Opera Chic

Happy Random Picture Post

It's a holiday weekend in the USA, so sip your coca cola slurpees, chug some bud lite, eat your ball park franks, make some s'mores, and enjoy these pictures from Vienna, Salzburg, Manhattan, and Milan while you stuff your faces with french fries & heinz ketchup cuz gawd help us poor uncivilized souls in Milan who don't have the luxury of Henry Heinz's 57 varieties.


(^^^^^^^^^^above: In Vienna on an advert kiosk, the Domingo & Netrebko & Villazón June 27 concert @ Schloss Schönbrunn. Villazon is really excited about it. It's homage to Karate Kid, like he's about to take down Daniel. Johnny, sweep the leg. DO U HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT??? NO MERCY, SENSEI!!)


(^^^^^^^^^^above: Passed by this display window like 100x times in Milan, and one day in the outside world I happened to look up to Renato Bruson toasting us to his 2001 catalog, 40 years of "Recitar Cantando". Cin cin, you silly man!)


(^^^^^^^^^^above: From April in NYC, the Los Angeles Walt Disney Concert Hall as a pop-up, part of an entire Frank Gehry pop-up book, found at the always excellent Rizzoli Bookstore on West 57th in Manhattan. I wish it came with a little pop-up Esa Pek, complete with a Kung-fu grip.)


(^^^^^^^^^^above: I <3 this Callas poster at the Ricordi in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II...a very vintage feel to it. )


(^^^^^^^^^^above: omg i was literally dying for like 20 minutes. JEWgenij Kissin. Whut?)


(^^^^^^^^^^above: DEMON DEMON DEMON! 666!!)


(^^^^^^^^^^above: In Vienna, Demel & their Figaro nougat yummies.)


(^^^^^^^^^^above: Demel offered the "Mozartbombe" along with their daily cake selection. that piece of cake better Mitridate itself over to my Idomeneo or I'll Zauberflote its Zaide.)


(^^^^^^^^^^above: Waaaaay faulty advertising...the Mozartbombe was NOT the bomb. Ew.)


(^^^^^^^^^^above: this was by far the most rawkinist d00d seen in Salzburg. I'm guessing he's into wolves? And denim. And yes, he was holding hands with a real live breathing living girl.)


(above: omg this is the secret of Tchaikovsky's innate coolness. He shares the same magic initials as Thomas Magnum.)

ok, i have to go do some things in the outside world. cya!

Lindsay Lohan Skanks Up Milan

The Milan fashion shows -- la moda -- are a pain in the a$$, because our regular lunch tables at our favorite restaurants are all booked up, taxis are impossible to find, and the amount of obnoxious skanks buying-out the small sizes in our coveted boutiques is doubled. Mostly you run into nobodies who have inflated senses of self-worth, but once in a while you'll see a ^~^celebrity^~^.

First we catch La Lindsay Lohan @ the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show, as a (quite baffled) special guest of the designers (in the photo above). But it's OK, because Domenico & Stefano inexplicably like her, and she's an affordable Muse -- less annoying than old Dolce & Gabbana icon Madonna (even if Lohan looks about Madge's age now she's less of a pain), and less expensive than Bellucci.

This afternoon, as *~*OC*~* was rushing to the gym in between le sfilate, she spots Lindasy Lohan and assorted clinger-ons in Via Dante, a store-lined street closed to traffic that runs from Castello Sforzesco towards Duomo (and vice versa). Which is odd because you'd think Linds would be on via della Spiga or via Sant' Andrea or via Montenapoleone trying to play the good graces of the couture headquarters, instead of the bleak (yes, but gorgeous) via Dante with middle-to-low-end stores like Petit Bateau, Max Mara, and Geox.

Lindsay -- who I wish I could say is a fragile little daisy -- plodded ungracefully along the cobblestone in her 7" platform boots, noticeably uninterested in anything, while [rumored long-time girlfriend] Samantha Ronson, in kicks, took everything in. They stopped in the middle of the road for a group portrait, gawked at a street vendor, and continued for Sforzesco.

Lindsay and her posse have been in Milan since last night for the Fall 2008 Ready-to-Wear Dolce & Gabbana show, which was a bright moment amid this year's drab and disappointing shows. Last time LiLo was here was two months ago to ring in the New Year, when she was photographed trapsing around Milan and Como, hooking-up with three Italian semi-celebrities in three days. Linds, keep yo' legs in those black leggings. Those Italian men are nothing but trouble...

