Spring 08 Fashions in Milan's Windows

The world comes to shop Milan. They come for the name brands and their flagship stores. There's an intense competition to have all the newest goods and to display them to their greatest affect. I was in Gucci looking for a bag for a girlfriend. The bag had just come out in Vancouver and she was hoping to get it cheaper in Italy. The salesperson almost scoffed at me, apparently the style is old and not in production anymore. It was old news in Milan already

When I wasn't working I was shopping. When the shops are open, I'd be rushing into the stores to try on the fashions. Just like any girl with a fashion addiction, I focused on shoes and handbags. In the evenings when the shops had closed, I found myself still window shopping well into the evening. The colours for spring are vibrant yellows and pinks and the displays were exciting.

Here are some of the best windows I saw wandering around Milan. The amount of energy that goes into their displays are astounding. Most shops said their displays changed weekly, not just the clothes but the whole display! I visited LV, Gucci, Prada, Miu Miu, Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbanna, Dior, Fendi, Bottega Venata and Chanel (probably a lot more). All these shops are within one block of each other. Some brands like Gucci and Prada have 3 shops each on the same one block strip. The fashions are the most current items in Milan. Sadly, it'll be ages before we see it as normal fashions for us here in Vancouver.

Most of the pictures were taken in the Montenapoleone, Spiga, Duomo and Torino areas.

Click the slide show to see all 137 photos (yes there were a lot of windows!)

Vancouver night clubs are stupid

My dear cosmopolitan city of Vancouver, just when I think of how proudly progressive she is, I find this: Some downtown Vancouver nightclubs are not allowing certain brands to be worn in their Clubs. It sounds like they're targeting men who are wearing expensive print shirts. Too bad guys! Just when you've gotten enough nerve to wear that Ed Hardy "love kills slowly" top, the man is shuttin' you down! I haven't heard any incidents with girls but you never know.

It's all pretty stupid for any club to limit what their customers are wearing. It's supposed to cut down on gang activity in their clubs. I think it's a PR stunt so that the clubs can be perceived to be doing something about the violence that often spills out of their doors in the wee hours of the morning. Even the police when hearing of this policy thought it was inappropriate to discriminate by dress. To paraphrase the officer, "We have a list of names of gang members not a list of clothing brands."

Girls you know when you go to a club you want to be decked out in your finest. So it seems silly that a club owner would want you to show up at the door with in a totally blank black outfit!