it isn’t as hard as it seems

Being young in Milan tends to make you feel like getting your dream job or meeting your favourite fashion designer could happen at any moment. Since I was nine years old, I knew I wanted to work in fashion. It all started with my love for acrylic painting, old Hollywood movies, and my sister’s hoop earrings. I combed through VOGUE magazines religiously and thought that maybe one day I would have the opportunity to be one of the lucky people creating the clothes, the advertisements, or directing the models. After creating an art portfolio of fashion-themed pieces in high school, it was decided. Fashion was to be part of my life and I would chase it. Even if it meant flying across the globe, trudging through the rainy back streets of Milan, and living in Gratosoglio, an Italian version of a communist building block.

My somewhat out-there notion that I would be able to sneak into Milan Fashion Week was fueled by my university frosh leader’s true story of sneaking into the Versace show in Milan two years earlier while studying at Bocconi University (considered the Harvard of Italy for those who don’t know). Therefore, I decided I was going to make it happen and bring a few semi-reluctant friends along the way.

During one of the wettest weeks of February in Milan, I ditched my e-commerce class at Bocconi (sorry Mom) and decided that a field trip to the fall/winter 2019 fashion week shows would probably educate me more than my two-hour lecture. I gathered a mixed group of friends and created the troupe. The troupe consisted of Zoe, my model friend from Simon Fraser Univeristy, Kamila, a Polish architectural student at Politecnico, Hélène, a Finance student from Paris, Caitlin, an exchange student from the U.S., and Cassidy, my genius friend from the Beedie School of Business.

TRICK #1 - DO YOUR RESEARCH

All fashion shows and locations can be found at Fashion Week Online and are open to the public.

Attempt 1

ROBERTO CAVALLI

TRick #2 - Dress well

I dressed up in my best coat, boots, and designer purse (vital to blending in) and headed to the Roberto Cavalli show. Now, this was going be a hard show to get into as there were many security guards and people carrying personalized invitations. You could see everyone from models to VOGUE editors. For example, André Leon Talley, Jhené Aiko, Lukas Sabbat were present as well as photographers, bloggers, and posers dressed to the nines hoping to get featured on an online blog or streetwear YouTube channel.

trick #3 - ask for invitation envelopes

Here was the good old trick I learned: with some well-practiced Italian you go up to someone friendly looking in line who is holding an invitation to the show. Most invitations are made up of two pieces – an envelope made of varying material and the invitation itself. Then, you oh so kindly ask for their envelope, and it is likely the friendly demeanor will fade and they will look at you incredulously say “good luck kid,” but they will still hand it over. With the oh-so sacred envelope in hand, you go in line and flash the security your envelope, give a fleeting glance as if to say “who me?” and in accordance with your fake-it-till-you-make-it confidence, they will let you in. Or so I’ve heard.

Six girls heading over to ask for invitations at the same time, we realized, would create a noticeable stir, so instead, we waited outside and watched the chaos of the fashion world swirl before us. After the show, I borrowed my friend Cassidy’s Cannon and took pictures of models being whisked away after the show by men on motorbikes and Luisa Via Roma buyers texting hastily on their iPhones.

Attempt 2

MISSONI

After the Cavalli show, the rest of the troupe, giving up on the idea of getting in anywhere, stopped at a bar for a cappuccino and headed into the labyrinths of the city. Instead, I kept on, and found the next show in the calendar – Missoni. The show was in the south of the city near Fondazione Prada. Cassidy, being a kind friend, came with me on my likely doomed attempt number two. Yet again, the security at this show was higher than expected and the best we could do was look at the bloggers posing for pictures outside.

Attempt 3

AIGNER

I decided I would head near MUDEC by the Off-White headquarters to a street full of shows listed in the calendar. While walking down the street, I noticed people walking into a white nondescript building and lining up. I decided that after dragging Cassidy to two shows already, I had to get us in. We walked into the building slightly smiling at the security guard who gave us a look of approval. In line, I saw that nobody held invitations in their hands, none were hanging from pockets, or peeking outside of the trendiest Céline purses.

TRICK #4 - A WHITE LIE and some confidence WON’T HURT ANYONE

At that moment, I decided that Cassidy and I would become distinguished fashion scholars studying in a very special program at Bocconi University, which to some extent was true. The part about being invited to the show – not so true. As I said, Bocconi, known as the Harvard of Italy can get you noticed and into doors simply by pulling out your student card or saying confidently in good Italian that “studio alla Bocconi.”

As we approached the friendly hostess peering over a touch screen, my impersonation of a savvy Italian Bocconi fashion student turned on and I spoke nonchalantly that we were invited the show (even though I had no idea what show it was – turned out to be Aigner the German fashion label). “Oh of course,” the hostess said, “you may sit in the second row in the reserved seats.”

Now, let me say, not all the seats were reserved, and not only were they reserved but they were in the Camera Nazionale della Moda’s section, who organizes Milan fashion week every year. Therefore, it was equivalently a position that very few could attain or so I thought.

Beside me, there were two young women, both blonde, hair wrapped in chignons, and with uncommonly cool and trendy leather jackets paired with dresses. Once the show began, I noticed them filming and taking pictures with a similar amount of enthusiasm that only other fellow deceivers could recognize. Perhaps they too… snuck in.

TRICK #5 - KEEP TRYING

After the show, we chatted with the two young women who were kind enough to take pictures of us. I found out that they too had snuck in with a similar story and that they were studying fashion design for the summer at a university nearby. They told me they had been sneaking into shows all week and even got into the coveted Moschino show. Some fashion shows, like the Moschino one, are very disorganized and if you persist with some confidence, you never know when you might get in.

The nine-year-old girl inside me felt like she made it.

How I Snuck into Milan Fashion Week