White Sposa Milano Wedding Week

        Unfortunately, this morning we tried to find the location of the White Sposa event and couldn’t find it but the morning actually turned out to be a very fortunate one. We were right by Via Spiga, a very well known private street with restricted driving and full of designer’s top door stores. There is another street similar to this one in Milan but via Spiga is one of a kind. The visuals of each store were expressive and not bland like most American stores are. 

Via Spiga 

  

  They all expressed the collection through a story by using props, it was like a picture book. The stores are all in old buildings, the street is quaint and never over congested with shoppers or locals; it’s an ideal shopping environment. If I bought anything from Via Spiga I would not just like the item but the value will increase because I will purchase some of the experience and the atmosphere. 

             

Courtyard by the entrance 

 A wedding is an event that has been told through fairy tales, parents, family and sharing our ideal wedding with friends.  The brides dress holds precedence when planning a wedding. Its meaning and tradition has never been tainted or diluted.  White Sposa hosts Milano Wedding Week every year with extremely talented designers that transform the belief of a boring white dress into a romantic gown for their 2012 collections.

White Sposa was located in a historical building by Buenos Aires. The entrance had displays of each designers dress with lively mannequins. Just the entrance looked like a fairy tale and the rest of the building made each gown even more beautiful. As we walked up the marble staircase we passed the White Sposa magazine area and first saw an area for tuxedos. It was just like Pitti but quieter, serene and romantic. We passed a small area for tuxedos, that were crafted very lightly. I am glad that I saw a tuxedo company there because just like stores, they must max a merchandise mix that coincides with every department, the tuxedo must coincide with the dress.

            Within the first room by Roseanna Perrone , we were able to understand the feel of quality and inspirations. For example; I asked the designer that I noticed each gown was named after a city and if there was a particular reason why. She responded stating that each season she names her dresses after  a category and this years theme is beautiful cities. Each dress had a hint of green to show detail but the designer said it didn’t need to be green or worn in green for the bride.Villais is a Spanish designer who had a very traditional look  and explained that when the bride buyer purchases the dresses, she receives a picture of it to show to her clients for reference. Fio Couture by Fiorella Dell’aqua was a very lively room with very bright non-traditional colors, designs and patterns. There were flowers on the dresses and some short wedding dresses scattered throughout the room. We were able to have some models show us how the dress fit, falls and the movement of the dress. 

By far my favorite designer was Regina Stabilini by art director Angelo Mozzillo. He generously went into detail of inspiration, production and left us with great advice. His 2012 collection was called sculpture due to his focus on his interpretation of flower architecture. One of his dresses was call Garden Party and Full Moon. The back of the dress was full of flowers and layers like a garden and the front was simple with clean details like a full moon.  Some dresses were full with great floral designs as others were elegant with rhinestones, cut out backs etc. He left us with very useful advice that we should all work alone but together because it takes a lot of people to make one persons dreams and visions to come true.

Set up on a window sill 

            The last room was Andrea Couture, a family owned company. Simona, the Chief editor of White Sposa walked us in each room and explained to us some details about weddings and wedding companies in Italy. Just like Andrea Couture, the companies are not big like corporations in the United States therefore they tend to be managed by the family. It is at times difficult because they may not have the budget or resources to get the connections or marketing that they need. Their 2012 collection was shown in purple and of course white with many different silhouettes and modern design details.

             Lastly, we visited Antonio Maria Arbues a company that makes the traditional candy served at weddings called Confetti. They are almonds wrapped in sugar that are given to the guest for party favors.  The traditional started back in the Roman times when they had a special occasion, they would give almonds and honey to their guests.  They try to keep the tradition but stay up to do date with modern times. They have shown so by creating modern packaging, creating new flavors and being the first in Italy to print design or name on the Confetti.

White Sposa Table

             

            The dresses sparked a flame in me and made me feel like I was floating in the sky. I am years away from getting married but I now understand the difference between a mass merchandise dress to a very special and handcrafted dress.

On June 19th