exhibit to sell and present pre-loved avant garde fashion. Continuing with the idea of sustainability, in September the foundation opened a photographic exhibition with Max Vadukul dedicated to climate change and its effects.
Vadukul is one of the few photographers of his generation to continue the tradition of reportage. His projects are often linked to naturalistic and cultural aspects that open up social and environmental issues.
“In these images you can often see a sphere. I created it because I intend to tell the truth with the power of the image itself, without manipulation. Through the sphere, I would like to show the most beautiful places we are losing,” the artist said.
Fondazione Sozzani
Corso Como 10, – 20154
Tel. 02-29-00-4177
fondazionesozzani.org
“Toni Meneguzzo: Diptych,” 29 Arts in Project Gallery
The eclectic Italian photographer Toni Meneguzzo is hosting his solo-photographic exhibition in Milan from Sept. 20 to Nov. 19. He is best known for his work using Polaroids and incorporating fashion and anthropological themes.
Meneguzzo has collaborated with internationally renowned fashion magazines including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Queen, Arena, Marie Claire, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Avenue, Elle Decor, Residence, D Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, Domus and Abitare.
The exhibition is based on the photographer’s research process, helped by gallerist and curator Giovanni Pelloso who, for this occasion, selected 60 of his works. One of the overarching themes of the installation is Meneguzzo’s attraction to Asia. He pays homage to the cultures of the region via two large Polaroid 809 originals, a technique used to develop photos.
One may ask whether his work is hand-painted because of the use of acetate and transfer on paper for the Polaroids to the use of mirrors, thread and pigments, making the Polaroids abstract and unfiltered.
When explaining his technique, Meneguzzo said one of the main inspirations was “the wind, transcendental beauty, artifice and effective executor.”
29 Arts in Progress Milano
Via San Vittore 13, 20123
Tel. 02-94-38-7188
29artsinprogress.com
“Andrea Bowers: Moving in Space Without Asking Permission” With Fondazione Furla
Fondazione Furla has a long-standing history of working with female artists, ever since its inauguration in 2017 of the project “Furla series,” which was intended to showcase an all-female program designed to emphasize women artists.
On Sept. 15, the foundation inaugurated the exhibition with Andrea Bowers, an American artist and activist whose research combines aesthetic practices and political engagement from a feminist perspective. Her work spans gender equality and women’s and workers’ rights to immigration and environmentalism.
The exhibition, which is open to the public at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Milan and extends over five floors, combines Bowers’ relationship between feminism and bodily autonomy, taking inspiration from the experience of modern Italian feminists.
GAM – Galleria d’Arte Moderna
Via Palestro 16, 20121
Tel. 02-88-44-5943
gam-milano.com