Fashion has been a major part of my life ever since I was little. From always getting voted “Trendsetter” or “Most Fashionable”, I grew up with a unique sense of style and adapted it as I got older. Whether I was watching The Devil Wears Prada for the hundredth time, or out shopping with my friends, I always saw fashion as a big part of my future.

When I got to Italy in August, I never would’ve dreamed that I’d be attending Milan Fashion Week. In my mind events like that were reserved for the fashion elite, and I truly thought I had no place there. But, when my roommates and I realized that Fashion Week would be occurring while we were studying in Italy, we knew we had to go. We booked tickets to Milan and a hotel not too far from the city center, and decided to wing it.

Madison Meltzer Moda Donna

After arriving at our hotel in Milan, we got camera-ready and headed into the city center. We found a cool little art gallery with an exhibition specifically about Fashion Week and walked around there for awhile. After, we did a little research and decided which shows we wanted to try to get into. Our first stop, Versace. We watched as celebrities such as Coco Rocha, Miroslava Duma, and Nina Garcia entered the show. The music started, and the show began, it was all so exciting and I couldn’t believe we were really there. The street style of the celebrities and even the other bystanders like us were incredible.

Madison Meltzer Chiarra Ferragni

As we were leaving the show, we mingled with major bloggers like Italian blogger Chiara Ferragni (pictured above) and Christina Bazan. They complemented us on our outfits, even though we looked like peasants compared to their head-to-toe Versace attire, and they posed for pictures with us before heading down the street into the Four Seasons for the after party.

Madison Meltzer Roberto Cavalli

The next day, we started our day with Roberto Cavalli. The location for his show was a breathtaking monumental arch towering over his white tent. Again, we blended with famous bloggers and personalities. We even saw Heidi Klum on her way into the show. After the show ended, we headed back into town towards the Antonio Marras show.

We stood outside the show waiting for the invited attendees to file in. As the crowd started to die down, I walked up to the people working the show and told them I wanted to go inside. The guy looked at me for a second then told me to go ahead. I ran inside and watched as the models walked around the runway in Antonio Marras’ beautiful color blocked designs. Attending a Milan Fashion Week fashion show was one of the most unique and exciting experiences of my stay in Italy, and I can’t wait until I can do it again.

Madison Meltzer Antonio Marras

On our last day in Milan, we decided to take it easy and visit Corso Como 10 for lunch and some light shopping. Corso Como 10 was easily the most chic store I visited in Italy. We had brunch in the outdoor garden, and then ventured upstairs to the art gallery and bookstore.

Madison Meltzer Corso Como

The gallery housed a collection of photographs focused on the muse of mid-20th century haute couture designers, Bettina. I loved the modern feel of the gallery contrasting with the dated photographs. We browsed the bookstore, which housed the most amazing collection of coffee table books. If airlines had no weight limit on baggage, I would’ve bought them all.

Attending Milan Fashion Week SS/2015 was a big inspiration for me. It made me realize that my appreciation for art and fashion runs deeper than I ever knew. I have a fresh perspective on my professional goals and now I feel like I also have more incentive to achieve them. Until next time, fashion people!