Surrounded by grandiose architecture and stately 18th-century villas, it’s easy to see why Milan is Italy’s influential fashion capital. Here’s how to get your fashion inspiration on a day in the city.
9 AM
Like any good Italian, start with espresso. Drink it standing up with a sweet brioche at any respectable espresso bar in the neighbourhood, or visit the cheerful Pavé breakfast cafe for a sit-down breakfast and brunch menu, complemented by colourful pastries floating on whipped cream and butter.
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10 AM
No trip to Milan is complete without visiting the Piazza del Duomo, outside Milan’s colossal Gothic cathedral. Made of pink Italian marble with the participation of 78 architects over the course of 600 years, the Duomo has awed and inspired artists and religious visitors for generations. Tour the Duomo, or simply admire this magnificent structure from the piazza while being serenaded by street musicians.
Linking the Duomo with Milan’s opera house, Teatro alla Scala, stroll through Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II. The light-filled glass dome, suspended 47 meters above the ground at its highest point, is a masterpiece blending grand Renaissance aesthetics and symbolism with 19th-century modernism. The Galleria’s shops are populated by designer brands with their own fashion week shows.
11 AM
Make a special stop at Camparino, the flagship Campari bar (below), where crowds of chic Milanese stand at the bar for an early cocktail or afternoon aperitivo. Brisk service by bartenders dressed in stark, pressed whites provides the best backdrop for the bevvy of bright red beverages popping through the room. Snag a table on the enclosed patio for people-watching.
1 PM
Take your lunch break at Bar Luce, a cafe in the Fondazione Prada. Designed by Wes Anderson, of Grand Budapest Hotel and Asteroid City fame, the cafe is an expression of the filmmaker’s distinctive visual style: 1950s-retro-Italian, as seen through formica, wood panelling, pastels and patterns.
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Once you’ve enjoyed a little break, devote your afternoon to exploring the rest of the extensive collection at the Fondazione, where contemporary and living artists combine process with project across five buildings. The largest, a nine-story factory, gives insight into the interaction between high art and commercial fashion, illustrating the ways in which films and artists have been inspired by Italian popular fashion; maybe the reverse is true, too.
3 PM
Next, check out more intersections between fine art, pop culture and fashion at the East Market, a colossal second-hand marketplace where you can troll for deals and mix and match last season’s – or last century’s – styles.
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6 PM
Head back to the city centre for an aperitivo at Barbo, a fresh and atmospheric neighbourhood bar that blends Mediterranean and Japanese flavours in a fresh fusion menu. Milan sponsors Negroni Week in September, but the menu contains house-developed twists on the classic cocktail year-round, like the Conte di Jerez and Che Fico! Try either for a refreshing blend of style and substance.
9 PM
Stroll through Giardini di Porta Venezia at night on your way to Villa Reale, a neoclassical palace built at the end of the 18th century that now houses a collection of paintings and sculptures. The opulence of the palace becomes cosier in the courtyard greenhouse that is LuBar (above), a contemporary Italian eatery with handmade Sicilian pasta and regional ingredients, perfect for tucking into a long and conversation-filled dinner.
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11 PM
Finally drift off to dreamland in style at Max Brown Missori Hotel, a chic boutique that mixes brutalist minimalism with warm, wood panelling and sleek, mid-century design.
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