Cruising down Corso Magenta, one of our favorite streets in downtown Milan, we always make a point to linger infront of the very elegant E. E. Ercolessi windows, a pen collector's wet dream [ed: not the window in the picture posted above, btw]. Even better are the free, well-designed merchandise catalogs they leave out front...in a city where almost nothing is offered gratis.

In addition to the windows of E. E. Ercolessi, many of the high-end pen-slingers are advertising the newest addition to Mont Blanc's Donation pens series: Following with the 1996 Leonard Bernstein, the 2000 Yehudi Menuhin, the 2001 Johann Bach, 2003's von Karajan and Solti, comes the 2007 Arturo Toscanini pen.

Available as a fountain pen (stilografica), which will set you back €490 ($710 USD) and ballpoint pen (penna a sfera) for a bargain €290 ($420 USD) -- both being priced reasonably within Mont Blanc's standards. The Toscanini pen boasts an 18k gold nib, a cap engraved with the Maestro's signature, and, "sculpted clip shaped like strings and string holder of a violoncello".

If the Toscanini pen doesn't get your nib wet, another musically-inspired pen on the market for Winter 2007 is the Montegrappa limited edition tribute to Antonio Stradivari. The body of pen has been crafted in Stradivari-inspired wood, and comes in a really nifty box [see below]. The series also boasts a 18k white gold nib, engraved with a violin and the Stradivari seal. Released will be 2,000 fountain pens @ €700 ($1,000 USD); 3,000 rollerball pens @ €530 ($770 USD); and 5,000 ballpoint pens @ €370 ($540 USD).

The last pentender for the 2007 Holiday season is Delta's limited editions of both Enrico Caruso and Giacomo Puccini tribute pens. Both pens rely on a (frankly annoying) numerology scene to lay out the series. Since Caruso was born in 1873, 873 fountain pens (with a lever) will be released, along with 1873 cartridge pens. In addition, a precious 48 fountain pens will be available with white gold or rose gold accents. Caruso will fetch €720 ($1,000 USD).

The Puccini pens will be distributed in the same fashion, with 1858 the reliant number, offering lever and cartridge pens in multiples of 858 and 1858. Puccini will fetch a top price of €590 ($850 USD). Ugh. This is beginning to sound like a freaking Eco novel.

yaes, i sign my checks with a $1,000 18k gold Caruso pen while i'm over here with my 5-figure salary, buying not 1 but THREE xbox games a week. im one of those 'upper crusts' that you've read about in teh newspaper and seen on the tv, what of it???

Popping in on la Feltrinelli, a music & bookstore chain in Milan, recently revealed some neighboring spelling mistakes. Take that, LA Virgin Megastore!

However, all is forgiven in the second floor classical music section...BEWARE: la Callas is watching you browse!

 

The Independent runs 48 Hours in: Milan, and although Opera Chic wishes she could write something snarky...she's basically in agreement with their overview of the city.

I know, I know, "meta" is one of those "it" words that gets murmured @ meetings and everybody kinda just pretends to get it because they don't want to look stupid in front of everybody else or the boss, so it ends up never really meaning anything at all. But this is totally meta: Above is Roberto Cavalli (and Eve) @ his joint Halloween bash with Giuseppe Cipriani at Cipriani's restaurant in Manhattan from Wednesday night. Cavalli took it upon himself to go in costume as fashion colleague Karl Lagerfeld -- hilarity ensued.

[...]the entrance of the night at Roberto Cavalli's Halloween Ball at Cipriani [...] belonged to the designer himself. Flanked by six models in feathered headdresses, he arrived on the scene dressed as his famous colleague Karl Lagerfeld. "At the last moment, I thought, 'What am I to do?' " said Cavalli. "I wanted to dress like somebody from my world and my planet. And who is the best? Karl Lagerfeld."

We <3 that silly little byotch. Here's Cavalli in his normal (well, botoxed, restylaned) face:

...and here was his 4 real Lagerfeld inspiration:

And again, below, is the Cavalli-Lagerfeld synthesis (with Petra Nemcova as Cleopatra).

It's like if Villazón threw a party and dressed up as Alagna.

Since OC readers were so receptive to the Milan fashion that was offered in the last post, OC had found herself out-&-about this past month, with camera at the ready to snap more of the Milan street-style that makes this city so righteous. Righteously stylish.

Above: Stylist and customer at one of Milan's famous salons Coppola, where models and wannabe-models converge. And yeah, that cute stylist was smiling at me...so what of it?

