This week in my life.

MONDAY
Revisions with Raphael Lopez, famous fashion designer, leave every single fashion student lying on the ground with our guts hanging out. A few of us go out to apperitivo (aka happy hour) and 3/4 of the conversation revolves around our dramatic revisions. Everyone has a story to tell. My personal story: Raphael scoffed at my purse shaped like a strawberry. “Un Borsa Fragola, ha!” Can I help it if my style is whimsical?

The project is on the femme fatale. We are to create our own version of the femme fatale. However, the character of the femme fatale is contrary to everything I stand for. In addition, the typical clothing style of the femme fatale is opposite to my personal style. I thought the key to the project was making it personal, but after the revisions I feel like they want us all to be part of a pre-made femme fatale mold.

TUESDAY
The morning lecturer is one of the project leaders who is assisting Raphael. She begins her lecture by giving an overview of Monday’s revisions. My borsa fragola makes it into her comments. “For instance, the femme fatale would never carry a strawberry purse, ” she says. I don’t take it personally.
The Salone di Mobile, one of the biggest furniture/design fairs in the world, begins today in Milan. It’s a one-week event, and the whole world is here. The Accessories majors were assigned their project: go to the Salone and design 6 bags from whatever you see that inspires you. This is my dream assignment. Meanwhile the fashion students are bogged down in a project that keeps us from the most important design event in Milan.

I throw off my responsibilities and attend the kick-off party. A box that I helped create is displayed in the Domus Academy area of the fair. The party is fun, and I look like Alice in Wonderland gone monochromatic.

WEDNESDAY
All project progress is stopped by lectures that could be scheduled some other time. The afternoon lecture leaves me feeling claustrophobic because of the absurdity of the “small in-class project” vs. the mountain of work I have ahead of me. However, a mention of a famous dancer from the early 20th century inspires me for both my big project and the small in-class project. During the presentation of this mini project I announce to the class that if I could, I would dance in the street for money, a street performer like in the 80’s movies. One classmate interjected, “A stripper?” I decline that suggestion.

I walk over to Duomo to run some errands and want to strangle all the people walking slow in front of me. I am in a bad mood. This project is making me very violent, and I have begun to swear in Italian in my head. It doesn't help that my closest friend Alessia swears all the time in both English and Italian. During project 3 I nicknamed her "Cusser." She didn't know what it meant before, but now she is proud of it.

Pete moved out today due to space complications that were occurring over a month ago. Pete has become my good friend, and I sorely miss him already. Sylvana is gone a lot so he’s the one with whom I talk. Plus, he downloads episodes of the Office.

THURSDAY
Fashion students attend an all-day trend seminar that is part of the Salone Di Mobile. I am sitting there trying not to be nervous about the project that is waiting for me at home.

I fall in love with Sam Buxton, a guest speaker at the event. Reason 1: English accent, Reason 2: when describing the design for which he is the most famous, he uses two of my favorite words “miniature” and “theater”.

FRIDAY
I work on the project all day but feel as if I get no where. The wind has been taken out of my sails. And as I talk to my fellow classmates, they feel the same way.

Danielle, a British classmate, turns 22 today. (Do I feel old? Yes, some days.) She has a party at her apartment. I think it’s foolishness to plan a party when the Salone is going on. The Salone turns into party central at night. I go to Danielle’s party out of obligation to a classmate, but the entire time I want to go to Zona Tortona where things are happening. My time is limited with this project, so I want to maximize my fun time.

Danielle is petite, blonde, and feisty. She is one of the most sought-after girls at Domus even though she has a boyfriend. Despite this fact, there are only 3 boys at the party. Boy 1 is gay,
Boy 2 is that guy from class who’s always around,
Boy 3 (who showed up quite late) is the guy that all the girls in school are after. I see the competitive claws come out when this guy walks in the door, and I immediately avoid the situation altogether.

The one saving grace about this party is the music. Lauren, who has good musical taste, is running the ipod, and I just lose myself in the dancing. Most of my classmates have never seen me dance so I immediately become a spectacle. At one point I am dancing and everyone else is standing around clapping. The guy from class who’s always there says, “When you dance, it’s the purest part of you.” He is very spiritual about it. Alessia says, “From now on when you say, ‘I just want to dance,’ I will know what you mean.” (I give credit to Paulyn’s and Dance-in-the-living-room studios for making this possible.)

SATURDAY
I work on the project all day. At 6 I go over to Zona Tortona to see some of the exhibitions. I can’t believe we are missing this. There are some amazing things to see.

SUNDAY
Work, work, work. There’s another revision tomorrow, and I’m just hoping Raphael doesn’t tear me apart. I may not have enough time to finish the project the way it is. (Which begs the question: why are you writing a blog, then?) Please pray for me, friends.