Here are a few shots, and a movie below. Go to the Opera Chic Blog Flickr page for more high-res photos, and go to the Opera Chic YouTube page for a short video (or watch it embedded below).

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Here are some shots of Lindsay (by the paps) out and about on Thursday night. She went to Dolce & Gabbana's restaurant "Gold" [warning: loud music link] on via Carlo Poerio. Ugh. Gold lamé everywhare. So subtle. Gold flakes on my uova al tartufo?? I must be going insane. F**k the world. I'd better pay with my AmEx Black.

Yes. I Play The Piano. Why Do You Ask?

With yet another take on the piano keyboard scarf, here's Milan-based fashion designer Frankie Morello's version.

Weekend Show 'n Tell (Or, "Cleaning Out My Memory Card")

OC cleaned-up her weekend digicam's memory card earlier tonight, so you get to see all the fun stuff...

^^^^Here’s an orchestra-themed ad campaign put out by Ford for their new model, the Focus, capitalizing on the whole, “We've created the perfect instrument” angle. It's running in magazines and newspapers, in recent competiton with [warning: link has music] Fiat's new Lancia Musa ads, staring Carla Bruni. There’s also an on-air commercial that shows like 30 of the seated musicians playing an entire orchestra of car parts. Oh teh lame. Last time I tried to play the cello with a windshield wiper I had just drank three bottles of Nyquil and then screamed the cyrillic alphabet for 5 hours. Q(o_oQ) ok ok I know you're staring at the image below, so here goes:

^^^^This has nothing to do with music OR DOES IT?? (no it doesn't), but it almost made me p00p my pants when I saw it in yesterday's paper. The ad amazingly isn't for scorpion pest control poison, but for coffee. OC likes her coffee like she likes her men: Smuggled from Bolivia in a dirty burlap sack. Not in the form of poisonous, brain-scrambling scorpions that crawl into your nose and scrape your eye-sockets with their stingy tail appendages. Could you imagine sucking out the poison? Groce.

^^^^^Casa Ricordi, the famous Italian classical music publisher (and Italy's largest) is currently celebrating its 200 year. Since last weekend, and running until February 10, you can get your hands on a special 2-disc confection, available via Corriere della Sera @ the newsstands. The CD set, "Le più belle Arie di tutti i tempi" ("The most beautiful arias of all time"), has a track list of arias that shaped the musical history of Milan, boasting composers such as Bellini, Verdi, Rossini, and Puccini, and arias like, “Va’ pensiero”, “Casta diva”, and “Largo al factotum”. It’s 12.90€ only @ newsstands. No, you can’t have my extra 10 centesimi, newsstand attendant.

^^^^^Here’s an advertisement for La Scala's February 18th concert, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. Hmmmm, nothing funny about that.

^^^^^I <3 this image. In an attempt to reach out to younger, more hip audiences, La Scala RAISES DA MOTHERFATHER ROOF UP IN THIS BYOTCH!! ITS GONNA B TITE!!

Saldi!!!! Mi Avete Salvato!!

In Milan, the second and third weeks of January are coveted. No, not because some patron saint of the city was canonized in a morbid tale of bravery and courage, and not because a soccer championship has turned ordinary businessmen into chanting zombies – but rather because it’s seasonal sale time, when the previously-eyed winter offerings from Chanel, Prada, Miu-Miu, and Gucci are marked down to more affordable payments (as opposed to monthly rent checks).

OC, who's one of the luckyduckies (and ur not *:-p~~~*) who gets invites to some sample sales and, ahem, certain pre-sales (no we're not gonna tell you which ones), being a little bit of an addict was nevertheless among the throngs of tourists who pushed their way through the sales racks at Costume National, Prada, Etro, and Balenciaga (although their store on via Santo Spirito is always pretty vacant, the Milanese have a way of punishing some Frenchie brands), all offering the past winters styles at a remarkable 50% discount (usually it’s a paltry 20-30% at best).