Above: this is really casual, ubiquitous Milan street-style for the summer: ballet flats and capris...like the nyc equivalent of flip-flops, shorts, and a t-shirt.

Above: afghan throw as sweater-jacket, and an 80s, pink satin rollersk8ing jacket come together for one big hot mess.

Above: We like the mix of street (athletic kicks + sporty jeans) and elegance...and of course, the Vuitton Speedles bag makes almost anything look sweet (unless it's a grody knock-off).

Above: flood-warning!

Above: omg it's the year 1997 and the nokia brick phone is *da bomb*. He's so old-skool it hurts.

Above: we're a fan of every kind of trench.

Above: Prada gardening kit from Corso Como 10. Flipping insane. Like those who can splurge on this accessory would do something as bourgeois as their own gardening...

Above: Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? Lets hope that Paris bought something good at 10 Corso Como so she can discard those *denim hot-pant overalls* eeeewww.  (disclaimer: it's not really Paris or Britney, you lamers.)

Above: Tough love. We'll leave you with a "fashion-don't" for inspiration. Denim jodhpurs? With suspenders? And flip-flops? Yahoo Serious reincarnated as Huckleberry Finn. On crack.   

According to Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Milan is steadily rising in the hawt chart of the word's most expensive cities, from no. 13 in 2006 to no. 11 now, beating to an inexpensive pulp those cheapos in NYC (slipping from 10 to 15 -- lamUrs!).

Here's the whole chart:

TABLE 2007 (2006)

1 (1)    Moscow
2 (5)    London
3 (2)    Seoul
4 (3)    Tokyo
5 (4)    Hong Kong
6 (8)    Copenhagen
7 (7)    Geneva
8 (6)    Osaka
9 (9)    Zurich
10 (10) Oslo
11 (13) Milan
12 (12) St Petersburg
13 (15) Paris
14 (17) Singapore
15 (10) New York

One of the most relevant institutions in the Milanese cultural landscape -- besides fashion designers, furniture designers, magazine art directors with a Messianic flair, celebrity restaurateurs, TV skanks and their agents-slash-p1mps, billionaire soccer players and ageless socialites functionally-disfigured-by-plastic -surgery-so-bad-an-American -surgeon-would-get-his-a$$-sued -in-30-seconds, well besides all these cultural Titans, Milan also has  a very important institution: Piccolo Teatro (literally: small theatre), the late great Giorgio Strehler's baybay that still cranks out very cool things on a fairly regular basis.

Il Piccolo Teatro -- in Milanese-speak: "Il Piccolo", nobody here calls it il Piccolo Teatro, in the photo above you can see its older location a few steps from Castello Sforzesco, still in use, but now most of the good stuff happens at a larger, pig-ugly (and that's an insult to the pigs) apparently modern building in OC's neighborhood of Brera -- has introduced its 2007-2008 season today (English-language page not up to date as of the time of this writing): Luca Ronconi, very well known by opera lovers, will direct a new version of The Odissey, Odissea, and a new Fahrenheit 451.

Shakespearean goodness galore, thanks to the coproduction of Hamlet & The Tempest, Sam Mendes director. Among the superstar director roster, Peter Brook, Lev Dodin, Lluis Pasqual. There are some really interesting Italians -- Toni Servillo and secksay older man Franco Branciaroli -- and lots of plays by Carlo Goldoni, too, thanks to Arlecchino, La trilogia della villeggiatura, Il ventaglio and La famiglia dell’antiquario.

Following in the footsteps of a successful Milan fashion post (another exciting one coming tomororw), OC thought she'd present to our readers another dimension of the cobbled streets.

You see, for the traveler, Milan is more than the Dan Brown painting, the Dan Brown church, smog, and bad plastic surgery. If you happen to find yourself in centro (in town center) this summer, OC's highlighted just a tiny smattering of her favorite stores, all extremely accessible (a few blocks away) from il duomo. Without mentioning the obvious (Peck, anything on via della Spiga/Via Montenapoleone/Corso & Galleria Vittorio Emanuele) here are a few of the underdogs that are frequented by the hardcore Milanese:

 

