From pixels to palazzo. My first day in fashion school.
They say when you change your life, the universe conspires. But does it also conspire to throw you into a heatwave so intense, it makes even a California summer feel like a gentle breeze? Apparently, yes. Because today, my first official day at the Polimoda Fashion Institute in Florence, was a masterclass in contrasts – both elegant and resoundingly human.
It began, as all good stories should, in a palace. Villa Favard, the old campus, is not just a building; it's a, a grand dame of design. Commissioned by the baroness Fiorella Favard de l'Anglade very popular with the Florentine nobility. It is thought that she was the lover of Napoleon III! Walking through the gates for registration, I couldn't help but giggle, a girl who grew up battling Winnipeg blizzards now walking into an Italian place!
Around 60 people, from every corner of the globe, gathered in the amphitheatre style room for their respective short programs – Fashion Design, Business Management, Portfolio Creation, and, of course, Eyewear Design. We collected our credentials and then, the pièce de résistance: a visit to the library. The largest fashion library in Europe. Rows and rows of inspiration! It was like finding a secret, perfectly curated closet filled with every outfit you could ever imagine!
In the afternoon I took a bus ride to the new campus, where the MAC labs and much of the sewing machines and fashion labs are. And the heat. Oh, the heat. It wasn't just hot; it was a relentless, 100-degree Fahrenheit that was pretty punishing and suffocating. The bus ride home? Let's just say it was less "scenic Italian journey" and more "sweaty odyssey." walking under a merciless sun, me and my stylish first day fit’ melting faster than that gelato on the sidewalk.
Finally, the sweet, sweet relief of my AirBnb's AC and a well-deserved popsicle. A modern-day oasis. The rest of the afternoon was mandatory online safety training. Yes, even in the heart of Florentine fashion, the universal truth holds: bad animated computer-based training is, indeed, universal.
Because despite the heat, despite the bus woes, despite the digital drudgery, there was an undeniable thrill in it all. The palace, the global faces, the promise of the library, the anticipation of creating something tangible. It was messy, it was hot, but it was real. And sometimes, isn't that the most fashionable thing of all?