One of the better haunts this saldi season was the brainchild of the very awesome Miss Carla Sozzani, who runs the boutique (cum bookstore cum art gallery cum café), 10 Corso Como, a must-visit destination on any trip to Milan -- heyll, a must-see destination on any trip to Italy. Boasting slashed prices on Ms. Sozzani’s Garage Sale (as I am fond to call it), Chloé and Prada bags were a steal at 700€, Manolo Blahniks beckoned at 300€ (although in Milan, at this point they are so undesired, you can’t even give them away), and Alexander McQueen’s silk screened tee-shirts were down to 150€.

OC couldn’t resist (I’m only human), and stocked-up on the basics… Comme des Garçons white t’s, Stephen Jones winter skullies, and a few Balenciaga knits to name a few. The best purchase from the winter sales? A kickin pair of Louboutins for that sweet, sweet reminder that one of the more satisfying trade-offs for suffering through periods and 24-hour labor pains is being able to feel that silky, light as air, delicate as a kiss, *yet firm* ensconce of Christian Louboutin’s creations hugging your ecstatic little feet. Check dem sh**ts out:

The <3 of Milano: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele & u = bf4e&e

These recent days, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the luxurious passage that connects the Duomo to La Scala, covered over since the 1870s by architect Mengoni in glass and iron (the first stone was laid on March 7, 1865), has been poppin. Clustered with luxury shops like Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton, (and frankly, very shameful cafes that will rapz0rs your wallet without blinking), the arcade passageway has always been one of the cultural hearts of the city, ever since Café Campari opened back in the day where Puccini and Boito would throw back whisky.

Right across from the centrally-located McDonalds (yeah, no Starbucks in Milan, or all of Italy for that matter, but we’ve got plenty of Ronald) and butting against the Vuitton boutique sits some very prime real-estate. Visitors to the Galleria (since even before it was covered in the 19th century) were greeted by Savini, one of the most famous restaurants in the city where the musically gifted likes of Puccini, Maria Callas, Toscanini, and Milan's most influential would dine at their regular tables, picking at plates of pate de foie gras, and legendary queues would form out front after every Scala opening to sate the hungry crowds.

Since its birth in 1867, Savini has been riddled with problems and closures, but it keeps bouncing back regardless of gutting kitchen fires and WWII bombing damage. Milan hasn’t seen its doors open since June 2004, when it was caught up in dirty meat scandals.   

But there has been a revival, and the gr8 lawd rejoiced. Valcuvia Virgilio Savini’s restaurant is slated to reopen Monday, January 21, 2008. It has been completely redone, with an informal restaurant on the ground floor, and a more formal setting on the first floor. The renovation boasts a new head chef (Christian Magri, who worked under Carlo Cracco, head chef of Milan’s prestigious Cracco Peck restaurant), new interiors, new menu, and a completely new space.

So I hope no one minds if OC starts cutting out of Scala performances early so that she can beat the lines to dinner ;-p

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Yesterday evening as OC was heading back home after a long day of retail therapy, she cut through Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II, and was greeted by the sound of a lone piano player, which cut lightly through the drilling and banging emitting from the Savini façade. In the center of the Galleria was erected a platform with a studio upright, an impromptu concerto in open air. OC stopped and threw some change at her and was like, "Here. Now get yourself a hot shower and a job, and stay offa the junk." just playin.

Il Concerto in Galleria is currently sponsored by entrepreneur Alessandro Rosso, owner of The Town House Galleria, the only 7-star hotel in Europe (certification and smarminess pending). All the suites have been named after Italian composers: Bellini, Rossini, Puccini, Donizetti, Vivaldi. The cheapest room is € 800 a night, and the rates go well into the € 2600 range. Included in the price? Rooms that overlook the Galleria, and a staff at your beck&call: they will find the impossible-to-find tickets to a Scala opening night, organize private tours of The Last Supper, get you tables to the most coveted restaurants in town, or seats at one of the closed-to-the-public fashion shows, all via your own personal butler.

Thanks to homeb0i Rosso for the free concerto, but next time we’ll take a comped room instead k tnx bi. 

Another Stop on the Milan Supertour: David Beckham's Package

(Above: Everything is bigger & better when clicked)

At the top of Corso Garibaldi awaits a panoramic treasure. With an ad campaign shot early November 2007 in Los Angeles by photo-duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, David Beckham proves his yumminess as the new face of Giorgio Armani's new line of underwear. Not to be outdone by wife Victoria's Spring 2008 Marc Jacobs ads (shot by Juergen Teller), Beckham signed with Armani for the Spring and Summer 2008 ad campaigns, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store...especially hearing that next month, Armani is slated to launch a David Beckham underwear line.

