12 - Ready to Wear

After Sofia and her mother returned from Florence, the promise made by Signora Angelino to venture to Milan seemed like a distant memory. In fact, Sofia had all but forgotten about it until the first week of school, when her history teacher mentioned Milan during his lecture on the Lombardy family’s reign over Italy almost fifteen centuries earlier.

“Although the Lombards came to power, their reign was never complete. They faced invasions from every front – whether it was the migrating Germanic tribes from the north or the Austrians and Franks from east and west. During the Holy Roman Empire, Charlemagne invaded, replacing the Lombard royalty with Kings and Dukes of his own.”

Sofia went home later that afternoon. Her mother and father were both home, enjoying chocolate-almond biscotti with a cup of coffee. Sofia joined them, opting for cold chocolate milk instead of coffee.

“Mama, do you think we will go to Milan soon?”

“I suppose we could. What made you think of that?”

“Signore Bolognone was talking about the Lombardys during history class today. Are we related to them?”

“As Vittorio Guiseppe says…”

“It’s all related…” everyone said in unison.

By the end of September, it was fashion season in Milan. That was a perfect excuse for a vacation. Everyone’s bags were packed and the Angelinos were on their way to Milan.

They went to the Leonardo da Vinci airport in the center of Rome and boarded an Alitalia flight to Milan. As Sofia buckled herself into her aisle seat, the pilot made an announcement.

“On behalf of myself and the crew, I’d like to thank you for choosing Alitalia, flying ‘Made in Italy’.”

It was a short three-hour trip to Uncle Vince’s house in Milan. It was where both Vinces, ‘little and big’, lived. Even thought Sofia was excited to see her grandfather, she still managed to sleep until the plane arrived in the airspace over the city.

“That’s Milan?”

Her mother nodded as Sofia peered out her window. A patchwork of fields and farmland, colored yellow and green, passed by below. They gave way to the outskirts of Milan, which was dotted with small homes. Soon, that too gave way to the metropolis. Old gothic cathedrals mixed with multiple-story palaces and modern skyscrapers. It was not much unlike Naples or Syracuse, other than the surrounding geography.

Uncle Vincenzo and Grandpa greeted them at the airport and took them home. The sun was shining brightly and conversation was light and breezy – mostly catching up with each other’s lives. This is where Signora Angelino grew up, back in the days when she was known as Signorina Francesca Lombardo – Miss Fran Lombardo.

Milan was located in the region long known as Lombardy. To be in Lombardy, thought Sofia, was like being home.

“Grandpa?” said Sofia, “

“There are still Lombadys today – some are named Lombardy. Some are named Lombard. Some are named Lombardo, just like us…”

“How come there are so many names if we’re all from the same relatives?”

“Back then, when families quarreled, they often changed their names.”

“I would never want to give up my name,” said Sofia.

“You’ll have to one day,” her mother reminded her.

“I’m going to be an Angelino forever.”

“I once thought I’d always be a Lombardo, but nothing lasts forever, dear. The Lombard kings were in a prime European location, but still close to Rome and the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, they were also close to Paris and Charlemagne, the King of the Franks. 

So that was it – the Lombards were expelled from the throne by a foreign king. Except for the Pope in Rome, all of Italy came to be ruled by all of its neighbors. The Republics, which had been its strength for half a millennium, were now its weakness.”

“What do you mean by ‘its weakness’?”

“Even thought the Republics of Italy were strong, they were much smaller and weaker than the old Empire.”

“Italy was tired,” said Grandpa Vincenzo, “they remembered the glory of Ancient Rome, but the Franks and Germans and Austrians were all having wars on Italian soil. Famous Italian Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a book called The Prince. He explained the evils of Kings and Dukes. Other writers used Machiavelli’s ideas to detail their own dreams of a Unified Italy.”

“But Machiavelli believed in rule by any means necessary,” said Frannie.

“I know, and that’s exactly what three men, Giuseppe Garibaldi, The Count Cavour, and Giuseppe Mazzini, ended up doing.”

“How can you say that? They were all the founders of United Italy.”

“Mazzini, Garibaldi, and Cavour all had different dreams of a Unified Italy. Eventually, they took their own personal land victories and gave them to King Victor Emmanuel of Piedmont. He unified Italy, making it a Kingdom. Mazzini, who believed in the Republic, was unhappy with the Unified Kingdom of Italy. Still, it was unified and he was one of the men responsible.”

The houses of central Milan huddled together like a pack of kittens – each one distinct, but still part of a tribe. When they arrived at Uncle Vincenzo’s house, it was much the same. A pack of relatives, from Grandma Loretta to the two youngest, twins Gio and Giulia, Uncle Vincenzo’s whole clan was there – greeting them with open arms.

Little Vinnie’s house was large by Milan standards. There were four bedrooms. Each one was filled with two occupants except one. That was Giulia’s loft in the attic.

“Venga! Venga!” Giulia commanded Sofia, so Sofia went with Giulia to her bedroom. It was cramped, but big enough for two small girls. Besides, Sofia liked the unique sloped ceiling that was also the house’s roof.

Giulia went to the window and called Sofia again.

A tall gothic cathedral punctuated Milan’s otherwise flat horizon line.

“Is that the Duomo?” asked Sofia.

Giulia nodded.

“Where’s the dome?”

“There isn’t one.”

Sofia thought it strange that the Milan Cathedral didn’t have a dome like the ones in Naples, Florence, and Rome. Then again, it was an old Gothic Cathedral – built in a time when spires and steeples were the fashion.

