La moda a backstage

I am a huge fan of the street style fashion. The Sartorialist has been my ultimate favorite for years. Sometimes people dress too crazy for my taste, but you get great ideas from his pages. Models usually dress really cool too...

At Paola Frani`s show I couldn`t get my eyes of this Russian girl wearing skinny denim pants, black Chanel-jacket and black motorcycle boots (now only high heels). I would die to get her clothing. The black jacket from Chanel has been in my shopping list for years... (How much do they earn to dress only in Chanel???)

Though I tried to take the picture from Ant View Eclipse you still can`t see how long the models` legs were...

This girl made interviews backstage and her boyish look was so wicked, I had to capture her on film.

Sfilata di Paola Frani

I should have understood to rest a bit more when I got the cold a few weeks ago. After the insane second semester at Marangoni it is no wonder I got sick. I ended up paying a fortune to the doctor and of all the medicine. Resting the week (and sewing for my client her schoolworks), I am feeling better now. I got a great advice from my friend how to cover from cold. Hih... It is definately working! :o)

I was supposed to work for Antoni Marras for a week, but they cancelled it. I only found it out a day before I was supposed to start when calling there. That much they appreciated the volunteer work I guess. ;o) Instead I got a few fashion shows where I would be working. This morning (way too early) was Paola Frani`s fashion show in Fiera di Milano.

I absolutely adore her new collection for fall/ winter 2009-10. It was so feminine and beautiful.

My Mexicana was there with me.

The girls ready for the practice runway. I just love the slim figures and high high heels. ;o) Honestly... even if I would loose weight, I could never look like they do. They are tiny.

This is one of the vintage dresses I got from Naviglio last week.

I got lucky with my model Åsa. She is from Sweden and she was for sure the sweetest model I have ever met.

The shoes to have for the fall... The heels were absolutely beautiful.

Last touch for the makeup before the show.

The clothes changes are always so intense that there is no time for pictures. Unluckily this time there was "an accident" with one model and her shoes... she didn`t make it in time back to the runway. I feel so sorry for her and all the other girls as well. I guess that is why we didn`t see any champagne bubbling backstage after the show...

Domenica un po di fuori

Wow, Saturday night was rough! All I wanted to do was to continue sleeping and eat something greazy, but instead we had tickets to San Siro. AC Milan was playing against Cagliari and we wanted to see DAVID BECKHAM!!!

We barely made it in time there and couldn`t find our seats for the beginning. Sanna was ablazed with it all and took again more than hundred pictures. I have been there before so I just enjoyed the game.
I bet that half of the men population was in the stadium on Sunday or in the bars watching footboll, crazy country!

Milan beat Cagliari 1-0.

DAVID!!!!! I was kinda hoping that he would take of his shirt again but no... I wore so much clothing and I was still kinda freezing, no good after being sick for 1,5 weeks. Maybe he was chilly as well, hih...

We took the fully packed tram to the Duomo and walked to Naviglio for pizza. Sanna watched the Oscar`s gala live from internet and I was sleeping in 39c fever. Today I have slept in the sofa in coma for 10 hours and in the evening I had to drag myself to the pharmacy in my pyjama pants and get all the possible drugs... We`ll see if I finally feel better tomorrow.

Sabato e la festa di famosi

On Saturday we went back to the vintage store by Naviglio... Great bargains which I couldn`t resist!!!

This bone color dress I wanted, but the price was too high... 600€.

This mini dress ended up for my closet.

We had a pre party at my place and it turned out to be a blast with 3 fashion designers giving styling advise to Sanna...

Usually we miss the first ordered taxi and while waiting for the other one, there is always time to take pictures.

This Saturday at Punks Wear Prada the theme was "I am famous"... party like a rockstar. My dear friend Adrianne for sure was dressed like one. Now when thinking about the night we for sure partied like rockstars...

...the night will stay in our memories forever, I am pretty sure. Again I did something which my M would have loved to witness. Hahahahaa!!! The rest remains unexposed...