Giovanni Galli, Via Victor Hugo 2. They make the freshest, (and most $$$) marron glacã©: candied chestnuts, oozing wtih sugary goodness that explode when you bite into their juicy, soft goodness. el oh el. Served with a side of edible, candied violets. omg. You can also find like every gourmet sweet and chocolate native to Italy littering the small shelves. In addition to boxes of marron glacã©, bars of Dolfin Green Tea chocolate bars, OC always stuffs her suitcase to NYC with Bi. Biel canestrelli, ipod-sized chocolate wafers with a dark chocolate layer in between. But don't try to whip-out the AmEx, as it's cash only in this old-skool establishment. From the display window at Galli, see the image below of marron glacã©:

(Below are the canestrelli Bi. Biel, specialita' di Biella)

The next place that OC likes to drop into is the awesome Rosticceria Leoni on Corso Venezia 7. Plopped between Diesel, Prada, and D&G in a tiny little slice of a store, this rosticceria is invaluable to Sunday lunches (don't even bother showing-up Sunday after 11am & take--out only). The entire back wall is a gigantic, beautiful open pit of fire, with dozens of whole chicken roasting over the flames. You go here, of course, for the fresh roasted chicken, but also for the taste bud-blowing roasted potatoes and vegetables (all sautã©ed  in loads of tasty, sweet butter). Also the hand-made potato chips in white waxed bags. Also the gnocchi alla romana. Also the panna cotta served in plastic cups. Holy crap, you've never tasted anything as good as Leoni's panna cotta. The caramel has been caramelized by the smoke from the pit, which infuses the entire dessert in a delicate, smoked flavor. 

Another place is Panarello, which is on the super-shady via Speronari (laden with homeless and scammers), but they make the freshest cannoncini: thumbsized flaky, sugary baked pastry tubes that come plain or with cream. Also the panarello loaf (with loads of dried fruit and nuts) is a good hold-over for in between panettone season. 

Then we have the irreplaceable cartoleria Pettinaroli next to Piazza San Fedele (entrance via C. Marino) for everything stationary. It's beyond elegant, with the same hushed interior of a library. OC goes here for cards, which rotate as the seasons turn (if you come here xmas time, you are in for a treat). But they always keep stocked antique Italian cards (see below), which are especially great for souvenirs, about 3 € each. Of course, for more selection there is the supurb  Carteria Tassotti, a chain of Italian stationary store that displays some of the sweetest cards ever (ours is in Corso Garibaldi, stocked with such beautiful things). There is also the insanely old-skool Pineider on Corso Europa, which is off tha hook.   

You can find beautiful sketched cards at Pettinaroli of Teatro alla Scala, found here below:

 

Another Teatro alla Scala card from Pettinaroli (omg whare r teh roads??!!):

Lastly, we love this little watch-shop because they do the work on-the-spot and only charge you for the parts (yah, in Milan unfortunately it's not like the NYC cobblers who replace your high-heel caps in 5 minutes for $5). And it's just soooo kewl! Set into the side of the huge Piazza Marconi facade (facing Duomo), it's Laboratorio Orologeria Duomo, right next to the new Super Duomo Mondadori. Sometimes Milan can be so bootleg it hurts. But we <3 it.

//btw, none of you tourist guides better try to steal my sh*t...ya heard?

///and per the usual, all images and photographs above are protected by copyright and intellectual property rights, which are controlled by Opera Chic. tia tia k bi

Since it's an incredibly s l o o o o o o o w news day, I thought I'd post something a little different. If it's not your thang, just scroll past it...and OC promises an Opera-related post later today.

ok ok when you think of Milan and you think of like fashion, food, soccer, and music...and of course, <*~Opera Chic~*> (but not necessarily in that order of importance) am i rite?

So in my daily sojourns around the city, I'm assaulted by equal amounts of good/bad style, and was thinking recently that it would be kewl to share some of the offerings; of course, OC would <3 to share photos of her kickin, killer outfits with you, but to do so would compromise too many variables. Instead, while I was running around recently, I snapped a few shots of daily fashion typical of Milan style. So here it is:

(below):vvvvvvv The woman below is unlocking her bike in a Burberry trench, ballet flats, and perfectly-hemmed black pants. The tailoring is equisite. This is quintessential Milan style: elegant, understated, $$$, but well-made clothing that lasts forever (well...except for Burberry now that it has started production to China. a$$h*les)

(below):vvvvvvv I love this photo because of the miniature cola can he's holding. omg look at little the baby can omg how do you even drink from that? is there like a tiny little baby straw? This guy was making a funny face, thusly eviscerating his overall hawtness, but it still works.

