A ride on a Streetcar named Fashionista One of Milano’s premier events is Milano Fashion Week, which welcomes international brands and fashion shows and stages throughout the city a large number of presentations and events open to the public. It is however difficult, for those who are not connected to the fashion industry, to directly experience this kind of atmosphere live. But If you do want to venture out and discover the areas where breathing the creativity of the great Maisons is actually possible, this itinerary will provide you with a chance for an almost “zero impact" journey...You just need an urban transport ticket to fully experience the magic of the catwalks' locations!

 

To be teleported into the right atmosphere an obvious choice is Tram n. 14, that connects the area of Lorenteggio (southwest of Milano) to the Cimitero Maggiore (northwest of Milano). An alternative underground route will be suggested for each stop.

Edited by: @sister.darko

Tram 14 Stop - Via Solari Via Stendhal

"A MAN CAN DREAM

This is a line from the movie inspired by the graphic novel Tamara Drewe, but it is also what you happen to think as you speed towards via Stendhal on tram number 14 and look out of the window at those huge red brick spaces that host the showrooms of some of the most famous fashion houses in the world. The urban appearance here changes from the carousel of colors of the Piazza Napoli area to more refined and haughty features. Big brands like Fendi, Moncler, Herno have found their home in what appears to be one of the most elegant redevelopments of the old factories near the Navigli.

Tram 14 Stop - P.za del Rosario

(Alternatively, PORTA GENOVA METRO STOP M2 line green)

Nigel, the character played by Stanley Tucci in the film “The Devil wears Prada”, uses these words to explain to the imperturbable main character (Andy – Anne Hathaway) the deepest meaning of fashion.

The TORTONA AREA is the permanent centre of creativity of the city and the intellectual hub of design. When on tram 14 you have to get off at Piazza del Rosario, by the church of the same name, and head towards Largo delle Culture (via Bergognone) where you can also find the beautiful courtyard of the Base area building.

If you are on the metro (M2 PORTA GENOVA), once out of the station (a construction that will take you back to the early 20th century) you will have to cross the walkway on the left, named "Biki" and dedicated to the Milanese designer Elvira Leonardi Bouyeure, who designed clothes for a number of beautiful women, including Maria Callas.

From whichever direction you arrive, you will find a street with little traffic and a decadent, bohemian and romantic atmosphere. You may wonder if you really are in Milano, or in a parallel world, where pastry shops and local artisans are dispersed among the premises of major Italian and foreign fashion and design brands. Elegance walks these streets: the models of the ateliers, the employees of the large consulting companies that are based here, even the most alternative types wear a more than usual studied look.

Halfway around, the clean geometries of the factory meet the class of Giorgio Armani, the great designer who knew from the start how to merge his personal style with the world of cinema and advertising and conquered the international jet set and even the Far East. In via Bergognone 40 you can visit Armani/Silos,

a museum that collects a selection of his creations, constantly updated. From February 22 until January 10, 2021, on the ground floor of the building, you can visit the exhibition "Heimat. A sense of Belonging", dedicated to the work of the late Peter Lindbergh.

Social and urban innovation mingle in the context of the Base, located between via Bergognone and via Tortona. Inside and outside the walls of the former Ansaldo factory, between workshops, co-working spaces and the futuristic MUDEC 

(Museum of Cultures). On the occasion of ApritiModa don't miss visiting the Teatro alla Scala Workshops, where you can live the experience of walking a few meters away from the gigantic production sets. Reservations are required.

If you stroll along the length of via Tortona, you will come across the venues of the Fuori Salone, up to the architectural complex Tortona 37, a location designed by the architect Thun, characterized by clean lines and chosen by many fashion houses as well as by Fondazione Gianfranco Ferrè.

If you prefer to explore the parallel streets you will end up in via Savona. This street, which has been subjected to recent and deep requalification, is suitable to accommodate the more indie and genuine spirit of the new Quadrilatero della Moda.

Tram 14 Stop - V.le Coni Zugna – Via Solari

(Alternatively, SANT'AGOSTINO METRO STOP M2 line green)

 

FOR “CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC” FANS for whom the heart “GOES LIKE WARM BUTTER SLIDING DOWN HOT TOAST” IN FRONT OF A NICE SHOP (OR A NICE MARKET) Parco Solari Solari is one of the greenest areas in Milano: it is located a few steps from the M2 S. Agostino stop but most of all it is quite close to Viale Papiniano, where on Saturday you can stroll among the stalls of one of the most satisfying local markets for the fashion addicted: it is not unusual to come across unique high fashion clothes at affordable prices.