Venerdì e negozi vintage

I remember being quite happy in November when I found Toni & Guy- hairsalon in San Babila. The first time I was there was okay, but the second time just before flying home for christmas, they ruined my hair. The service was terrible, the color came out after one wash, they didn`t have time to cut my hair (though I had booked the time for that) and it was overpriced big time. I am the kind of person who shouts to the world if I get good service and if I get treated badly, I never return. Now I found a new salon in Corso Garibaldi called Wabi-Sabi. The owner Fabio was super cool and at least now I am content...

I met Teemu for coffee at Mondadori and my first client as well. So much fun to start sewing for her. I got surprised that one teacher had recommended me at school, not even my own teacher Mario... Maybe this will be the beginning of my successful business. (Dreaming again...) ;o)

Sanna made it to Duomo as well from Sforcesco museums and we started our vintage tour. In Naviglio there is at least 3 vintage stores and my favorite is Elizabeth the First. Sanna had found cool dresses there the night before and now she needed my opinion. She got her dresses and even I found something from the 1950`s. I will try to take some pictures later... ;o)

The other extremely nice store is Cavalli e Nastri in Via Gian Giacomo Mora. They have an other store in Via Brera. I heard that the famous designer houses go there to get inspiration and buy items which they change for the coming collections...

I even found an old Marimekko-dress there... it was next to a Chanel jacket priced 1000€. I think next time when I go home to Finland I start looking for old Marimekko clothing which I can sell here in Milan with big money, hih hih...

Vintage clothing is great! I loved to visit second hand stores already in Finland. If you know how to mix it with new clothing that is just perfect.

Here are the links to the stores: Cavalli e Nastri and Elizabeth the First.

Cavalli e Nastri pictures by Teemu Muurimäki.

Giovedì a Porta Genova

Thursday was a "relaxed" day. We did some shopping at my neighbourhood`s stores. I always buy my parmiggiano from this "signore" on the other side of Coin. I like to go to his store, because I always get the best service and the cheese and prociutto taste so heavenly.

Our brunch shopping made us go back to my place for some nutella-toasts and strawberries. I just love eating when I finally have the time to enjoy a bit of it...

Sanna finds the best places to take pictures. This trashy bridge over Porta Genova station looked much nicer now in the sunlight than normally if I go running in the mornings when it is grey... ;o)

We made a surprise visit to my friend`s store DMAGAZINEoutlet in Via Forcella. I like to shop there designer clothing a bit cheaper than normally. Sometimes I find amazing treasures and the other times I just can`t believe that an outlet jacket still costs 1400€. This time I got lucky... ;o) (Poor credit card... When Sanna is gone back to Finland, I won`t be eating for some weeks...)

We had a great brunch at my place with sparkling, parmiggiano, prosciutto crudo, strawberries and tuna piadines. Afterwards Sanna continued shopping while I was translating my CV into Italian. In the evening we had "cena" at Luca and Andrea. That is a tiny place in Naviglio which never lets you down with their pastas and cotoletta Milanese.. Despite we almost had to start washing the dishes there, cause they didn`t accept any card payments, I still adore the place... and eating of course!!!

Mercoledì con Sanna

With too little sleep (again) I ran to school for an appointment in the morning. I also met my pattern making teacher quickly. He had a first customer for me. I have advised the teachers, students at Marangoni and my friends here that I sew clothing to help them (and my financial situation). Hopefully I earn some money with sewing before finding a job in fashion.

By the time I was done at school, Sanna made it to Via Verri (my school) by herself. Great navigating babe! We had brunch at my favorite bar close to the school. It was so nice to go there again when all the waiters were asking where have I been for a week. I just love to be missed... Hih!

It is so funny to start understanding how small this metropolitan city, Milan, is... I had my meeting with my "helper" and became more objective with my future. Maybe goodness still exists.

Later in the afternoon our plans of having picnic in Parco Sempione changed into shopping... It was just way too cold to sit still. Sanna didn`t mind and neither did I. (I know my credit card did... Damn!)

