Fashion & Lifestyle

‘Solidarity between women can be a powerful force of change, and can influence future development in ways favourable not only to women but also to men.’ - Nawal El Saadawi

Rome is a city packed full of sights, tourist traps and hidden gems. Whilst Paris is often thought of as one of the most romantic cities in the world, Rome runs it very close with such a wide array of things to do as a couple. (Photo - Pexels)

Almost every day in Italy, there are stories on the radio of young Italians who left their country and travelled to Australia in search of a better life. Many rarely return, if at all. But we don’t hear as much about the Australians who have chosen to reverse the process and end of up living in Italy permanently.

We asked a group of Italian kids living in Australia if there was anything they wanted to know, and our Consulate General of Italy in Melbourne, Pierluigi Trombetta, was only too happy to answer their questions.

Have you ever dreamed of buying a home in an Italian village? What about owning an investment holiday villa in the beachside towns on the southern coast? Where would one even start to begin to investigate how to go about purchasing and owning a slice of Italian property? It can seem complicated or frighteningly fraught with financial uncertainty - or is it?

Anthony Montesano, Melbourne-based couturier, has fascinated me for years. His work is iconic and is as easily recognisable as his laugh and hilarious social commentary. He is one of a kind, and today he’s ours to devour. (Photos Rachael Ogle)

The Italian Lakes: Como, Garda and Maggiore and the smaller of islands of Orta and Iseo that may be lesser known but are just as beautiful. They’ve provided inspiration for writers, artists and composers. (Photos Rachael Martin)

If family is the beating heart of the Italian home, then the grandparents, i nonni, are the enduring soul. I chatted with restaurateur and former World Pizza Champion Johnny Di Francesco about one special relationship in his life; that which he shares with his beloved nonna. 93 year old, Angela Mandarano, who still lives independently at home, holds a very special place in Johnny’s heart. (Photo Melissa Cowen)

Imagine yourself underwater without breathing. How long could you last? Check the clock... seconds are passing in an extremely slow pace. Or to climb a mountain barefoot, no protection at all, just the steep wall, the heights, the dizziness, and your fingertips bleeding.

In 2016, Alessandro Verratti and Matteo Murone finally returned home from Genova, crushed, thinking all hope was lost. ‘I didn’t want to do anything but play soccer,’ Alessandro says, ‘I couldn’t accept that it was over.’

Nutrition for athletes can be defined as provision of essential nutrients (macronutrients and micronutrients) and fluids to provide energy for training, competition, recovery and general health. Replacement of fluids is just as essential as eating solid foods. (Photo Wide Shut Photography)

Stress is an inevitable component of everyday life. It comes in all forms and can affect anyone, no matter their age or financial situation. Everyone has experienced a feeling of being overwhelmed with too much to handle at some point in their life.

Yes, it’s completely possible to engage in a love affair with a city - even more so when it’s a city like Rome. Well, actually, let me correct myself: there’s no city quite like Rome. (Photo HeartRome)

So far, all of my past articles have been surprisingly easy to write. That may be because I’ve been writing about my own experience as part of the Italo-Australian youth, as well as gli italiani anziani, the elderly Italians (or Nonni) with whom most of us Italo-Australians grew up with. (Photo Courtesy of Natalie Di Pasquale)

For the more seasoned generation of Italians, card games are much like the mobile games the millennial generation can’t seem to do without. But these card games, which at first seem like a nonchalant affair, can quickly flare up for the most passive of Italian pensioners. You still find groups of Italian gentlemen gathered around a small table in a shaded cafe or piazza, playing these cards games that they, like my old Nonna, used to pass the time with. But what are they called?

There is nothing quite like a luxury holiday to unwind, recharge your batteries and indulge in the more beautiful things in life. While it can be incredibly therapeutic to lounge around by the pool during your trip, it can also be easy to quickly become bored. (Photo Pixabay)

Many people have started to open their own ecommerce stores, and it is easy to see why. Ecommerce continues to grow and this can be a fun business venture which you can easily op-erate out of your own home, yet many people find that it is not quite as easy to succeed as they had believed.