//The buzz behind this ad is that when it was unveiled two weeks ago, claims of jock-stuffing and digital pen1x enhancing instantly surfaced. His wife, Victoria, went on record to vouch for her husband's blessed manhood, saying, "He does have a huge one, though. He does. You can see it in the advert. It is all his. It is like a tractor exhaust pipe!"

She's all like look @ me i've had teh secks...ever heard of it, losers? i just thought i would let u virgin lamers know. but c'mon, if u saw that walking down the street on that huge a$$ billboard & ur all like o hai ooo shiii....im in the promised land! That wall behind the billboard is totally breaking out into a sweat from the Beckham awesomeness. u can't breathe. ur in heaven. thares n o air in here, son.

Stuffed package or not, Beckham is no fashion icon, although his website gets a bit congratulatory, writing:

"David is regarded as one of the most stylish men in the world. Whether wearing a sarong or a leather jacket he is never less than impeccably dressed. Together with wife Victoria, the Beckham’s lead the way in the fashion stakes."

vvvv We're not so sure about that, granted, below is vintage becks vvvv. Personally, we prefer him in a white bathrobe and those white Armani undawears, and we think you'll agree...

Gonna Write Me A Little Toscanini

Cruising down Corso Magenta, one of our favorite streets in downtown Milan, we always make a point to linger infront of the very elegant E. E. Ercolessi windows, a pen collector's wet dream [ed: not the window in the picture posted above, btw]. Even better are the free, well-designed merchandise catalogs they leave out front...in a city where almost nothing is offered gratis.

In addition to the windows of E. E. Ercolessi, many of the high-end pen-slingers are advertising the newest addition to Mont Blanc's Donation pens series: Following with the 1996 Leonard Bernstein, the 2000 Yehudi Menuhin, the 2001 Johann Bach, 2003's von Karajan and Solti, comes the 2007 Arturo Toscanini pen.

Available as a fountain pen (stilografica), which will set you back €490 ($710 USD) and ballpoint pen (penna a sfera) for a bargain €290 ($420 USD) -- both being priced reasonably within Mont Blanc's standards. The Toscanini pen boasts an 18k gold nib, a cap engraved with the Maestro's signature, and, "sculpted clip shaped like strings and string holder of a violoncello".

If the Toscanini pen doesn't get your nib wet, another musically-inspired pen on the market for Winter 2007 is the Montegrappa limited edition tribute to Antonio Stradivari. The body of pen has been crafted in Stradivari-inspired wood, and comes in a really nifty box [see below]. The series also boasts a 18k white gold nib, engraved with a violin and the Stradivari seal. Released will be 2,000 fountain pens @ €700 ($1,000 USD); 3,000 rollerball pens @ €530 ($770 USD); and 5,000 ballpoint pens @ €370 ($540 USD).

The last pentender for the 2007 Holiday season is Delta's limited editions of both Enrico Caruso and Giacomo Puccini tribute pens. Both pens rely on a (frankly annoying) numerology scene to lay out the series. Since Caruso was born in 1873, 873 fountain pens (with a lever) will be released, along with 1873 cartridge pens. In addition, a precious 48 fountain pens will be available with white gold or rose gold accents. Caruso will fetch €720 ($1,000 USD).

The Puccini pens will be distributed in the same fashion, with 1858 the reliant number, offering lever and cartridge pens in multiples of 858 and 1858. Puccini will fetch a top price of €590 ($850 USD). Ugh. This is beginning to sound like a freaking Eco novel.

yaes, i sign my checks with a $1,000 18k gold Caruso pen while i'm over here with my 5-figure salary, buying not 1 but THREE xbox games a week. im one of those 'upper crusts' that you've read about in teh newspaper and seen on the tv, what of it???

procofiev & shubert fo lyfe!

Popping in on la Feltrinelli, a music & bookstore chain in Milan, recently revealed some neighboring spelling mistakes. Take that, LA Virgin Megastore!

However, all is forgiven in the second floor classical music section...BEWARE: la Callas is watching you browse!

 

Milan Whirlwind in 48 Hours

The Independent runs 48 Hours in: Milan, and although Opera Chic wishes she could write something snarky...she's basically in agreement with their overview of the city.

