Today was a day I don’t think I’ll ever forget. We visited Como, a lake town about an hour north of Milan, and took a tour of Mantero, a luxury textile company. I loved our first company visit, because it finally cultivated what we’ve been learning about fashion supply chains and displayed the information in a tangible way through a real-life experience. We toured the company archives, workspace, and production sites. My favorite part of the tour was seeing how the textiles themselves were produced, and we were informed that there are two separate processes on how colored silk designs are fashioned, as they each come with their own pros and cons. As an engineer, I really enjoyed seeing differences between Italian production methods and American manufacturers. Unfortunately, since the company is working on designs not yet released to customers, no photos were allowed at the main site. But, afterwards, we visited their store, and I captured a picture of some silk scarves (below).

After Mantero, it was time to tour Como. We had a group lunch at Numeronove (again, their lactose free meal option was fantastic), and took time to explore this quaint and charming town. Como is lined with cobblestone streets and ancient houses, which made the town feel like the quintessential Italian experience. There was a particular alleyway covered in vine arches that my friends and I fell in love with (see featured photo). Como even has a French-inspired duomo, which is decorated intricately with rich colors and jeweled fixtures (below).

However, my favorite part of Como was undoubtedly the boat tour we took. It was one of the most breathtaking views of my life, and even though it rained the entire time, the air smelled of fresh dew to enrich the amazing experience. Then, we headed back to the hotel, ate dinner, and relaxed for the night. I will miss you, Como. Onto our next visit: Starbucks!