The day started with a metro ride to Starbucks in Milan. The façade is basically unchanged from the builds prior use as a post office. The front of the building has a relatively large outdoor courtyard and dining area. When you enter the Starbucks, the first thing you notice is how busy the store is. There is club music, even in the morning. To the left is a coffee bar. Next to that is a machine that roasts the coffee beans, transports them in pipes around the store, and packages the beans. There is an additional shop area in the front with mugs, shirts, home brewing kits, and other souvenirs. The right side of the store has another coffee bar with baked goods. In the back of the store is a bar for alcoholic drinks. Our visit took us around the store and ended with a coffee tasting. The coffee sample was different from American coffee, or even espresso, because it had a subtle sweetness. The store even had a small garden in the back. Although clearly not self-sufficient, it could theoretically remove the need for suppliers in its supply chain for coffee.
After Starbucks, we had a lot of free time. I chose to browse the souvenir stands near the Duomo and picked up a few gifts for my family. We also watched a street performer in the plaza by the Duomo who sang American music with a guitar and harmonica. For lunch, a large group of us travelled into a pizza place that hands you food before you even sit down. I wasn’t very hungry but still had a part of a margherita pizza. This pizza was different from others because it had more olive oil on top and was flimsier. This continues the trend of very thin crusts.
After lunch, we visited the Armani Museum. The simple background of black walls highlighted the elegance of the dress designs. The designs were layed our to create an experience, rather than chronologically. Armani is different from other designers because they never pay celebrities to wear their products. Instead, Armani relies on celebrities wanting to express the brand and its principles. Armani also values comfort over stule. For women, especially, Armani chooses fabrics that let you breathe and act naturally. Armani uses unique fabrics to create clothing that is very wearable. Armani chooses to wear a T-shirt at the end of fashion shows because he believes that it represents him better than a suit does. This idea is the perfect representation of Armani.