Cavalli As Lagerfeld...Totally Meta

I know, I know, "meta" is one of those "it" words that gets murmured @ meetings and everybody kinda just pretends to get it because they don't want to look stupid in front of everybody else or the boss, so it ends up never really meaning anything at all. But this is totally meta: Above is Roberto Cavalli (and Eve) @ his joint Halloween bash with Giuseppe Cipriani at Cipriani's restaurant in Manhattan from Wednesday night. Cavalli took it upon himself to go in costume as fashion colleague Karl Lagerfeld -- hilarity ensued.

[...]the entrance of the night at Roberto Cavalli's Halloween Ball at Cipriani [...] belonged to the designer himself. Flanked by six models in feathered headdresses, he arrived on the scene dressed as his famous colleague Karl Lagerfeld. "At the last moment, I thought, 'What am I to do?' " said Cavalli. "I wanted to dress like somebody from my world and my planet. And who is the best? Karl Lagerfeld."

We <3 that silly little byotch. Here's Cavalli in his normal (well, botoxed, restylaned) face:

...and here was his 4 real Lagerfeld inspiration:

And again, below, is the Cavalli-Lagerfeld synthesis (with Petra Nemcova as Cleopatra).

It's like if Villazón threw a party and dressed up as Alagna.

Not Another Fashion Post

Since OC readers were so receptive to the Milan fashion that was offered in the last post, OC had found herself out-&-about this past month, with camera at the ready to snap more of the Milan street-style that makes this city so righteous. Righteously stylish.

Above: Stylist and customer at one of Milan's famous salons Coppola, where models and wannabe-models converge. And yeah, that cute stylist was smiling at me...so what of it?

Above: this is really casual, ubiquitous Milan street-style for the summer: ballet flats and capris...like the nyc equivalent of flip-flops, shorts, and a t-shirt.

Above: afghan throw as sweater-jacket, and an 80s, pink satin rollersk8ing jacket come together for one big hot mess.

Above: We like the mix of street (athletic kicks + sporty jeans) and elegance...and of course, the Vuitton Speedles bag makes almost anything look sweet (unless it's a grody knock-off).

Above: flood-warning!

Above: omg it's the year 1997 and the nokia brick phone is *da bomb*. He's so old-skool it hurts.

Above: we're a fan of every kind of trench.

Above: Prada gardening kit from Corso Como 10. Flipping insane. Like those who can splurge on this accessory would do something as bourgeois as their own gardening...

Above: Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? Lets hope that Paris bought something good at 10 Corso Como so she can discard those *denim hot-pant overalls* eeeewww.  (disclaimer: it's not really Paris or Britney, you lamers.)

Above: Tough love. We'll leave you with a "fashion-don't" for inspiration. Denim jodhpurs? With suspenders? And flip-flops? Yahoo Serious reincarnated as Huckleberry Finn. On crack.   

But Our Opera Tickets Will Beat Them All

According to Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Milan is steadily rising in the hawt chart of the word's most expensive cities, from no. 13 in 2006 to no. 11 now, beating to an inexpensive pulp those cheapos in NYC (slipping from 10 to 15 -- lamUrs!).

Here's the whole chart:

TABLE 2007 (2006)

1 (1)    Moscow
2 (5)    London
3 (2)    Seoul
4 (3)    Tokyo
5 (4)    Hong Kong
6 (8)    Copenhagen
7 (7)    Geneva
8 (6)    Osaka
9 (9)    Zurich
10 (10) Oslo
11 (13) Milan
12 (12) St Petersburg
13 (15) Paris
14 (17) Singapore
15 (10) New York

Masterpieces of Milanese Understatement, Part 287: The Greatness of Piccolo Teatro

One of the most relevant institutions in the Milanese cultural landscape -- besides fashion designers, furniture designers, magazine art directors with a Messianic flair, celebrity restaurateurs, TV skanks and their agents-slash-p1mps, billionaire soccer players and ageless socialites functionally-disfigured-by-plastic -surgery-so-bad-an-American -surgeon-would-get-his-a$$-sued -in-30-seconds, well besides all these cultural Titans, Milan also has  a very important institution: Piccolo Teatro (literally: small theatre), the late great Giorgio Strehler's baybay that still cranks out very cool things on a fairly regular basis.

