OCCUPATION: Textile and fashion designer/creative development
MY STYLE: Sophisticated and casual—classic with an edge.
I LOVE MILAN BECAUSE: It’s not too big, and everything is easily accessible and very well connected by metros and buses. It’s close to the sea and mountains, and so easy to leave on weekends with kids.
Verger
This ultra-modern café and fashion boutique is a central hub for creative types in the city. Guests can often be seen typing away on their laptops. Browse first, if you like, then sit down for something light like salad with smoked salmon, burrata ravioli with tomatoes, and white tuna tartare with mango salad!
Navigli Lombardi Boat Tours
The narrow canals that form an intricate network through Milan are a testament to the city’s long industrial history. Wait for a lovely day and see the sites from a new vantage point—by boat!
Botanic Garden of Brera
The Botanic Garden of Brera—the work of Giuseppe Piermarni, who also designed La Scala—was originally used by the Jesuit order for studying and growing medicinal plants. Today, the ancient courtyard is home to one of the most beautiful, albeit smallest, display of flowers in the city.
Teatro alla Scala
One of the premier opera houses in the world, La Scala is home to a handful of other fine arts, including classical orchestra and ballet. The space itself is gorgeous, with deep balcony boxes, but it’s the talented singers, musicians, and dancers that keep you coming back. The ballet school connected to La Scala is one of the most respected in the world. Children as young as three can enroll.
Spazio Rossana Orlandi
This multilevel boutique in the Magenta neighborhood stocks new and vintage furniture in addition to clothing. If you work up an appetite browsing the rows of wares and trinkets, stop by Pane e Acqua next door for some delightful Piemontese fare. One of Milan’s best kept secrets, the restaurant is—perhaps not so coincidentally—decked out in gorgeous finds from Spazio Rossana Orlandi.
Parco Sempione
The Milanese love their parks, and Parco Sempione is one of the finest and most popular. The 116-acre expanse includes a playground, a library, formal gardens, and an unbeatable view of the Arco alla Pace. The paths—which wind around ponds and under bridges—are perfect for a weekend bike ride or leisurely walk.