OCCUPATION: Mother
MY STYLE IS: Very natural. I like the elegance of women of the ’40s, still classic but with a twist. My favorite designers are ’70s Yves Saint Laurent and Stephan Janson, who is also a very good friend. I try to create a look that gives me the impression of being in a particular place and context, like if I were in a space and time journey—for example creating an air of Morocco with Janson’s vivid colored kaftans or in winter wearing a busby and sheepskin coat and pretending to be in Anna Karenina’s Russia. Or the simplest, which is my kind of basic uniform: sailor t-shirt, blazer, and flared jeans.
I LOVE MILAN BECAUSE: You can easily go away on weekends, so you never loose the contact with nature.
Baretto al Baglioni
Deep wood walls and elegant English furnishings make Baretto feel like a 19th-century English boys’ club. The food is Mediterranean with an Italian twist; it features rich flavors, decadent tastes, and a strong scotch to finish. Order the artichoke and parmigiano salad or the shrimp curry with rice pilaf, but be prepared to enjoy it amongst a few tourists. The restaurant is located in the classic Carlton Hotel Baglioni.
La Latteria
This tiny Brera restaurant does simple, traditional Milanese fare better than any restaurant in the city, including rare risotto blends, duck salami, and butter-baked eggs. The space is incredibly small and doesn’t offer reservations, so come early or prepare to wait.
Cinema Anteo
This independent cinema shows the best of Italian film, from heavy-duty documentaries to indie rom-comeds to the best of Cannes and beyond. And it’s not just a theater—Cinema Antea has a restaurant, a bookshop, and exhibition spaces that often feature film-related courses.
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.
Rotonda della Besana
This beautiful 18th-century garden is built with a surrounding flower porch perfect for wandering on a lazy afternoon. The Baroque-style church in the center often hosts visual art exhibitions and cultural events, while the surrounding garden is open for picnics. Ghost chasers, take note: before the grassy knoll around the church was created, there was a cemetery that held almost 150,000 people.
Etro
The Italian fashion house is known for its simply cut dresses and great accessories, rendering it perfect for the modern woman on the go. But the brand isn’t just for us—the men’s suits are highly regarded for their conservative cut with hidden surprises of colorful patterns in the lining.
La Feltrinelli
La Feltrinelli the Barnes & Noble of Italy, with a huge selection of fiction, art, cooking, and children’s books, as well as music, movies, games, and even some basic electronics. La Feltrinelli International, in Piazza Cavour, stocks books and magazines in English, French, Spanish, and German.