Milan has shown us the importance of understanding tradition, culture, and the “ bequest ” so that, from that foundation, we can create with our eyes set on the future—a future to play with, experiment with, and not be afraid of. This is the essence of Italian “ design ”—a “ design ” that understands its roots and is not afraid to lead the way through its avant-garde approach and its exceptional technical and artisanal skills.
Encounters in Milan
The entire stay has been an explosion of stimuli. The movement, the noise, the people, the exhibitions, the shops… This city offers a vast array of things to see, where everything can be a source of meeting. meeting to see, feel, be inspired, and marvel. This trip has not only been a direct meeting with the bequest of Italian design , but also a moment to breathe in the fresh air of its avant-garde.
Our time in Milan was divided into visits specific to each accredited specialization , as well as group visits. The Fashion group visited the cutting-edge business , the FASAC textile fair, and the Palazzo Reale, where we discovered the influence of Dalí’s surrealism on fashion, with examples such asSchiaparelli by Daniel Roseberry. We also had the opportunity to visit the Quadrilatero della Moda, home to the most influential and avant-garde stores.
“Scuba Diving,” Materiality and Form
For their part, students from the “ design ” program in the Product Design Department ( accredited specialization ) visited several stores and showrooms throughout the trip: Lesi, Moroso, Porro, FontanaArte, and B&B Italia. There, they encountered very interesting concepts regarding ergonomics, materials, form, and design. Along these lines, they also visited the Achille Castiglioni Foundation , guided by Giovanna Castiglioni, with whom they were able to dive deep into the world of this great designer.
Students from the " design " program at the " accredited specialization " Services visited the Frog Innovation business , where they presented the projects they are currently working on. They toured Polimi Milano, its facilities, and the Off Campus, where they learned about some of the innovation projects being developed at the institution. During the visit, they participated in a workshop and visited theSketchin studio at design .
Expressiveness and Beauty at Prada and Armani
Together, we visited the Mudec Museum of Culture, Armani/Silos, and the Fondazione Prada. The latter two were particularly meeting, where we saw and experienced works of the highest caliber—both Armani’s dresses and the works at the Fondazione Prada. Finally, we spent several days at the ADI Museum, where we took a crash course in “ visit ” and “ project ” led by Fabrizio Pierandrei.
Milan asks us—and, in a way, demands of us—that we incorporate this way of doing and seeing things into our own way of engaging with the world. That we continue to discover, through our own eyes, everything this city has left within us; that we continue to discover the brushstroke that this journey has been.
