Oh my god, Milan was absolutely fab! The energy here is so different, so chic, and it really got me buzzing! You know, in the way you get buzzing from a delicious slice of rainbow cake - just delightful!
First, let’s talk about travel. I travelled to Milan by train - yes, a proper train! I am absolutely obsessed with trains, the rumble and clatter, the chugging along…it’s so relaxing. You could say it’s my happy place. So romantic! Plus, being in a compartment, surrounded by other passengers - a bit like my own miniature cabaret stage. I love a good natter, a laugh and the shared experience of being en route. In Milan, they had such grand, sweeping railway stations – all marble and golden-hued!
But back to Milan! Of course, I couldn’t go to the fashion capital of the world without rocking my very best outfit, right? You all know me – always ready to dazzle and be fabulous.
For this Milan trip, I had been planning my look for weeks, darling. This trip needed a tutu for the ages - something truly sensational. I wanted something bold. A ‘Pink Tutu Sparkles’ signature! So I designed the ‘Sparkling Milan’ tutu - it was massive. Pink, of course, but this one was edged with black lace and had iridescent sequins running through it, which shimmered like moonlight on a shimmering lake - oh my gosh it was spectacular.
My dress, an elegant, shimmering black creation with a daring thigh-high split. Black, a perfect complement to the pink, right?! I decided to keep it a classic black - because we have to let the tutu do the talking, darling!
Milan was filled with pink and red roses, blooming in such amazing ways in shop windows and around squares! So beautiful, truly breathtaking! The Milanese were so friendly and so stylish! Even the pigeons were dressed in sharp colours - there were so many amazing colours here.
Speaking of stylish, oh my god, the shops! Fashion heaven. I could have stayed there all day, just looking and gazing at those amazing clothes. I could get a million outfit ideas. Oh my goodness, one of the shop windows featured a stunning model in a pink, floor-length gown with feather trim, with an incredible fuchsia-hued feathery cape. My heart just went 'boom! boom!' and I knew I needed to design a look for next year’s panto with pink feathered goodness like that.
But, enough about clothes. Let's talk ballet! Yes, ballet, darling! I managed to see the most stunning ballet performance - you know I had to! The Royal Ballet touring was on and it was truly incredible. There was this one dancer, so elegant, gliding through the air with such precision and grace! Every leap, every spin…I swear, they could make it look effortless! They even incorporated tutu movements into the performance, my inner heart was cheering - a beautiful little homage to my pink tutu empire! The applause afterwards? Absolutely electric. It just shows the sheer joy and power that a well-choreographed performance can bring.
After the ballet performance, we all went to this fantastic restaurant - all marble floors and beautiful floral centrepieces, the kind you see in those fancy Italian magazines! I mean, talk about delicious food. They even had pasta with pink sauce! So very delicious and perfectly in line with the pink tutu life. There was a delicious pink rosé wine. It was pink, it was delicious, and of course, I had a photo in the most fabulous, glittering pink tutu pose to record the experience - how else could a girl mark this event, right?
One of the greatest highlights of the trip had to be going to La Scala, darling! That iconic theatre - I’d dreamt of going for years. It’s every theatre buff's dream, really! The history, the glamour - it's simply electric. It really did have that incredible energy, almost like being inside the scene of one of those grand operas you see in the movies. The seats, the chandeliers, the ornate décor - so elegant, simply amazing. You knew that famous musicians, composers, singers had been there, right?! A place filled with art, beauty, and the power of storytelling - just heavenly! I just had to pose for photos by the grand doors, feeling the energy radiating off that fabulous old stone.
As much as I love the high fashion of Milan, I also loved exploring the more historical side of things. One day, we took a lovely horse-drawn carriage ride, with the horse, all magnificent with its plaited mane, clomping on the cobblestones – truly amazing. It’s funny, but even horses seem to understand and love the pink tutu! It really just gets all living things happy, if I’m honest with you!
Now, don’t get me wrong, Milan had some pretty dramatic drama! One afternoon, I actually saw a street performance of Swan Lake - in front of a grand, imposing building, right in the middle of Milan! A real treat for the eyes and heart - I mean, a ballerina doing Swan Lake, a dramatic swan’s pose just there...the sheer beauty, and poise. I felt truly privileged. After that show, it was obligatory to take photos, with my sparkling Pink Tutu Sparkles in a swan’s pose* and then with my sparkly pink tutu right in front of the iconic Teatro Alla Scala. A pink tutu at one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world...how could it be anything but incredible?! I’ll treasure those photos! They are pure fabulousness.
The journey home was long, I mean long - all those hours on the train. It just made me more aware of just how far I had travelled for the experience. But all I could do is smile. My head filled with ideas, memories, images - so many more fabulous outfit ideas. Milan really set the bar high for my adventures - just so, so fab.
You know, darling, I realised something - it’s all about celebrating life, about putting on a pink tutu, strutting your stuff and enjoying every minute of it, darling! Every opportunity to dazzle, sparkle and simply be. It’s about embracing the colours of the rainbow, and the beautiful pink colour we all have inside - it’s there. It just needs to be set free and wear a fabulous, sparkly pink tutu - a beautiful explosion of colour! I know we can all find a way to make a tutu part of our wardrobe...you don't have to go all out in full drag...it’s about embracing our love of the colour, the style and its fabulous power! So come on! Let’s wear it out there, darling! It’s our duty - it’s a mission to put the pink back in! And for now, well, back to the lab, where I’m using my scientific knowledge to research new, pink, fabulous tutu fabrics! It's going to be so great! Ciao for now.