(below):vvvvvvv There is so much I love about this woman I can't even start. So I won't. This lady is so Milan eclectic/elegance, I don't even care if those are knock-off Pradas...

(below):vvvvvvv This is what every. single. teenager. in Milan looks like. fo'reals.

(below):vvvvvvv red platform stiletto shoes...when the rest of Milan swaps stilettos for ballet flats the minute it gets above 15 degrees celcius, this woman was all like aw heyll naw.

those shoes belonged to this vvvvvvvv

(below):vvvvvvv black leggings, khaki shorts, and a hawaiian-print dress thrown over. This is such a mess that it actually works. Council of Elrond, tho'.

 

(below):vvvvvvv biano/nero.

Love it? Hate it? HSUT UP U KNOW U LUV IT!!!! 

 

The invitations have been collected (way too many), the agenda studied (too little hours in the day), and my white Prada flats have been fastened to my feet (too cute). Salone Internazionale del Mobile has flooded Milan with those quirky design types (think LA American real estate agents on crack and wrapped in hit & miss Italian labels). Cabs are impossible to find, everywhere you look in the city dwells open-air design displays and exhibition spaces, and there are dozens of cocktails to choose from every night. Unfortunately, tonight's festivities have been cut short, as our beloved i nerazzuri took their first loss of the entire season from Roma earlier at San Siro. But lucky for Opera Chic readers, now I’m able to blast y'all with an update.

La Triennale di Milano is hosting a massive exhibition space this year in recognition of Salone Internazionale, but only a few of the exhibits are worthwhile.

Super Normal (pictured above) is one of those, and has been curated by Jasper Morrison (British designer) and Naoto Fukasawa (Japanese product designer), and displays around 200 beautifully-crafted everyday objects (many can be found at Muji, which NYC'ers can purchase at the MOMA store). The objects were selected to illustrate a particular, pragmatic, yet slick design. 

Alos pretty killer was exhibition Connect Tsunagu, which celebrated Japanese living space. Most captivating was a machine that emitted tiny drops of intact water that traveled a vast highway of white tubing, and then spun around a giant white pan. It was entrancing and soothing, which I captured above.

The Zaha Hadid lecture was a total bust, as my architectural hero Hadid was sick, and was therefore stuck in bed far away from Milan. Some of the elucidated NYC crowd may remember her from last summer's kick-a$$ Guggenheim show, which took over the entire Frank Lloyd Wright building. Hadid however did make an ersatz appearance (albeit in form of a fax message). Super lame. Aperitivo afterward was more rewarding than the panel, which allowed for sugar + starch reserve before heading over to the Poltrona Frau event a few blocks away.

Sweaty, packed, and claustrophobic, and finding none of my acquaintances, the reception was kind of lame. After inspecting the new line, OC slunk away to gather her thoughts and meet friends amid the crowds at Radetzky on the way home. Tomorrow brings so much more…stay posted while opera takes a back seat to gorgeous design for a few hours.

Journalist Mimi Sheraton exposes some of OC's favorite restaurants in Milan in this Sunday New York Times piece, highlighting a few of the city's most precious eateries. Sheraton glowingly reviews Milan's Trattoria Della Pesa, Trattoria Milanese, and Bebel's with an almost fetishist's love of risotto milanese and cotoletta. The impressively mouth-watering Peck is also detailed...but how can you itemize Peck without mentioning Giovanni Galli?; those juicy marrons glacées oozing sweet sugar that becon ingenuously across the street?

Omitted were at least a dozen of OC favorites of excellent Milan offerings, including da Ilia, the immense da Giacomo (picture above), Fioraio Bianchi Caffè, the beyond-awesome Salumeria Laghetto, Al Girarrosto, and Rosticceria Leoni.

We can certainly vouch that her "knowledgeable friends" more or less knew what they were talking about (the warm zabaglione at both la Pesa and Trattoria Milanese is worth going to war over); save a few listings (Pasticceria Bastianello rilly rilly = teh suck). But damn, Mimi! You best get on the phone with Opera Chic next time you plan an excursion into the culinary delights of Milan. We’ll do ya right, honey...we'll do ya right.

At last week Milan Fashion shows, an important cultural event, overlooked by most of the International press, has happened. And Opera Chic wants to share it with her readers: Opera Fan, Soccer World Champion, unabashed pacifist and generally bada$$ Marco Materazzi has been seated next to his American idol, washed-up rapper Coolio.

Zinedine Zidane was nowhere in sight, probably cowering in fear under a chair or something.