Il Piccolo Teatro -- in Milanese-speak: "Il Piccolo", nobody here calls it il Piccolo Teatro, in the photo above you can see its older location a few steps from Castello Sforzesco, still in use, but now most of the good stuff happens at a larger, pig-ugly (and that's an insult to the pigs) apparently modern building in OC's neighborhood of Brera -- has introduced its 2007-2008 season today (English-language page not up to date as of the time of this writing): Luca Ronconi, very well known by opera lovers, will direct a new version of The Odissey, Odissea, and a new Fahrenheit 451.

Shakespearean goodness galore, thanks to the coproduction of Hamlet & The Tempest, Sam Mendes director. Among the superstar director roster, Peter Brook, Lev Dodin, Lluis Pasqual. There are some really interesting Italians -- Toni Servillo and secksay older man Franco Branciaroli -- and lots of plays by Carlo Goldoni, too, thanks to Arlecchino, La trilogia della villeggiatura, Il ventaglio and La famiglia dell’antiquario.

Milan and Her Bevy of Booty

Following in the footsteps of a successful Milan fashion post (another exciting one coming tomororw), OC thought she'd present to our readers another dimension of the cobbled streets.

You see, for the traveler, Milan is more than the Dan Brown painting, the Dan Brown church, smog, and bad plastic surgery. If you happen to find yourself in centro (in town center) this summer, OC's highlighted just a tiny smattering of her favorite stores, all extremely accessible (a few blocks away) from il duomo. Without mentioning the obvious (Peck, anything on via della Spiga/Via Montenapoleone/Corso & Galleria Vittorio Emanuele) here are a few of the underdogs that are frequented by the hardcore Milanese:

 

Giovanni Galli, Via Victor Hugo 2. They make the freshest, (and most $$$) marron glacé: candied chestnuts, oozing wtih sugary goodness that explode when you bite into their juicy, soft goodness. el oh el. Served with a side of edible, candied violets. omg. You can also find like every gourmet sweet and chocolate native to Italy littering the small shelves. In addition to boxes of marron glacé, bars of Dolfin Green Tea chocolate bars, OC always stuffs her suitcase to NYC with Bi. Biel canestrelli, ipod-sized chocolate wafers with a dark chocolate layer in between. But don't try to whip-out the AmEx, as it's cash only in this old-skool establishment. From the display window at Galli, see the image below of marron glacé:

(Below are the canestrelli Bi. Biel, specialita' di Biella)

The next place that OC likes to drop into is the awesome Rosticceria Leoni on Corso Venezia 7. Plopped between Diesel, Prada, and D&G in a tiny little slice of a store, this rosticceria is invaluable to Sunday lunches (don't even bother showing-up Sunday after 11am & take--out only). The entire back wall is a gigantic, beautiful open pit of fire, with dozens of whole chicken roasting over the flames. You go here, of course, for the fresh roasted chicken, but also for the taste bud-blowing roasted potatoes and vegetables (all sautéed  in loads of tasty, sweet butter). Also the hand-made potato chips in white waxed bags. Also the gnocchi alla romana. Also the panna cotta served in plastic cups. Holy crap, you've never tasted anything as good as Leoni's panna cotta. The caramel has been caramelized by the smoke from the pit, which infuses the entire dessert in a delicate, smoked flavor. 

Another place is Panarello, which is on the super-shady via Speronari (laden with homeless and scammers), but they make the freshest cannoncini: thumbsized flaky, sugary baked pastry tubes that come plain or with cream. Also the panarello loaf (with loads of dried fruit and nuts) is a good hold-over for in between panettone season. 

Then we have the irreplaceable cartoleria Pettinaroli next to Piazza San Fedele (entrance via C. Marino) for everything stationary. It's beyond elegant, with the same hushed interior of a library. OC goes here for cards, which rotate as the seasons turn (if you come here xmas time, you are in for a treat). But they always keep stocked antique Italian cards (see below), which are especially great for souvenirs, about 3 € each. Of course, for more selection there is the supurb  Carteria Tassotti, a chain of Italian stationary store that displays some of the sweetest cards ever (ours is in Corso Garibaldi, stocked with such beautiful things). There is also the insanely old-skool Pineider on Corso Europa, which is off tha hook.   