 

Tram 14 Stop - P.le Cantore

If instead you prefer to get off at the next stop, be reminded that you are just a few steps from the Darsena, that peeps out at the end of Viale Gabriele D'Annunzio, (not far from the stop). The Mercatone dell’Antiquariato, a big antiques market, takes place here on the last Sunday of each month). It can get quite crowded, but a dip in the Impressionist Milano of the Navigli will possibly allow you to discover, among the wares on display, that unique piece you were looking for to decorate home, the dress of your dreams, or the vintage jewel that will dramatically improve your look.

Tram 14 Stops between C.so Genova - Via Torino - Duomo M1-M3

(Alternatively, DUOMO METRO STOP - M1 line red and M3 line yellow)

 

“I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'S A LOT MORE TO LIFE THAN BEING REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING. AND I PLAN ON FINDING OUT WHAT THAT IS!”

Derek Zoolander, super iconic model of the early 2000s, played by Ben Stiller - to whom these words belong - would get off the tram at this point. Corso Genova and Via Torino are the streets of movida fashion: if you stay on the tram, you can observe the beautiful shop-windows and the many people who - like in a music box - enter and leave the shops lining up along the way, or take a break in one of the many street food stands. You can also notice how in the area of Corso Genova the showrooms express a more unusual and customised touch, while inVia Torino the rhythm is more dynamic, marked by the fast pace of the sneaker-wearing teenagers who look for the latest trends in fast fashion chains. You will also notice several Churches: if you have some time left, get off the tram as soon as you are near San Satiro and prepare for a refreshing cultural break as you discover how Bramante, the Renaissance Great, had mastered the art of trompe-l’oeil to such a degree that he could make it overcome reality. Once at the Duomo you are at the center of the world. You can head towards the Galleria, La Scala (scenario of the last Green Fashion Awards) and Quadrilatero della Moda; you also can choose between two metro lines; or stay on the tram.

Tram 14 Stop - Via Orefici - P.za Cordusio

(Alternatively, CORDUSIO METRO STOP - M1 line red)

 

"COLLATERAL BEAUTY"

This is a movie directed by David Frankel (2016) but it is also a definition that suits piazza Cordusio very well, a perfect “collateral” location to the Duomo and the Galleria, where the fashion system’s sales points thrive close to the heart of the city. The elegant historical buildings somehow bring to mind Paris’ boulevards. Palazzo Broggi, more than any other, smiles at the belle époque. If you stop there, you can go back to the Duomo crossing Piazza Mercanti, where the imposing sixteenth-century Palazzo dei Giureconsulti stands out. It hosts many exhibitions and events and is the home of the Yes Milano Info Point. If you want to head to the Castle instead, (M1 CAIROLI) you will find a lot of shops and small restaurants along via Dante, in the lively hustle and bustle of bicycles and pedestrians.

Tram 14 Stop - Lanza M2

(Alternatively, LANZA METRO STOP M2 line green)

 

''ELEGANCE IS INNATE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING WELL-DRESSED. ELEGANCE REJECTS PRESCRIPTED CANONS" (Diana Vreeland - historical Director of Vogue America).

If you get off at this stop (or arrive from the metro, almost as if you were coming out of a garage, amazed at the sight of the Piccolo Teatro Strehler) you can enjoy a fascinating walk along the Brera District , that retains a quaint vintage allure. At times, be it for the lights or the scents coming from the restaurants you will feel as if by the sea, in a warm place where flowers and lush plants overflow from the balconies to the streets. This is Milano’s artist neighbourhood and you will probably catch a glimpse of the artists themselves as they get around on their bicycles. Once you are here, it is well worth entering the world-famous Pinacoteca of Brera (Brera Art Gallery) to understand why Hayez was inspired by silk satin to paint "Il Bacio" (The kiss) or how the painting’s colors are inspired by patriotism.

Tram 14 Stops between P.za Lega Lombarda - P.le Cimitero Monumentale

(Alternatively, MONUMENTALE METRO STOPM5 line lilac)

 

"BEAUTIFUL THINGS DON'T ASK FOR ATTENTION"

Sean Penn, the unavoidable photographer of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty ”, used these words to describe the mysterious essence that only some places and creatures possess. For this reason, if you stay on for a few more stops, you will get very close to Milano’s most fusion area. Many famous made in Italy companies have established their headquarters in this area (such as Brunello Cucinelli, near Piazza Lega Lombarda; if you visit his showroom you will be amazed to find a tree inside). The companies decided to parade here at the latest MFW: both Alessandro Michele’s Fellinian dream for Gucci and the chic minimalism of Jil Sander chose Via Bramante as their location. Really close to the Monumental Cemetery, a monument to the neo-Gothic in Milano and well worth a visit, you will find Milano’s Chinatown, folkloristic and colorful, especially during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

 

The legendary Karl Lagerfeld would conclude our bizarre tram trip at zero cost with these words: "I LOVE BEING CREATIVE ALL THE TIME. IF NOT, I WOULD BE BORED AND BOREDOM IS A CRIME".