A stylish disaster -- Should we avoid Milan during 2015 Fashion Week?
September 14, 2015 5:54 AM Subscribe
We booked a trip to Milan September 23-27th. After the fact, we learned it is Fashion Week! Should we try to avoid the city and just escape into the countryside? Will museums still be open to the public? Bonus question: Is the Milan Expo worth attending?
We found a great, cheap flight to Milan from our home city for a short vacation in late September. We just learned it will be fashion week. Is this going to be a disaster?
I have done lots of searching on the Fashion week and Milan Expo websites but can't find the information I am looking for. I realize that (as we do not work in fashion nor are we even fashionable) we will be unable to attend the runway shows or other glitzy events. But will museums/churches/galleries still be open? Will there be any public events?
I would also really appreciate travel tips for Milan and the surrounding areas. We will have a rental car and are open to long drives. We plan to stay at least two nights in the countryside or near Lake Como if you know nice towns/places.
We are interested in seeing modern art, eating good food, maybe seeing some unique things (Milan Expo? Public Fashion-week-related events?), and generally taking it easy.
Bonus points if you have an opinion on whether it is worth it to spend a day visiting the Milan Expo.
We found a great, cheap flight to Milan from our home city for a short vacation in late September. We just learned it will be fashion week. Is this going to be a disaster?
I have done lots of searching on the Fashion week and Milan Expo websites but can't find the information I am looking for. I realize that (as we do not work in fashion nor are we even fashionable) we will be unable to attend the runway shows or other glitzy events. But will museums/churches/galleries still be open? Will there be any public events?
I would also really appreciate travel tips for Milan and the surrounding areas. We will have a rental car and are open to long drives. We plan to stay at least two nights in the countryside or near Lake Como if you know nice towns/places.
We are interested in seeing modern art, eating good food, maybe seeing some unique things (Milan Expo? Public Fashion-week-related events?), and generally taking it easy.
Bonus points if you have an opinion on whether it is worth it to spend a day visiting the Milan Expo.
Best answer: I haven't been there during fashion week, but I did just return from a trip to Milan this summer. We loved it! We stayed in the canal district (Navigli) and it was extremely convenient. There are many nice restaurants down there, too, if you want to go somewhere more neighborhoody for dinner.
It's totally, totally doable to use public transit to get around Milan. It was one of the best public transportation systems we encountered in Europe (we got a 3-day unlimited pass which covered metro, buses, and trams). So, traffic jams shouldn't be a hassle!
Countryside daytrip: We loved Sirmione on Lake Garda for a lake district day trip. Gorgeous! And we swam in the lake all day, laying out on rocks. Not sure if it will be too cold by then, but the scenery is gorgeous no matter what.
We also did the Milan EXPO and were pretty disappointed. It's massive and has a bunch of cool-loking pavilions, but we found there to be relatively little substance. Each country has their own pavilion, some which look awesome from the outside, but the exhibits didn't seem worth it. Mostly, what it is, is a giant carnival-esque environment where you can buy overpriced samples of cuisines from various countries. If you're interested, we were able to snag evening only tickets for way less than the daytime tickets. You may still be able to get some on the website.
Have fun! Go to the top of the Duomo again for me!
posted by theantikitty at 7:49 AM on September 14, 2015
It's totally, totally doable to use public transit to get around Milan. It was one of the best public transportation systems we encountered in Europe (we got a 3-day unlimited pass which covered metro, buses, and trams). So, traffic jams shouldn't be a hassle!
Countryside daytrip: We loved Sirmione on Lake Garda for a lake district day trip. Gorgeous! And we swam in the lake all day, laying out on rocks. Not sure if it will be too cold by then, but the scenery is gorgeous no matter what.
We also did the Milan EXPO and were pretty disappointed. It's massive and has a bunch of cool-loking pavilions, but we found there to be relatively little substance. Each country has their own pavilion, some which look awesome from the outside, but the exhibits didn't seem worth it. Mostly, what it is, is a giant carnival-esque environment where you can buy overpriced samples of cuisines from various countries. If you're interested, we were able to snag evening only tickets for way less than the daytime tickets. You may still be able to get some on the website.
