With the recent unveiling of Prada's limited-edition costume jewelry collection, the Italian fashion and design worlds have been abuzz over costume jewelry. Anything that sparkles and shines awakens my lust, so I was happy to plunge myself into the history of costume jewelry to better understand this "new" trend.
Beatrice Magri reveals the shopping secrets that keep Italians looking effortlessly chic, without breaking the bank. You will need to be adventurous and ready to wander off the usual Milan-Florence-Rome route. But, along the way, you will discover sight-seeing gems, gourmet hot spots and much more.
The name "Hell's Kitchen" is famously attached to a neighbourhood in Manhattan (and to Gordon Ramsey's reality TV show), but it can also be found stitched on bags, stationary and jeans around Verona, Italy - and the rest of the world.
In December 2005, Italy's largest public spa, Terme Merano, reopened on a sprawling 56,300m2 property on the banks of the Passer river. Beatrice Magri visited Terme Merano for a day of pampering, and left enchanted by the work of Matteo Thun, the spa's interior designer.
The region around Brescia is well known for its wine. But two creative women in fashion, Chiara Pochetti and Vera Facchetti, have created a business out of another popular beverage: milk.
Brescia's Museo di Santa Giulia is hosting an exhibit dedicated to the work of Italian designer Roberto Capucci, one of the founding fathers of Italian haute couture. Beatrice Magri charts the lifelong achievements of Capucci, celebrated "researcher-artisan," and the first Italian couturier to link the worlds of art and fashion.
