Interview by/ Intervista di Sara Cimino, Editor in Milan
Translation/Traduzione by Daria De Pascale
Fabio Maria Damato, 26 years old, a fashion editor born in Apulia but grown up in Milan. I got in touch with him to ask about the trip he took to Shanghai to take part in the Miu Miu’s Event. This way I had the chance to know about the most fashionable side of Asia!
Fabio Maria Damato, 26 anni, fashion editor, pugliese naturalizzato milanese, ci siamo sentiti per il suo viaggio a Shangahi in occasione dell’evento organizzato da Miu Miu. Scopriamo così il lato più fashion dell’Asia!
S: So Fabio, what was it like when you first landed in China?
F: When you arrive in Shanghai you feel a bit like you’re in a scene from Blade Runner, with all the claustrophobic buildings, the multilevel highways and the monsoon fog. But I wasn’t wearing any weird leather coats, but just a polo shirt and shorts like I was leaving for Capri from Molo Beverello.
S: Allora Fabio, com’è stato l’arrivo in Cina?
F: Quando arrivi a Shanghai ti senti come in una scena atemporale di Blade runner, tra i claustrofobici grattacieli, le autostrade multipiano e la foschia monsonica. Ma io non indossavo strani coat di pelle, ma pantaloncini e polo come fossi in partenza per Capri al molo Beverello.
S: And what was the reason for your trip?
F: The most important event in the Asian season, the first party Miu Miu had ever organized on Chinese ground! At the entrance there was a long red carpet and the atmosphere recalled the ‘40s, with black carpets, opalescent lamps and old Hollywood style mirrors. An Italian style seven courses’ dinner was served at the 91st floor of the tallest hotel in the world, the Park Hyatt Hotel, for 400 carefully selected guests from press, best clients and celebrities. After that there was a thrilling fashion show livened up by the newest hot faces, followed by a wild party. In the three rooms with a view on the Paris of Asia, a French-style cabaret show, a super cool English singer Florrie’s live concert and an exciting performance by dj Misty Rabbit.
S: L’occasione del viaggio?
F: L’evento della stagione asiatica, il primo party della storia di Miu miu su suolo cinese! All’ingresso un lungo tappeto rosso dalle atmosefere 40’s, tra moquette corvine, lampade opalescenti e palme di specchi in stile vecchia Hollywood. Al 91esimo piano dell’hotel Park Hyatt, l’hotel più alto del mondo appunto, una cena in 7 portate in perfetto stile italiano per i 400 selezionatissimi ospiti tra stampa, best client e celebrità. A seguire sfilata elettrizzante, animata dalle hot faces del momento e party scatenato. Nelle 3 sale con vista sulla Parigi d’oriente uno spettacolo biricchino in stile cabaret à la française, concerto live della cantante inglese super cool Florrie e performance coinvolgente della dee-jay Misty Rabbit.
S: What was your impression on fashion in China?
F: Of course, in spite of what we might think in Western Countries, Chinese people are beautiful and very fashionable. Girls have shiny and perfectly styled hair, wear black make up and light dresses coming straight from Milan and Paris catwalks. Boys are surprisingly tall, with hair tidily styled like school children and wear perfect suits.
S: Che impressione hai avuto sul binomio Cina-Moda?
F: Ovviamente in Cina, al contrario di quello che possiamo pensare noi retrogradi occidentali la gente è bellissima e chiccosissima. Le ragazze hanno capelli lucenti e acconciati alla perfezione, occhi truccati di nero e abitini leggeri appena balzati dalle passerelle di Milano e Parigi. I ragazzi sono sorprendentemente alti, dalle ciocche pettinate in righe al compasso come bravi scolaretti e dai completi impeccabili.
S: How about shopping? Did you find anything particularly interesting?
F: Shanghai has lost most of the unique, colourful style they had until a few years ago, when you could buy beautiful furniture and traditional Chinese lacquer screens. Nowadays it’s all about shopping malls, it’s a real social experience. Young and older wealthy Oriental people buying up loads of designer bags, shoes, clothes and jewellery. Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Dior, Armani, Vuitton, I’d never seen such huge boutiques before: meters of shelves in three, four-storey single-brand stores. And then the Shangri La Hotel’s spa, the Ye Shanghai Chinese restaurant, located in an old private townhouse converted into a private rooms’ restaurant, like all the most exclusive restaurants in town.
S: A livello di shopping? Cosa hai trovato di interessante?
F: Shanghai ha perso quel gusto personale e folcloristico che avevano fino a qualche anno fa, quando potei comprare mobili e apraventi in lacca cinese meravigliosi. Oggi la fanno da padroni gli shopping mall. Una vera e propria esperienza sociale. Giovani e meno giovani riccastri dagli occhi a mandarla fanno incetta di borse, scarpe, vestiti e gioielli griffati. Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Dior, Armani, Vuitton, non ho mai visto delle boutique così grandi. Metri e metri di scaffali dislocati anche su 3 o 4 piani griffati sotto un solo logo. E poi la SPA del’hotel Shangri La. Il ristorante ciense Ye Shanghai, situato come tutti gli indirizzi food esclusivi, in una vecchia townhouse privata riadattata a ristorante dalle salette private.
S: What did you take home with you from Shanghai?
F: The energy, the optimism and the will to conquer to future of a country in euphoric economic and social growth. A place in which a 104 storey skyscraper can be built in less than 12 months, a place that is the opposite of our old and run-down Italy. It’s not a coincidence that when I landed at Linate Airport I had to set the clock seven hours back. Welcome back to the past.
S: Cosa porti a casa da Shanghai?
F: L’energia, l’ottimismo e la voglia di conquistare il futuro di un paese in euforica crescita economica e sociale. Un posto dove un grattacielo di 104 piani si edifica in meno di 12 mesi. Un luogo agli antipodi della nostra vecchia e malandata Italia. Non è un caso se atterrato a Linate l’orologio arretra di 7 ore. Bentornati nel passato.
