MACKO MOMENTS!
(MILAN) Friday, June 20
I have been going to the men's shows in Milan and Paris for awhile, but this year is different. I am attending as the fashion director of Details, a job that I've had for a total of 10 days. This is my first journal entry as I describe my experience:
Let's get the important stuff out of the way. First, what do you wear to your first collections as a Condé Nast fashion director? Sitting a few levels below me on Continental Flight 44 to Milan are two original orange Globetrotter suitcases--one 30", one 33"--the contents of which could be returned and used in making the deposit on a small home (in a nice neighborhood): one coat, four suits, six sport coats, five pairs of pants, four pairs of jeans, 12 shirts, 25 ties (seriously!), seven pairs of shoes (one pair of summer boots), six belts and eight pocket squares. I'll be in Europe for nine days, mind you, but embarrassingly, there are still things being sent to me at The Principe in Milan.
Before leaving for the airport, there were two last stops to make. First off, to see Meurice, my trusted drycleaner and launderer, where I arrived at 9:00 a.m. for some emergency alterations to a pair of pants. Then to Equinox Chelsea to pick up my training schedule. Ed Darrah, my amazing trainer, has put together a training schedule for me to follow while in Europe. My losing 60 pounds over the past year was all my work, but it's Ed who is re-shaping the remaining 180.
The summer Friday traffic is horrific and I get to the airport in barely enough time. It's a full fashion flight, including Steve Sadove, chairman and CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue; photographer Mark Seliger and Calvin Klein's Malcolm Carfrae. I start working on my blog while watching The Golden Compass movies at 35,000 feet.
Saturday, June 21
Today kicked off the first full day of summer and we enjoyed the longest day of the year!
After checking in to The Principe, I have 90 minutes to unpack and get ready for the shows. There are tons of invitations, gift bags, books, press kits and releases to go through. It's become quite apparent that YOU ARE MUCH MORE POPULAR AS AN EDITORIAL FASHION DIRECTOR than when in retail.
Costume National, Dolce & Gabbana, Jil Sander, Missoni, Burberry Prorsum and Versace are all the shows I attend today. We love the models' hair (done by Roberto, Domenico Dolce's barber who always cuts my hair when I am in Milan) and the black and white Chinese silk finale at Dolce, the (wearable) color at Jil and Versace, and Christopher Bailey does his best collection ever for Burberry Prorsum. After the shows is the annual Details summer party in the garden of the Bulgari Hotel. As always, it's a hit and Tom Ford, Tomas Maier, Kean Etro, Gianluca Isaia and Brian Atwood are some of the designers who turn out.
After that it's off to the Versace dinner at Donatella's lair at Via Gesu. The garden is gorgeous as it's decked with hundreds of candles. After that, it's dinner number two at Gold, Dolce & Gabbana's restaurant, which the designers have outfitted with the best looking waiters in Milan. (They truly know how to bring their brand to life.)
The evening ends with Naomi Campbell, who earlier in the day made a surprise appearance on the Dolce & Gabbana runway, holding court at the table next to us talking politics (FYI, she's pro Obama!).
As I finished my last bite and got ready for bed, I recounted my day--and, specifically, the things I would buy off the runway today: the black crocodile finale slippers at Dolce & Gabbana and the grey ombré cardigan at Burberry Prorsum.
Till tomorrow,
Michael
