Ciao, my fellow trendsetting Fashionistas/os! My name is Alyssa Lavik, and I am a Retailing major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Hello” is about all the Italian I know, other than spaghetti, of course (just kidding).
After studying abroad this past spring in Florence, Italy, I learned enough Italian to get by for five months; I also found my love for fashion flourishing as I studied at a small design school in the heart of the city. When my days weren’t spent learning about the flamboyant life of Vivienne Westwood and strolling through the Gucci Museum, I was developing trend books and screen-printing one of a kind designs. I was immersed in the fashion world 24/7 and hoped for the day I’d never have to leave. Everyone boasted about the lavish fashions in Paris and Milan, but I soon discovered that there was something special about Florence. People took it upon themselves to create their own style, using a few staple pieces and never dressed to under-impress. I found myself constantly admiring everyone’s outfits and appreciating the fashion around me. Instead of snapping photos of the gorgeous monuments like the rest of the tourists, I was drooling over the fashionable people walking right beside me, trying to figure out how I could pull that off myself.
I became fond of the minimalism I saw and often try to translate that through my wardrobe. Rocking a classic graphic T-shirt with a bold necklace, or adding a crazy hat to the classic skinny jean and V-neck combo is ever so prominent in my wardrobe. After adding a leather jacket or blazer, I’m able to make a comfy, on the go look something suitable for a night out or a dinner with friends. Incorporating jewelry takes any outfit up a notch and it feeds my addiction to gold rings and bold jewelry that I can’t seem to shake.
Unfortunately, my time in fashion paradise came to an end, but what I learned wandering the Florentine streets will never be forgotten. I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to get to do something I love and snap photos of all you trendsetters out there looking fabulous as always. We may not be in Paris or Milan, but that doesn’t mean we can’t rock it like we’re on the runway no matter where we’re headed.