The beaches are packed and the restaurants are all booked out. The bar has a special on Mojitos and a DJ is playing. The council’s summer cultural program shows a long list of events to choose from.

When you think of macramé, perhaps images of bell bottom jeans and coloured sunglasses some to mind.

Go to the beach. Don’t have desires. Don’t desire to not have desires… Read a book in one go and get to the end panting like a sprinter, sweating like a marathon runner with the happy tears of someone who has just realised that they don’t have a care in the world.

According to the Wall Street Journal, it's official. Milan is Italy's hottest new destination. Tourism figures show 2017 as a record year with over nine million tourists choosing to visit the city of fashion and design. Rachael Martin looks at what Milan has to offer this autumn.

Sicily has been on the list of places in Italy to visit for one Australian family for quite some time now. They often would hear about the beaches and amazing food. When the time finally came to spend part of their Italy trip in the Island State, it was a surprise to find that Sicily offers so much more than first expected.

Native English speakers are in constant demand in Italy, and this incredible initiative is one way to connect the Italian-speaking and English-speaking worlds. If you have ever considered an extended period of time abroad, then this could be for you.

As a family with an extensive Italian heritage, celebrating these cultural days is important, yet for a period of my time it wasn’t. Actually, it was the opposite. During my teenage years I was living in small town that really made me feel ashamed of my culture and my nationality.

For Australians concerned about their carbon footprint, a trip to Italy presents a few problems. The international flight alone is problematic in terms of environmental impact, so by the time you get there you’ve already got a debt to repay to mother earth.

In the Eighties Australian astrophysicists were in a tizzy for what was about to become an incredible enterprise: the launch of the satellite “Starlab”.

If Rome has Testaccio, Milan has Isola. Both are areas that have been subject to renewed urban interest, and both have the atmosphere of a village where creatives and locals live side by side.

As anyone who’s spent time exploring Australia knows, Melbourne is a very fun city. Known largely for sport, adventure, and nearby beaches, it’s the capital of Victoria and a very popular tourist destination.

Christmas festivities in Milan began with the lighting of the Swarovski Christmas tree in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Europe’s oldest shopping mall, and home to Italian fashion brands such as Prada, Gucci and Armani.

The Roman forum was a public space: the key political, ritual and civic center. If I were to compare it to a modern day equivalent in Melbourne, then Cafè Brunetti in Carlton meets the criteria. It is my third year working at Brunetti and it has been more than a part time job while attending university.

In 2006, I remember making one of the hardest choices in my life, having to choose between supporting Italy, or supporting Australia in the 2006 World Cup prior to the Italy vs Australia round sixteen match. I distinctly remember siding with Italy rather than Australia,this prompted my brother, James, to buy me an Italian National Football Team beanie for me to wear to show my support.

The unique experience of six Australians visiting Italy with a whole family of tour operators

Stefania Lucchetta, according to the leading magazine Wallpaper, is one of the “Top 20 reasons to be in Italy”. She is a talented young jewellery designer from Bassano del Grappa (Vicenza). Her works will be displayed at Bini Gallery in Melbourne, from 18th March to June 2016, in a solo show called “Jewels from the 21st Century”. Segmento caught up with the artist at the opening night for a brief chat.

In a glittering career spanning over three decades, the Perth-based designer Aurelio Costarella has cemented his way to the top of the Australian fashion scene; from showcasing at New York Fashion Week, to having A-list celebrities Rihanna and Kendall Jenner snapped wearing his beautiful gowns, to dressing Denmark’s Crown Princess Mary. Despite his incredible achievements in such a cutthroat industry, Costarella has remained an unpretentious and approachable person.

March of 2014 signalled the beginning of a new and exciting life for the talented Erika Lancini, her husband Manuel, and their three daughters, Martina, Alexandra and Maya. After long discussions and reflections about what a future remaining in Italy would look like, they packed up their life in Brescia and moved to Melbourne; a move neither regrets.