Have fun! Go to the top of the Duomo again for me!
posted by theantikitty at 7:49 AM on September 14, 2015
Best answer: Fashion Week in Milan is different from New York in ways that make it a fun experience even if you aren't going to a show. In brief, it's a civic event -- there are efforts to make every feel like they are a part of the experience.
If it's like previous years, there will be a main public area near the Duomo where you can see displays set up by various advertisers (it's what the closed-to-the-public lobby in the NYFW tents used to be like, only outdoors and accessible), and there will be giant screens set up throughout the city where you can watch live shows. For instance, last time there were screens near the Duomo by the Rinascente, in Corso Como, and the plaza outside Armani Caffee at via Montenapoleone. Via Montenapoleone can also be a fun place to watch show arrivals, though you'd want to take a look at the schedule online rather than just wait around.
As for the EXPO, it's a big thing in a Milan right now - the description above is pretty spot-on, but it's experience and the architecture for these temporary structures is fantastic, which is not surprising given that that's Milan's other signature industry. It's also interesting to see how the various countries want you to see them. You can go to enjoy it or to snark, but either way, it's an experience you won't find anywhere else.
posted by jefftrexler at 11:45 AM on September 14, 2015
If it's like previous years, there will be a main public area near the Duomo where you can see displays set up by various advertisers (it's what the closed-to-the-public lobby in the NYFW tents used to be like, only outdoors and accessible), and there will be giant screens set up throughout the city where you can watch live shows. For instance, last time there were screens near the Duomo by the Rinascente, in Corso Como, and the plaza outside Armani Caffee at via Montenapoleone. Via Montenapoleone can also be a fun place to watch show arrivals, though you'd want to take a look at the schedule online rather than just wait around.
As for the EXPO, it's a big thing in a Milan right now - the description above is pretty spot-on, but it's experience and the architecture for these temporary structures is fantastic, which is not surprising given that that's Milan's other signature industry. It's also interesting to see how the various countries want you to see them. You can go to enjoy it or to snark, but either way, it's an experience you won't find anywhere else.
posted by jefftrexler at 11:45 AM on September 14, 2015
Best answer: An addendum to the comment above, as I'm not going this season and just looked at the schedule myself: the main area for Milan Fashion Week has moved! It's now in the Porto Nuova district, and one of the cool things about it is that there will be a Fashion Hub Market featuring emerging designers:
http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/camera-nazionale-della-moda-upcoming-designers-milan-fashion-week-10213327/
http://www.ansa.it/english/news/lifestyle/fashion_luxury/2015/09/10/milan-fashion-week-moves-to-porta-nuova_1c33fcc0-23b1-4828-9daa-c04fd3ad8f73.html
There will also be other fashion-related events, so it's worth keeping a lookout for what's up. In short, I wouldn't see scheduling a trip to Milan during Fashion Week as a disaster -- if anything, in the words of one famous Milan resident of old, it's a felix culpa!
posted by jefftrexler at 11:58 AM on September 14, 2015
http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/camera-nazionale-della-moda-upcoming-designers-milan-fashion-week-10213327/
http://www.ansa.it/english/news/lifestyle/fashion_luxury/2015/09/10/milan-fashion-week-moves-to-porta-nuova_1c33fcc0-23b1-4828-9daa-c04fd3ad8f73.html
There will also be other fashion-related events, so it's worth keeping a lookout for what's up. In short, I wouldn't see scheduling a trip to Milan during Fashion Week as a disaster -- if anything, in the words of one famous Milan resident of old, it's a felix culpa!
posted by jefftrexler at 11:58 AM on September 14, 2015
To be honest my main concern would be affordable accommodation. Work out where you'll be staying sooner rather than later.
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:33 PM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:33 PM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Sometimes there are open-air fashion shows on Piazza del Duomo that anyone can watch. Other fashion week events are invitation only.
posted by frantumaglia at 6:11 AM on September 14, 2015