You can find beautiful sketched cards at Pettinaroli of Teatro alla Scala, found here below:

 

Another Teatro alla Scala card from Pettinaroli (omg whare r teh roads??!!):

Lastly, we love this little watch-shop because they do the work on-the-spot and only charge you for the parts (yah, in Milan unfortunately it's not like the NYC cobblers who replace your high-heel caps in 5 minutes for $5). And it's just soooo kewl! Set into the side of the huge Piazza Marconi facade (facing Duomo), it's Laboratorio Orologeria Duomo, right next to the new Super Duomo Mondadori. Sometimes Milan can be so bootleg it hurts. But we <3 it.

//btw, none of you tourist guides better try to steal my sh*t...ya heard?

///and per the usual, all images and photographs above are protected by copyright and intellectual property rights, which are controlled by Opera Chic. tia tia k bi

Milan: More Than Just Opera? YES INDEED!

Since it's an incredibly s l o o o o o o o w news day, I thought I'd post something a little different. If it's not your thang, just scroll past it...and OC promises an Opera-related post later today.

ok ok when you think of Milan and you think of like fashion, food, soccer, and music...and of course, <*~Opera Chic~*> (but not necessarily in that order of importance) am i rite?

So in my daily sojourns around the city, I'm assaulted by equal amounts of good/bad style, and was thinking recently that it would be kewl to share some of the offerings; of course, OC would <3 to share photos of her kickin, killer outfits with you, but to do so would compromise too many variables. Instead, while I was running around recently, I snapped a few shots of daily fashion typical of Milan style. So here it is:

(below):vvvvvvv The woman below is unlocking her bike in a Burberry trench, ballet flats, and perfectly-hemmed black pants. The tailoring is equisite. This is quintessential Milan style: elegant, understated, $$$, but well-made clothing that lasts forever (well...except for Burberry now that it has started production to China. a$$h*les)

(below):vvvvvvv I love this photo because of the miniature cola can he's holding. omg look at little the baby can omg how do you even drink from that? is there like a tiny little baby straw? This guy was making a funny face, thusly eviscerating his overall hawtness, but it still works.

(below):vvvvvvv There is so much I love about this woman I can't even start. So I won't. This lady is so Milan eclectic/elegance, I don't even care if those are knock-off Pradas...

(below):vvvvvvv This is what every. single. teenager. in Milan looks like. fo'reals.

(below):vvvvvvv red platform stiletto shoes...when the rest of Milan swaps stilettos for ballet flats the minute it gets above 15 degrees celcius, this woman was all like aw heyll naw.

those shoes belonged to this vvvvvvvv

(below):vvvvvvv black leggings, khaki shorts, and a hawaiian-print dress thrown over. This is such a mess that it actually works. Council of Elrond, tho'.

 

(below):vvvvvvv biano/nero.

Love it? Hate it? HSUT UP U KNOW U LUV IT!!!! 

Designer Heaven in Milan

 

The invitations have been collected (way too many), the agenda studied (too little hours in the day), and my white Prada flats have been fastened to my feet (too cute). Salone Internazionale del Mobile has flooded Milan with those quirky design types (think LA American real estate agents on crack and wrapped in hit & miss Italian labels). Cabs are impossible to find, everywhere you look in the city dwells open-air design displays and exhibition spaces, and there are dozens of cocktails to choose from every night. Unfortunately, tonight's festivities have been cut short, as our beloved i nerazzuri took their first loss of the entire season from Roma earlier at San Siro. But lucky for Opera Chic readers, now I’m able to blast y'all with an update.

La Triennale di Milano is hosting a massive exhibition space this year in recognition of Salone Internazionale, but only a few of the exhibits are worthwhile.

Super Normal (pictured above) is one of those, and has been curated by Jasper Morrison (British designer) and Naoto Fukasawa (Japanese product designer), and displays around 200 beautifully-crafted everyday objects (many can be found at Muji, which NYC'ers can purchase at the MOMA store). The objects were selected to illustrate a particular, pragmatic, yet slick design. 

Alos pretty killer was exhibition Connect Tsunagu, which celebrated Japanese living space. Most captivating was a machine that emitted tiny drops of intact water that traveled a vast highway of white tubing, and then spun around a giant white pan. It was entrancing and soothing, which I captured above.

