Milan, Capital of Italian Fashion

Before the shop of the eclectic Elio Fiorucci opened in Galleria Passarella, catering to the tastes of characters such as Andy Warhol and before Giorgio Armani rose to mega-fame after dressing Richard Gere in American Gigolò, it was Rome and Florence who fought over top honours as the home of Italian fashion. But soon this title passed to Milan, where the synergy between fashion and the press made this city in Lombardy the point of reference for Italian fashion. The fateful year was 1967, when the city saw the first sign of what was to come - the shop of Elio Fiorucci, a pioneer capable, like no other, to pick up on the trends of illustrious characters but that’s not all. They were the years of Mila Schön, the Madam of style, who dressed Milan’s middle class women with her clothing that had become so dear to Jacqueline Kennedy. But it would take until the ‘70s and ‘80s for Milan to become the world capital of fashion. This occurred thanks to three great designers, known as the “3 Gs” - Giorgio Armani, Gianfranco Ferré and Gianni Versace, young Calabrian visionary who later went on to cement the concept of “top models”.