Today was another great day in Milan.  We started the day with a lesson in fashion markets at the Cattolica University here in Milan.  It was very informative about the various business models of different fashion and luxury companies.  We discussed the different models and niches of luxury brands, designer brands, industrial fashion brands, and fast fashion brands.  It was interesting to compare the lower demand, higher status luxury brands like Gucci to other well known designer brands such as Giorgio Armani, and clear down to fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara.  We talked about the 2 year process it takes to release high end fashion items compared to the mere weeks that fast fashion has to work with.  We also discussed the importance of seasonal clothing and trends in regard to planning specific collections.  All-in-all, it was an eye-opening lecture that made me realize that there was a lot more to fashion than I realized.

After the lecture, we ate an on campus lunch with some of the university’s students and then met back up to tour the Leonardo Da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology.  It was an interesting tour that showcased many of Da Vinci’s most interesting designs, along with some other Italian and world history.  We saw boats, a submarine, planes, trains, and automobiles.  The museum also housed some interesting pieces in the field of space exploration.  They had some familiar American relics as well, especially in the space exhibit.  But my favorite part of the museum was definitely the Da Vinci showcases.  They included his original and replicated drawings and paintings, and my personal favorites: modern replicas of the designs he drew up in his notebooks.  They had miniature machines that could clean canals, dig post holes, pound gold into coins, and so much more.  This was definitely my favorite exhibit in the museum, but the entire experience was great.

After the museum tour, we were free for the night to explore Milan.  I took a trip to the Navigili area with a few group members where we ate and walked the canal.  It was very scenic, and I had the best pizza of my life.  Afterwards, we walked some more and had some gelato, another great experience.  We took the metro back to the hotel, and that was our night.  Tomorrow we head to Lake Como, so hopefully that is just as good as today was.