ICON: Could you please introduce yourself and share how long you’ve been living in Milan? 

Francesca Occhionero: I am a creative/art director working mostly in fashion. I started my career in magazines (L’Uomo Vogue and L’Officiel Hommes) and I currently consult for several luxury brands. I have my own art practice involving collage, writing and movie making. I love mapping cities and making visual journals about my trips that I sometimes turn into zines (‘Welcome Coincidence’ about Tokyo, ‘Diptychs’ featuring NYC, and ‘Trieste Trimmings’ focusing on this chic city in northeastern Italy – coming soon). Having moved to Milan nearly 20 years ago to pursue fashion design at Politecnico, I’ve since split my time between Milan and Paris for the past decade. In Milan, I own a flat with my husband, which we renovated, and where I continue to foster a large network of creative friends.

ICON: What’s your happiest spot in the city?

FO: My happiest spot in the city at the moment is the pool of the new Bocconi Campus designed by SANAA. It’s my meditation space where my mood can be easily restored by being phoneless and seeing some blue.

ICON: Where do you go for the best views? 

FO: The rooftop of the Martina Gamboni Design Gallery and the roof of the Duomo Cathedral, of course, as seen in Luchino Visconti’s Rocco e i suoi fratelli.

ICON: What would you say is the coolest neighbourhood? 

FO: I think Milan is uncool by definition. What I find attractive are its understated architectures, which reveal a subtle sophistication in material and design choices. The city’s inherent identity lies in its lack of frills and ostentation, with a functionality bordering on the edge of ugliness. I enjoy walking around via Santa Marta and in the so-called Cinque Vie district and stopping at The Cloister, a concept store in via Valpetrosa 5 selling vintage, books and beauty products. Not far from there, on via Lanzone,  there is a fantastic modern building with balconies decorated with Lucio Fontana ceramics that I love and dream of living in. 

ICON: Where would you go for a party?

FO: At any fashion or design party! I don’t have a favourite club, and I enjoy ephemeral events held in unexpected venues or historical palazzi.

ICON: Name a restaurant that most lived up to the hype.

FO: Nebbia on via Evangelista Torricelli 15, is my favourite style of Italian cuisine – hedonistic with incredible research into authentic tastes and ingredients, as well as fabulous desserts and wines.

ICON: What does your dream day in Milan look like?

FO: Swimming, visiting the farmers market on via Tabacchi to buy groceries and flowers, exploring a new exhibition at Fondazione Prada or catching a movie at Cinema Godard or Cinema Anteo. I also like hunting for books at Libri senza data, and enjoying an aperitivo with friends at Casa degli Artisti (Degustazione Ristoro e Dispensa) in Brera.

ICON: Can you share your go-to address in Milan to see art?

FO: Kaufmann Repetto gallery on via di Porta Tenaglia 7. I recently visited the Vivian Suter Tintin Nina Disco show, and I was moved by the power of her pieces.

Photography by Christoph Wohlfahrt and Federica Simoni