Cocktails, Lingerie, and Museums: The Best Milan Has to Offer

Better start brushing up on your Italian, because Milan fashion week starts today. Of course the shows and parties are the main attraction, but Milan is a city whose charms are hidden beneath the surface, so you need someone who can point you in the right direction. We asked for some travel advice from––who else?––the editor in chief of 
Condé Nast Traveler, Pilar Guzmán, who happens to be an expert on the Italian fashion capital. (Guzmán even created an Insider’s Guide to Milan that will be passed out during shows this year.) Here are some of her tips, tricks, and travel stories.

Where are your favorite places to eat, shop, visit, and stay in Milan? Why?

Stay: Four Seasons for the historic beauty of the hotel and the courtyard; The Armani Hotel for the bar area and the quick trip home after a few cocktails; The Bulgari for the outdoor space.

Eat: Carlo e Camilla for the raw drama of the industrial space; and Cantina Piemontese for a perfect Milanese.

Shop: Casa del Bianco for old-school linens. It’s one of those historic, only-found-in-Italy kind of shops that speaks to Italy’s national allegiance to quality and tradition.

Any tips for first-time travelers going to Milan during fashion week?

Book dinner reservations in advance!

Best-kept secret about Milan?

The numerous palazzi that have been turned into museums, like Casa-Museo Boschi Di Stefano and the incredible modern art collection. 

What’s in your suitcase when you travel to Milan?

A stacked heel that won’t slip through the cobblestone cracks!

Favorite item you’ve ever bought in Milan?

A cotton camisole that I bought 10 years ago (and that has never lost its shape) from one of those anonymous lingerie shops where every item is on display in the window. The quality of the undergarments and hosiery is unparalleled. 

Can you share a story about your first time traveling to Milan?

The summer after a semester in Florence, I spent a couple of weeks sleeping on my uncle’s ex-boyfriend’s couch, nursing a breakup. I would set out in the morning by foot, visiting museums, churches, and shops by day, and would return at night. The underrated beauty and vitality of the city was the best cure for heartbreak.

Can you tell us about the Insider’s Guide to Milan (the map) that you created for fashion week this year?

The impetus behind the maps came from real-life experience: You find yourself sometimes outside of the city center during shows with an hour to kill and no idea where to go. We polled our most discerning Milanese on where they eat, shop, drink, and detour during the busiest of weeks. The lesson is that you don’t need a day—in fact, sometimes it takes only 10 minutes—to experience something magical in a city. 

Share and Enjoy