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Milan, Capital of Culture

Recent developments in Milan have given the city a newfound cultural confidence, observes Imran Amed.
Robert Gober installation at Fondazione Prada | Photo: BoF
By
  • Imran Amed

MILAN, Italy — Traditionally, Milan has had a rough time of it amongst some of the fashion cognoscenti, who deem it less sophisticated than Paris, less energetic than New York and less creative than London.

Indeed, for years, fashion insiders have repeated the same lament when speaking of Milan Fashion Week: "We have to go because of the big advertisers... otherwise we might skip it!" What’s more, Milan lacks the deep sense of history and culture that defines Italy's other fashion cities, Rome and Florence.

But now, with the 2015 World Expo taking place here; the exciting new creative direction being taken at Gucci; a new president at the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana; and the opening of the Rem Koolhaas designed Fondazione Prada, Milan is stepping up and reasserting itself on the global fashion stage. One insider said to me that the mood is more positive now than it has been in years.

Mrs Prada's glimmering new Fondazione, located in a bleak industrial area that heretofore has not heard the pitter-patter of fashion steps, is now the number one cultural draw of the city. The stunning exhibition space attracts everyone from contemporary art experts, tourists, attendees of the World Expo and, recently, even the United States’ first daughters — Sasha and Malia Obama.

In the programme for the Fondazione’s current exhibition, Prada writes: "Our main interest is ideas, and the way in which mankind has transformed ideas into specific disciplines and cultural products: literature, cinema, music, philosophy, art and science. With the new venue, the Fondazione's range of knowledge will be expanded. Each field will be afforded its autonomy but have the same overall aim. They will co-exist with one another, leading to unpredictable resonances and cultural intersections."

This kind of modern of thinking can only be good for Milan and its global position. No wonder everyone here is feeling so upbeat.

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The Truth Behind Macau's Luxury Market
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Is Natural Beauty Only Skin Deep?
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Nathalie Trad's Geometric Signature
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Imran Amed, Founder and Editor-in-Chief

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