Milan Womens Fashion Week

See and be seen during fashion industry’s Greatest Show on Earth, in late February: How to dress, where to shop on a budget and what else to do while you’re in Milan.

In late February, everybody in the world of high fashion heads to Milan for Milano Moda Donna, Women’s Fashion Week. The cream of the international fashion houses send their top models onto the catwalks swathed in the designs that fashionistas can’t wait to see. Even in Paris, eyes turn to Milan.

The main scene is at the big Fiera di Milano, Milan’s trade fair center west of Parco Sempione, but even it can’t hold all the events – or people -- associated with these fashion shows. The major houses have their own show venues, some in custom-restyled and renovated warehouses.

Casual visitors without serious connections to the fashion industry can’t get into the shows, but they can bask in the buzz that charges everything in Milan that week. Top designers may be at a round of private parties, but the excitement spills over, filling Milan with a new electricity.

To be allowed into the bars, restaurants and clubs where the models and fashion crowd hang out after hours, you’ll need to dress the part, so head to Milan’s Quadrilatero della Moda (Fashion Quarter) for their latest, or make your plastic go farther at one of the many discount designer consignment shops. Once you’re dressed for success (which means getting past the bouncer, who doubles as fashion police), head for the trendiest clubs and bars, where the models and designers go after they’ve rolled up the runways for the night.

During the day, while everyone’s busy at Fiera, absorb a little culture on a walking tour of Milan, see Da Vinci’s The Last Supper or the Duomo and nearby churches. Or explore the museums at Castello Sforzesco to see works by Michelangelo and the French Impressionists.