If Milan is famous for one thing, it’s fashion. This cosmopolitan city is the epicentre of Italian – and, arguably, international – design, and the marquee event on the fashion calendar is Milan Fashion Week.
But while Fashion Week is the main event in Milan, it can feel like there’s always an exclusive event going on here. There’s Milan Design Week, Milan Film Festival … there’s even a dedicated flower festival. Each event brings with it a host of fringe shows and glam after-parties but getting your name on the guestlist can be an impossible task. It’s not always that hard though … have a look at our video and check our recommendations to learn what’s on and how to navigate Milan’s social scene.
Milan Fashion Week
Milan Fashion Week is the big one. So big, in fact, that there are two of them. In line with fashion seasons, the first Fashion Week takes place in March, covering autumn/winter collections, with the second taking place in September to showcase spring/summer collections.
Since the inaugural event in 1958, Milan Fashion Week has established itself as one of the ‘big four’ fashion weeks, alongside New York, London and Paris. Each year, designer brands and impeccably dressed fashionistas descend upon the city to take a look at the latest and greatest from the likes of Versace, Fendi, Gucci, and Prada, among others (name a high-end fashion label… they were probably there.)
So… you want to know how to get tickets, right? Well, unless you quit your job and pursue a career in fashion then you won’t be able to see much. There are a number of shows that are open to the public, but these are hard to come by, and tickets are in short supply. Check the Fashion Week schedule for more.
But if you can’t make it to Fashion Week, there are still a few places you can go if you need to feel glam. Quadrilatero della Moda is Milan’s main luxury shopping district and is where you’ll find the gorgeously grand Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – it’s worth a visit even if you’re not planning on dropping a few hundred (or more) on a new bag. If you’re after a bargain, perhaps coincide your Milan shopping trip with saldi (sales) periods for discounts of up to 70% off. Winter sales start in early January through to March, and summer sales take place in July through September.
For those of you who aren’t all about the sales, head to the Armani Silos. Combining the Italians’ penchant for art galleries and their love affair with haute couture, this museum is Giorgio Armani’s very own and showcases around 600 of his designs and four decades’ worth of work.
Milan Design Week
Milan might not be as traditionally charming as the likes of Florence or Venice, but then Milan is a different beast. Where those cities enjoy picture-perfect streets filled with traditional golden-hued buildings with shutters and terracotta roofs, Italy’s design capital tucks away sleek new builds and reclaimed industrial buildings amongst stately palazzos.
If you’re more into design than fashion, you’re in luck because Milan’s designers also get their own ‘week’ – Milan Design Week. Also known as Salone Del Mobile, this celebration of design is the largest trade fair of its kind in the world and showcases cutting-edge furniture and design from around the world. The event takes place in April, and the 2020 instalment of the event is set to take place between the 21st and 26th April. Nearly 400,000 design buffs came to town for the 2019 edition, so brace yourself for high (but not as high as Fashion Week) demand and vastly inflated (but not as vastly inflated as Fashion Week) hotel prices.
Milan Digital Week
Only in its second year, Milan Digital Week is one of the newest additions to the Milan events calendar. Across five days in March, some 85,000 techies attended over 500 events. Maybe something you wouldn’t necessarily plan a holiday around, but if you are in town and fancy soaking up some tech knowledge then you can’t go wrong – tickets to most events are free.
Carnevale Ambrosiano
If you want to start your city break in Milan with a bang, and not have to worry about tickets or guest lists, then you should plan your trip around the Carnevale Ambrosiano. No, not a festival dedicated to a brand of custard, the carnevale is a party to celebrate the start of lent. The parade in the Corso Venezia is the main attraction, but the entire city turns up – often in traditional Milanese dress – to enjoy all sorts of entertainment throughout the day. Stick around for the Tredesin de Mars, a religious procession celebrating the arrival of Christianity in Milan in 51AD.
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