Glamorous Italian is a fashion showroom in Melbourne of Quality Brands made in Italy for private customers.

When Italian migrants made the courageous decision to move to Australia, they did not just leave behind family and friends but also their cherished traditions. The “Festa del Santo Patrono” – the feast in honour of the Patron Saint – was and still is the most important religious and social event in ones town or village.

There is something magical that happens when one lands in this great eternal city. They say all roads lead to Rome and to that I must agree. Whoever said it had a point. Rome, in its essence, is a city that has a lot to offer. It’s the city of love, culture, food, shopping and traces of Renaissance and history. Its people that are lively, proud and warming.

As a child, when I met with boredom I would often look out from my bedroom window, or, that of my parents. Sometimes, I would head onto the balcony to observe the world that lay on the other side of the bars and grates of the windowsill.

Shoe designer, Annalisa Lippis’ passion and elegance illuminates as she welcomes me with a big smile. She asks my daughter, who has accompanied me, how she is and immediately complements her on her cherry red winter boots.

Reflections upon the concept of communication and barriers that people from different cultures and languages come up against when they find themselves in conversation.

“Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita” (halfway through the journey of my life) I have become an immigrant… The major consequence in one’s life of becoming what today is called an ‘immigrant’ is, above all, the loss of control.

The Clash, arguably one of the best rock bands ever, released their hit “Should I stay or should I go” in 1982. To go or to stay. Andare or Restare. The question is reminiscent of Hamlet’s existential ponderings, and continues to arise for thousands of Italian youngsters as they attempt to escape Italy’s current deteriorating economic situation.

Many other trees are renowned for their supremacy. We all know what are the tallest trees in the world: the famous Sequoias of North America, which reach up to 120 meters high, while an oak (Quercus Cerris) will reach about 40 meters.

A FORMER INVESTMENT BANKER DECLARES WAR TO CONFLICT MINERALS It has been said that a jewel is an extension of the personality of whom it is worn by. This could explain why many women are so charmed and abducted by the beauty and value of jewellery.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF WEARING A NECKLACE MADE FROM BLOWN GLASS BUBBLES? OR SOME COLORFUL AUTUMN BLOOMS AS EARRINGS? PROBABLY NOT, UNLESS YOU POSSESS A HIGHLY ARTISTIC MIND, OR YOU HAVE VISITED THE BINI GALLERY.

Confucius once said, “If you buy a man a fish you will feed him for a day, but if you teach him to fish you will feed him for a lifetime”. Ever since I heard about Expo Milano 2015, this illuminating idea of Confucius has abided with me and still influences me.

The Sicilian actor who found his fortune making bow ties out of fabric remnants Paolo Lolicata is the young creator of Lolicu, a project based on designing bow ties. Actor by profession, Paolo came to Melbourne to improve his English and follow his great grandfather’s footsteps. Captured by the charm of this city, here he is, 5 years later: a vintage artisan inspiring new original styles in town.

Last month marked exactly two years since I last walked on my native soil. It was a day blessed by the warm colours of the spring when I greeted my family, friends and homeland. Two days later I started my journey in the “Terra Australis Incognita”, as the Europeans in the Seventeenth century nominated it when it was still a legendary land.

In my early primary school years, mum and dad won a tender to run a hairdressing salon inside Melbourne Airport. It was 1976 and I was six years old. They had previously run a salon at the Astrojet, a shopping precinct on commonwealth land near the airport and were now thrilled to take on the challenge of hard work and long hours within Melbourne Airport.

Most travel agents send you away with tourists. Melissa sends you on holiday with the locals!

Unique promotions for exhibits, cultural events, train and plane tickets: these are only some of the advantages that Milan Expo 2015 has prepared for the Italians living abroad and for all the foreign citizens of Italian origin that will sign up to the “Made of Italians” project.