September In Milan Recap: Beauty + Fashion Week
Stepping out of summer break and straight into September felt just like heading back to school. Between personal goals and professional commitments, it was a full-on whirlwind—but I’m wrapping up the month feeling both accomplished and deeply inspired.
Similarly, Milan turned up the volume during the second half of the month by hosting two of its largest annual highlights back-to-back: Milan Beauty Week and Milan Fashion Week.
Here is a look back at the unforgettable moments that made this September one for the books.
Queueing into Beauty Week
From September 16-20, Milan’s city center transformed into an interactive beauty wonderland. Interactive pop-ups and immersive brand activations from houses like Lancôme, Garnier, and Kylie Cosmetics lined the streets and piazzas surrounding the Duomo.
My Beauty Week experience actually began the weekend before the official kickoff, when I headed to Piazza Cordusio to visit the Gisou pop-up.
The queue required a three-hour wait, but once at the front, the experience delivered:
Custom Hair Analysis: Every guest received a personalized consultation paired with a quick hair quiz to map out a tailored routine.
Lottery Scratch-Offs: Visitors could win full- and sample-sized Gisou products (I scored a travel-sized hair perfume!).
Affogato Station: The brand offered free affogatos (espresso poured over gelato) for guests to enjoy alongside a spot for social media photos.
While it was a beautifully designed setup, adding timed tickets in future years would help cut down those heavy wait times!
After seeing similar crowds across social media, I made one final push at the Lancôme installation—which highlighted eco-friendly, refillable fragrances from luxury houses like Prada and YSL—before calling it quits on the lines for the week.
Fashion Week Magic
While Beauty Week tested my patience, Fashion Week was pure magic from start to finish.
My week kicked off at the iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II for the Vogue World event. Earlier in the day, I visited the limited-edition Vogue kiosk, picking up the October issue of Vogue Italia along with a set of collectibles: a themed coloring book, newspaper memorabilia, and a commemorative postcard.
Returning that evening, I secured a front-row view outside the venue as supermodels like Alton Mason arrived. Soon after, a star-studded crowd rolled in—including Monica Bellucci, Arón Piper, Jennifer Lopez, and Donatella Versace.
The highlight of the evening was gathering outside the Galleria with the crowd to watch the live stream of the runway show. Lights flickered against the historic arches while music echoed from within, creating an electric atmosphere. As the event wrapped up, I even crossed paths with the performance dancers as they headed toward La Scala—a surreal, unforgettable moment.
Art & Runways Across the City
The remainder of the week was spent soaking in the energy across Milan:
Runway Buzz: Stopping by the Gucci and Giorgio Armani show venues to catch the street-style crowds and pre-show excitement.
Surrealist Style: Visiting the Dalí in Fashion exhibition at Palazzo Reale—a compelling crossover between surrealist visual art and high fashion (stay tuned for a dedicated breakdown of this exhibition in an upcoming post).
Looking back, September was intense yet fruitful—and I wouldn't have had it any other way!