This week we would like to be your guide to the store as if it were another stop on a sight-seeing trip through the charming streets of the historic centre of Padua.

As you admire the last remaining house from the Byzantine era to be found in the city, inside you will see our lighted entryway and an unusual art installation that is currently on display in our shop window. It is a GiroGiò table created by Gianni Mannocci and Caterina Perrone of Florence, whose Racconti d’arte (Art Stories) are on display at the Daniele Art Gallery in Piazzetta San Nicolò until 12 November.

As your eyes move along the display windows and the unusual objects on display capture your attention,

you may be enticed to enter IVO MILAN…

And here, once again, though unable to follow your gaze over every single item, our dear assistant Sari will be happy to be your guide to our weekly selection of clothing styles…

Junya Watanabe biker style jacket in wool blend houndstooth with black ribbed knit wool inserts and curved cuts with folds, stand-up collar, exposed zip fastening, elastic seams ribbed panels at side, long ergonomic sleeves with zipped cuffs, cupro lining

Y’s Yohji Yamamoto work style pants in wrinkled wool gabardine, wide leg, drop crotch, waistband with belt loops and inner drawstring , zip and button fastening, slanted patch pockets and silk welt pockets, adjustable buckle strap at rear

Trippen black lace up shoes in vegetable-tanned calf leather treated with wax finish, wood wedge with para rubber sole

Second outfit:

Rick Owens milk wool knit cropped pullover with white angora intarsia knit pattern at the outerside of each sleeve, semi fitted shape, v neck, extra long sleeves, high ribbed hem band

Rick Owens petrol grey viscose and wool crepe cropped pants, tapered leg, high waist, waistband with belt loops, button fastening, drop crotch, side pockets, welt pockets with button at the back

Trippen brown espresso wedge ankle boot in soft, vegetable-tanned, aniline-dyed calf leather with suede surface and a brushed used look, slightly curved top edge, rear shorter, back zip fastening, rubber segmented sole

Third outfit:

Issey Miyake double face jacket, grey on one side and bold tartan on the other, in polyester, wool and angora, wide notched lapel collar, double breast side button fastening, welt pockets, long sleeves, cape like shoulder and double vents at the back, row cut edges

Y’s Yohji Yamamoto cargo style pants in cotton and flax, garment treated, wide leg, drop crotch, drawstring waistband , zip and button fastening, slit pockets and one flap patch pocket at left, flap pockets at rear, tab and buttons adjustable hem width

Trippen shark grey lace up boot in vegetable-tanned calf leather treated with wax finish, whole shaft detail, curved top edge, lower at rear, rubber sole

Fourth outfit:

and with coat

32 Paradis-Sprung Frères coat in fine double face wool with dark navy front and charcoal back, dark navy shearling stand up collar, loose shape slightly tapered to the hem, slanted pocket with exposed zip, drop shoulder, one hook closure at waist, knee length

Y’s Yohji Yamamoto chunky pullover in soft marled wool blend, oversize fit, high neck with side zip, dropped shoulder, wide armhole and slightly tight sleeves with ribbed cuffs, snaps placket at right side, ribbed hem

Y’s Yohji Yamamoto work style pants in wrinkled wool gabardine, wide leg, drop crotch, waistband with belt loops and inner drawstring , zip and button fastening, slanted patch pockets and silk welt pockets, adjustable buckle strap at rear

Trippen black lace up shoes in vegetable-tanned calf leather treated with wax finish, wood wedge with para rubber sole

After many years working in stores, it still happens that someone stops by with a bewildered expression and asks the same fateful question:

So, what’s in style this year?

A professional, objective response could be to give a broad overview of the season’s trends…like:

stylists say no to the crisis, calling on women to courageously assert their femininity without renouncing the pleasures of luxury, as can be seen in the opulent sequin-covered jackets or leather pants hanging here…

or, the opposite:

the crisis is forcing women to be more modest, serious, and attentive to small everyday things, so here’s a multi-use jacket and top, with a touch of femininity in the key details, like staggeringly high heels and strictly above-the-knee lengths.

But, “we are what we eat”; and the only possible response from a space which feeds on research and clothing that effectively satisfies an independent-minded aesthetic is the following:

You know, I don’t know! I could tell them about this winter’s flights of fantasy and inspirations by Rei Kawakubo-Comme des Garçons;

or about the cuts created by Yohji Yamamoto‘s sartorial musings;

or about Issey Miyake‘s textile experiments;

or if they prefer, I could help them discover the reversibility of every article of clothing by Daniela Gregis.

Otherwise, I could show them the extraordinary cashmere colours made possible by a recent innovation in knitting technology…

…you are right, I am getting off track, but I feel underprepared to describe the trends for autumn-winter 2013-2014, I’m so sorry…

The incredibly hectic days of the fashion week in Milan and Paris have come to an end.

So, there is no better time than now to share our wanderings with you: catwalks, showrooms, people, encounters, new spaces and proposals. It is a fast-paced, exciting, frenzied and extremely brief moment that is crucial for the coming winter-season selection. We think it is one of the most exciting moments of the year, when everything is reset and people start looking towards the future. The most extravagant ideas are processed together with the astonishment at the more marginal and convincing ones.

And here, is our summary!

…from Rick Owens…

..from Issey Miyake

…with live soundtrackt by Open Reel Ensemble

…and with our friends: Bernardelli, Mantova, Après Paris, Treviso and Issey Miyake staff

…discovering the Lotocoho Spanish jewels

…from Yohji Yamamoto

…from Junya Watanabe

…and from very narrow location for the Comme des Garçons exhibition

and now, showrooms!…From Katrien Van Hecke

…from Trippen

…from Forme d’Expression

…from Issey Miyake showroom

…from Zucca, with Daniela

…from Daniela Gregis

…from Comme des Garçons and Junya Watanabe showrooms

and then, our dear friend Giampiero by Tessabit, Como, and souvenirs from Paris!

To all of our wonderful friends, colleagues, and our dear suppliers: all of you brighten our days and it is a shame to have to leave anyone out of this report! We would like to point out that, as we are not a professional photography service, our selection is based on very simple criteria, such as using loaded cameras as opposed to those without film, and being able to find the time both to work and take pictures. Unfortunately, we have had to leave out pictures whose quality was decidedly poor.

We thank you in advance for your understanding.