Milan, Italy

My courses

• Visual Merchandising
• IT 301 – Italian Language in Context: Emerging Independent Abroad I
• Managing Made in Italy Companies
• Managing Fashion and Luxury Companies
• Digital Marketing, E-Commerce and Communication

Together they covered retail floors, luxury strategy, Italian, and digital comms. It matched what I was doing in UX at Bentley, but with European cases I could actually walk past after class.

Fashion communication in the digital era

We dug into how luxury brands build the “dream factor”: aspirational storytelling that ties exclusivity and emotion to desire, and how that shows up from old-school heritage campaigns to today’s social-first work. I lined up yesterday’s one-way print and TV with tomorrow’s side of things (short video, UGC, AR try-ons, real-time feedback).

We also talked about the shifting role of influencers (authenticity, micro-creators, lining up on values) and deinfluencing as people push back on mindless consumption. Besides ROI, more brands care about ROE (Return on Engagement): how conversation, loyalty, and participation show up in the relationship, not just what rings up at checkout.

Sustainability & the circular economy

Coursework linked the environmental and social costs of production to real responses: circular economy models, and what actually counts as upcycling, recycling, or downcycling. We compared greenwashing (misleading claims) with greenhushing (staying quiet about real progress to avoid scrutiny). Both are risky for brands and for anyone trying to shop with their eyes open.

In class we looked at brands that lead with durable product, repair, and transparency. That lines up with what I want from responsible design: say what you mean, and mean what you say.

Omnichannel, clienteling & “new retail”

We looked at how luxury and fashion blend physical and digital touchpoints: clienteling, personalization from data, and smoother paths from discovery to purchase. Virtual fashion was part of the conversation too (digital wearables, AR try-on, experiments in virtual spaces) as ways brands reach younger, global audiences.

Beauty & eyewear as industries

In beauty, we traced trends like skincare-first routines, hybrid makeup–skincare products, genderless lines, and clean beauty with clearer ingredient standards. In eyewear, we split sunglasses as fashion and self-expression from optical as a medical category, then talked through how tech (smart glasses, AR try-on, lenses) and big luxury groups keep reshaping the field.

Made in Italy & field learning

Outside the usual lecture format, we kept connecting theory to Italian industry in practice: how the footwear market is structured (from luxury down to economy, regions like Marche, Veneto, and Tuscany, and bigger trends like sustainability and customization), how luxury automotive shows up in concept cars and EVs and where sustainability actually bites in the life cycle, and ingredient branding (how names like Gore-Tex or Vibram add value up and down the chain).

We analyzed cases like Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale (flax, heritage, B-Corp style commitments), Francesco Maglia Milano (craft and supply chain as luxury), Lineapelle and leather innovation, and the ADI Design Museum as a window into how Italy tells its design story. Storytelling, materials, and place all kept showing up as the real glue behind brand meaning.

Travel & everyday learning

I traveled a lot, and not only for sightseeing. I wanted to see how a different region changes retail, service, and the way brands show up. Getting around in Italian (and sometimes not) got me more comfortable with not having every answer upfront. Random everyday stuff (shop windows, transit, hotels) turned into a low-key lab for how a place nudges behavior and mood.

Milan Design Week: Kerakoll

Milano Design Week is a lot, but Kerakoll caught my attention because it mixed public participation with real industry credibility. The setup worked for specialists (architects and designers who wanted depth) and for people who were just swept up in the week. That double read reinforced them as serious in the building space while still meeting casual visitors where they were.

A lot of it was tailored by audience. For experts, big walls showed materials, textures, and finishes, and staff could go deep on specs and applications with designers and architects. For everyone else, Kerakoll added lighter moments, including a friendly photo-op, so general Design Week crowds could engage too. Those smaller touchpoints extended the brand past the venue when people shared photos.

That accessibility shaped how the brand felt: open to anyone curious about building and design, not only glossy studios or trophy projects. When complex products were explained plainly, visitors felt informed instead of talked down to, which matters if someone walked in with almost no context. By the end of the week they read as more than a materials supplier: a company betting on innovation, education, and inspiration for both pros and the public, and on staying relevant beyond a single install.

Retail observation: Dolce & Gabbana

Visiting Dolce & Gabbana in Milan, including the boutiques at Via Montenapoleone 4 and Corso Venezia 7, showed how a luxury house turns “Dolce Vita” (that warm, sun-soaked Southern Italian feeling) into a retail idea you can walk into. Stores and product lines export that warmth and energy far outside Italy.

On Via Montenapoleone, green marble and hand-done detail felt almost like a set for Sicily: heritage, Mediterranean luxury, full immersion in the brand, not just a transaction. It felt less like “grab something off a rack” and more like being invited into an exclusive Italian dream, with emotion and place ahead of the receipt.

At Corso Venezia, the emphasis shifts toward home and decoration: furniture and interiors as extravagant and expressive as the fashion, with Carretto Siciliano and Blu Mediterraneo themes carrying Southern Italian aesthetics into living spaces. Clients can take the same “Dolce Vita” sensibility into their homes, which stretches the brand from apparel into a wider lifestyle proposition.

Stepping back, the story holds together: Dolce & Gabbana sells Southern Italian elegance and culture as much as any single product. Retail, fashion, and home stack so people buy into a world, not only a bag or a sofa. That full picture is a big part of what sets them apart in luxury.

Through my lens

While I was abroad I photographed Milan and other European stops: light, texture, street scenes. They’re a good reminder that context changes how you read almost anything. The full Europe set is in the gallery.

View Europe photography →