The Zaha Hadid lecture was a total bust, as my architectural hero Hadid was sick, and was therefore stuck in bed far away from Milan. Some of the elucidated NYC crowd may remember her from last summer's kick-a$$ Guggenheim show, which took over the entire Frank Lloyd Wright building. Hadid however did make an ersatz appearance (albeit in form of a fax message). Super lame. Aperitivo afterward was more rewarding than the panel, which allowed for sugar + starch reserve before heading over to the Poltrona Frau event a few blocks away.

Sweaty, packed, and claustrophobic, and finding none of my acquaintances, the reception was kind of lame. After inspecting the new line, OC slunk away to gather her thoughts and meet friends amid the crowds at Radetzky on the way home. Tomorrow brings so much more…stay posted while opera takes a back seat to gorgeous design for a few hours.

The NY Times Pick of Milan Restaurants: Spot On?

Journalist Mimi Sheraton exposes some of OC's favorite restaurants in Milan in this Sunday New York Times piece, highlighting a few of the city's most precious eateries. Sheraton glowingly reviews Milan's Trattoria Della Pesa, Trattoria Milanese, and Bebel's with an almost fetishist's love of risotto milanese and cotoletta. The impressively mouth-watering Peck is also detailed...but how can you itemize Peck without mentioning Giovanni Galli?; those juicy marrons glacées oozing sweet sugar that becon ingenuously across the street?

Omitted were at least a dozen of OC favorites of excellent Milan offerings, including da Ilia, the immense da Giacomo (picture above), Fioraio Bianchi Caffè, the beyond-awesome Salumeria Laghetto, Al Girarrosto, and Rosticceria Leoni.

We can certainly vouch that her "knowledgeable friends" more or less knew what they were talking about (the warm zabaglione at both la Pesa and Trattoria Milanese is worth going to war over); save a few listings (Pasticceria Bastianello rilly rilly = teh suck). But damn, Mimi! You best get on the phone with Opera Chic next time you plan an excursion into the culinary delights of Milan. We’ll do ya right, honey...we'll do ya right.

Gangsta's Paradise: Milan's Fashion Shows

At last week Milan Fashion shows, an important cultural event, overlooked by most of the International press, has happened. And Opera Chic wants to share it with her readers: Opera Fan, Soccer World Champion, unabashed pacifist and generally bada$$ Marco Materazzi has been seated next to his American idol, washed-up rapper Coolio.

Zinedine Zidane was nowhere in sight, probably cowering in fear under a chair or something.

Report from Milan: Forget You, La Scala! ::Rope Burn::

Since Milan is more than just opera (let's not forget soccer, food & fashion), Opera Chic is pleased to share other cultural events that go down in the city of la madonnina from time to time.

This past week when Opera Chic left Milan, her zona was quickly replenished by hoards of fashionisti clamoring for spots at the Autumn/Winter 2007-2008 Milan fashion shows, as well as invading her favorite boutiques, bars, and restaurants. Usually predictable, the conclusion of the shows leaves us only with new information about palettes and trends.

However, this week was a bit different: Nobel literature laureate Italian Dario Fo promised something quite extraordinary for designer Gentucca Bini's first foray into Milan fashion house Romeo Gigli; and as of last night, the duo definitely succeeded.

Complaining that the fashions shows were conformist and boring, Fo invented a revolutionary presentation that concluded menswear week of the Autumn/Winter 2007-2008 Milan shows with a bang.

Last night, while Fo gave a playful lecture on Renaissance painter Andrea Mantegna's "The Triumphs of Caesar" (a series of nine tempera paintings from the end of the fifteenth century that depict soldiers carrying looted treasure, elephants, exotic animals, and Caesar on a triumphal chariot), male models worked the runway in beautiful and lush colors (the majority of designers this season revived the heavily-played black trend) taken directly from Mantegna's series of nine canvases, which hung at the venue as backdrops.

"They [the models] danced or ambled down the catwalk to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" in oversize shoes and short wellingtons, taking delight in the paintings and the informal atmosphere. Jackets were buttoned up awry, ties were plaits of tie-ends, scarves were wrapped nonchalantly several times round the neck, and hats -- every model had a hat -- were pull-on casuals reminiscent of favourite hand-me-down trilbies."

Pretty kewl aside from that whole "Four Seasons" crap. Those violin concerti are so played, I'm surprised that Wu Tang hasn't remixed them with rhymes about chessboxing.