I have too rarely time to walk home from Duomo. I like taking Via Torino and then the Colonne di San Lorenzo to Corso di Porta Ticinese. That is the street where I was supposed to move when I first got here, but the landlord was too big trouble. Mr. Trouble... ;o)

Luckily I had some sense when shopping and only ended up with one pair of cool shoes. Sanna shopped behalf of me... 4 pairs of shoes and the rest.

The view towards Naviglio Grande when the sun was setting down.

We got some great pictures. So much fun having Sanna here playing tourist/ paparazzi.

Girls from Rauma...

The sunset was pretty amazing and we tried to hurry to the next bridge for the last pictures, but the sun went down too fast for us. Days keep busy with my friend around and we still had the evening and night to go... ;o)

Martedì molto strano

I should be on vacation now when my friend is here and my school is finished, but I feel like we are rushing from place A to B and there is so many things that we need to do. Yesterday I finally started to make my CV and cover letter. It wasn`t a minute too early, because at the same time I got a phone call from my taxi driver that I needed to contact someone for a job. I took Sanna to the city bus tour and after taking care of some errands started working.

I also got a phone call that I will have a job for a famous designer starting next Tuesday. It will only be for a week, but I am convinced that it will be an amazing experience. Can`t wait!!! I will tell you later the name of the designer. ;o)

My computer crashed (of course) and I was running out of time before my friends would arrive for sparkling and strawberries at my place before dinner at Naviglio. We had a great Italian "cena" with Finns and enjoyed each other`s company.

The weather has been really sunny, but freezing cold for the past days. Lucky Sanna, she gets to see the best of Milan. When we got home I started to work for my portfolio, because I thought that I would need it the next day. (So great that I have finally learned during the past year not to leave things for the last night, hah hah... right!!!)

L`amica finlandese

I wanted to make a post of my weekend and V-day, but I forgot my camera home on Saturday and I will get the pictures later. You know how it is here, "domani cara..."

I got my dear friend Sanna today visiting me for a week. We share a long history together. We both come from Rauma, lived in Turku and then she moved to Helsinki when I came here to Milan. There is no doubt what we are going to do the whole week.... Enjoy our vacations!!!!! (Actually I should be job hunting, but maybe I can have a few days relaxing time before the women fashion week starts.)

The afternoon started with sparkling and some tourist stuff in the center... meaning lots of pictures. Tomorrow she will for sure drag me to all the museums and sightseeings. Hih... I don`t mind. ;o)

After Duomo and Galleria (and a bit shoe shopping in La Rinascente for me) we met my schoolfriends for aperitifs in a nice place called Cheese. The buffet table was pretty good compared for the others I have visited. It is so funny that now when the school is finished I spend much more time with them. Tomorrow, back for beeing a tourist again...

Serata di festa

My fashion design studies at Istituto Marangoni are finally over. We had all the final exams on Tuesday morning. I need to admit that I got pretty nervous the night before and in the morning. I finished almost everything already last Friday and wasn`t that stresses about the last days, but then I started to think if I could have done better... (Dummie!!!) There were still people who didn`t sleep the last nights and who did the final technicals at school while waiting for their turn.

Okay, I graduated with excellent grades so all my work really paid off. I am satisfied. ;o) After my exams I just felt overwhelmed and although I was tired I couldn`t sleep. Too much adrenaline... I met my friend for lunch and finally bought my new mannequin.

In the evening we went to Fashion Cafe for aperitifs to celebrate the graduation with my schoolfriends. Kinda funny that when we started there was 16 of us, during the year 5 dropped out and at least 1 failed in the end. So like I have tried to tell you, not that easy studying at Marangoni if you take it seriously...

We did some bar- jumping after Fashion Cafe and at some point found ourselves from a cafeteria in Brera eating pizza-slices, croissants and drinking sparkling. Nam! After Corso Como we finally ended the night to the legendary Hollywood...

We got some fireworks also to the table... ;o)

Our gang that was left before entering Hollywood... Great music there, we had so much fun. So much that after Wednesday morning when I finally got to bed, I slept almost 3 days...