In October 2023, I visited Lake Como for the first time—technically for work, though nothing about the experience felt remotely “technical.” I was in town for Como Crea, a long-running textile print fair where designers, print houses, and buyers converge to browse what’s next in color, pattern, and fabric. It’s all very chic, but in that understated Italian way: paper portfolios stacked on linen-covered tables, espresso served with every conversation, and walls lined with prints that feel more like paintings than production files.

As someone who works in fashion and studied textiles, this was a bit of a pilgrimage. Italian print houses have a distinct hand—more painterly, more expressive, less “digital” than what I often see elsewhere. There’s a kind of reverence for beauty here, even in the smallest swatch.

What I Wore to Worship Beauty

Packing for Italy in autumn is a bit like dressing for a mood swing: one moment it’s sun-soaked and breezy, the next you’re wishing you’d brought an extra sweater. My wardrobe had to flex, and I’m glad I leaned into statement pieces with layering potential.

I started strong in Merlette’s red drop-waist smocked dress, softened with a black Proenza Schouler sweater. A nod to the fact that lakeside in October does have a bite—but style need not suffer. I wore that dress again in Florence, this time with a ditsy floral bow in my hair and a rattan Bembien crossbody bag that felt perfectly in dialogue with my endlessly wearable floral Gucci mules.

Other highlights: a green Alemais maxi skirt layered with a striped black and white sweater and a citrusy Mansur Gavriel bag, offset by my silver Wales Bonner x Adidas sneakers—a practical choice for travel days that didn’t skimp on personality. And perhaps the pièce de résistance: a long-sleeved La DoubleJ dress in a floral trellis print. It felt like the moment. And being that the brand is Milanese, it only seemed right to let it shine on Italian soil.

(One note: my steamer failed, my hair dryer died, so my hair and clothes were left to their own devices the entire trip. In the end? Not tragic. A little imperfection pairs nicely with lake air.)

Cernobbio: A Quiet Corner of Como

I stayed in Cernobbio, a quieter town just north of Como city. Perfectly positioned and unbothered by tourists, it felt more like a secret than a destination. From here, the water taxi system opened up the entire lake—every villa, every vista, just a short float away.

The food? Unfairly good. Night one: pizza and gelato at Riva Café (the kind of pizza that makes you reevaluate all past pizza). Night two: Ristorante da RINO in Como—delicious, traditional, and washed down with just enough red wine to blur the finer details. The standout, though, was Villa Làrio, where dinner felt like a dream. I had a duck pasta dish I still think about weekly, and tiramisu that ruined me for all others.

Style Observations, Italian Edition

Contrary to expectation, not many locals seemed dressed to the nines—but those who were, really were. Italian fashion, at least in this setting, is low-key but sharply styled. It's all in the details—a perfectly worn loafer, the drape of a trench, a tonal layering moment that looks accidental but definitely isn’t.

It’s a different kind of fashion capital—not loud, not trend-chasing, but deeply, culturally stylish. It reminded me to look closer.

Final Thoughts from a Boat

There’s no steamer, no structured outfit, no perfect bag that could outdo the feeling of sitting in a boat on Lake Como, breeze in your hair, mountains at your back, villas dotting every shoreline like pearls on a string. It is, quite literally, the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.

And as someone who works in fashion and chases beauty for a living, I don’t say that lightly.