“We must go!”

Sofia rushed downstairs again. The rest of the family was settling in before dinner. Sofia barged into the living room with her demands.

“Mama! Papa! Could we go to the Duomo?”

“I’ve got to go to the quadrilatero anyway, so I’m sure we could stop there, too.”

Sofia spent the night focused on the trip to Milan’s shopping district. All of Italy’s world famous designers, including Bulgari, Cavalli, Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Moschino, Prada, Versace, and Vendi had shops on the famous promenade.

Milan was also home to two Fashion Weeks – one for Spring and Summer and another for Fall and Winter. It was the last week of September, which meant Signora Angelino was there for the Fall and Winter collections.

Early the next morning, the house was abuzz with activity as Aunt Josefina prepared breakfast. As Sofia entered the kitchen, Josefina pulled the baking pan from the oven. Small sweet rolls filled the pan.

“Brioche?” asked Sofia.

Aunt Josefina nodded.

Signora Angelino was there, too, making espresso and warming milk for hot chocolate. Like Sofia, Josefina’s children preferred hot chocolate to coffee any day of the week.

Everyone rushed through breakfast. Afterwards, Aunt Josefina led the charge. They would not be going by car, but by trolley-bus. The trolley bus glided through the automobile-free pedestrian avenues. Sofia looked this way and that.

“Papa? Do you think we could go to the Duomo?”

“Your mother will be at the fashion show all day long. I suppose she wouldn’t mind if we took a little side trip.”

When they arrived at the quadrilatero, everyone disembarked. The promenade had two large rectangular buildings on each side. They were blocky and plain. Magnificent and fancy clothing filled the large picture windows of every store on the avenue. Even more appealing to Sofia were the people walking along the promenade. They wore designer clothes. Many of them looked like fashion models. They could easily fill the windows just like the fancy mannequins.

Signora Angelino was headed to the show. Although it was an international event, she only had a pair of VIP passes inside. She’d take Aunt Josefina along. Meanwhile, Signore Angelino, Uncle Vince, and Grandpa would take the children to the Duomo.

They returned to the trolley stop and rode a short way across down to the Duomo. It loomed over the city like the old town guard. The towering spires decorated every pillar of the cathedral.

“Where is the dome?” asked Sofia.

“There isn’t one,” said her grandfather.

“But it’s the Duomo.”

“Duomo is just a name for all of the Italian cathedrals. Since Milan is so close to Germany and France, the church leaders decided it would be best if they built it more like the Gothic Churches of the northern countries.”

People ambled aimlessly about the Piazza. Occasionally, bicyclists drifted along the cobblestone promenade.

Meanwhile, Frannie and Josefina were at the edge of the catwalk, watching prêt-à-porter – the ready-to-wear collection for the colder months.

Models journeyed back and forth along the sidewalk as they paraded the fall designs on the catwalk. Meanwhile, designers and fashion buyers both stood nearby, watching every move.

Each designer had his or her own set of models. While one designer’s clothes were being displayed, another designer was working feverishly backstage with his models.

Clothes were pinned carefully into place for each model, while a hair stylist, make-up artist, and personal fitter all attended to each model.

These were the dresses and suits that would be on the clothes racks of every young girl around the world. Just because they were ready-to-wear, it didn’t mean the models could look anything less than perfect. These dresses would be selected by people like Signora Angelino to place on clothes racks in stores around the world. If the designers and their teams of stylists didn’t impress the fashion buyers, their clothes would never be worn. This was the fashion world’s most important event.

After Sofia and Giulia and the rest of the family finished their tour of the Cathedral, they returned to the quadrilatero.

“I wonder what mom is doing,” said Sofia.

“She should be just about finished,” said her father.

Signore Angelino found a gelaterie and led his troops inside. The air conditioning was going full blast as the workers took orders and scooped gelato into bowls or cones.

“It’s on me!” announced Grandpa Vincenzo.

Everyone ordered gelato and began eating inside the gelaterie. Unfortunately, it was so crowded, there wan’t a place to sit. Everyone headed outside.

The evening sun was still hot. Sofia’s mocha chip cone began to melt. She licked as fast as she could, but could not keep up with the sun or the cone. Big chocolate spots spattered on her shorts and shirt.

“Ohhh!”

It was just about that time her aunt and mother returned from a busy day of professional shopping.

“You look a mess!” said Sofia’s mother.

“It was an accent.”

Luckily, Signora Angelino had fresh sets of clothes and swatches of fabric. After Sofia finished her cone, her mother led her to the bathroom. She picked out one of the more plain dresses. She even had needle and fabric to make quick alterations, just like the designers back stage at the ready-to-wear fashion show.

“There,” said Signora Angelino as she draped the blouse over Sofia’s shoulders.

“I feel weird.”

“Nonsense,” said her mother, “it’s fashion week. Why not look like a fashionista?”

So Sofia was all dressed up with no place to go. It was okay, because they were headed back to the Lombaro’s house. Both Gio and Giulia admired their cousin’s new outfit.

“It’s only temporary,” said Sofia’s mother, “I have to get this back to our designers in Rome.”

Still, Sofia did feel like a fashionista, even if it was only for the short trip home. As soon as she got inside, her mother ordered her out of the designer wear. Sofia changed back into regular clothes and everyting was back to normal.

“Are we going home now?”

“Heavens no! This lasts all week.”

“Good.”

Of all of her cousins, Sofia liked Gio and Giulia the best. Now, she’d have ample time to spend with them.

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