During my personal travel time, I ventured north of Joseph S. Bruno’s study abroad location to Milan for a weekend. As an Apparel Merchandising major, the opportunity to visit the 6^th largest fashion capital in the world was one I could not pass up. Italy is a fashionable place to begin with, however this city was full of people dressed to the nines for a causal outing. My absolute favorite part of the trip was visiting the Armani Silos museum. The building houses over four hundred pieces from the iconic designer’s collections throughout the course of his career. As described by the curators, Armani Silos is “Not a museum but a collection of ideas and projects to build the future. Not a chronological account, but the history of a professional experience that reveals a world of unique skills.” The passion behind Giorgio Armani’s pieces could be felt and the presentation of his work as a whole was extremely well executed by the museum’s team. I spent a total of two-and-a-half hours touring the four floors, each having a different theme. The first floor was stars and daywear; the Stars room was dedicated to the many celebrities to don his garments. The second floor, Exoticism, dives into Armani’s creations that have been influenced by fashion from around the word such as African kaftans, Southeast Asian sarongs, Pakistani tunics and inspiration from other non-western cultures. Colour Schemes is the third floor and is a compilation of Armani’s bold and provocative use of black alongside pops of color and shine. The beading and craftsmanship of the pieces were truly astounding in person. His last floor, Light, showcases his stunning gowns in shades of nude, pearl and silver. Each dress took my breath away in its own individual way because of the incredible details. It was truly an honor to be in the presence of timeless couture worn by celebrities, first ladies and heiresses alike. I am thankful to the Auburn Abroad experience for allowing me to live only a train ride away from some of the greatest fashion and historical places in the world.
By: Megan Maiorano