Milan Fashion Week: A Day in the Life of a Marist Italy Fashion Merchandising Student 

by Kaylynn Sahmel MFW FW 26/27 Journal

​​Each semester, Marist Italy selects two students to serve as interns during Milan Fashion Week, working directly alongside designer Francesca Liberatore and her team in the production of her latest runway collection. This is an account of one such experience — five days immersed in the behind-the-scenes world of a professional fashion show, from fittings and model cards to show-day coordination with international press.

Wednesday Feb 25th

We arrived in Milan around 10:30, dropped our bags at the apartment, and immediately headed to the Chinese Cultural Center to meet Francesca. When we arrived, they were already working on fittings since they had decided on the models the day before at castings. We were introduced to Francesca, her team, and about 6 other volunteers. Everyone was welcoming, but we quickly got down to business and were thrown into the fitting process. As models arrived, Francesca would give us an outfit to dress them in. I was scared I’d damage the more delicate garments, but I quickly got the hang of things. This went on until about 8 pm. Lily and I were both exhausted — many of the models had to be changed 3 or 4 times before Francesca was satisfied. We got home around 9:30 after grabbing dinner and were told to be back at 9 am, so we went to bed early.

Thursday Feb 26th

We arrived at 9 am sharp, and Francesca’s team was already finishing last-minute fittings for models who couldn’t make it the day before. After assisting with those, we began working on the model cards — a tedious process of matching photos to names and outfits and ensuring all pieces, shoes, and accessories were accounted for. Two other volunteers and I then compiled all the fitting notes — things like “put the skirt on over the head so it doesn’t break” and “blue sock on the left, red on the right” — into one document for the dressers. Finally, we printed all 29 model sheets, wrote the garment details and accessories on each one, and attached them to the garment bags. While we worked, the hair team arrived and began collaborating with Francesca on show styles. We finished around 9 pm and headed home after dinner.

Friday Feb 27th

We arrived back at 9 am, and Francesca took some time to sit down with all of us and share the meaning behind her collection. It was a nice moment after such a busy few days. Once the makeup team arrived to begin working through their looks, Paola told the rest of us we had a few hours off before meeting again at 4 to bring the garments to the venue. I used the time to visit a new Amazon pharmacy in Milan that used AI technology to scan your face and identify treatments. I had little interest in buying products, but I was curious to see the technology in a retail setting. The pharmacist walked me through it, and I even got to test it, which was cool. Then I joined the team at the venue — a beautiful high school palace with three floors and huge windows. We set up the backstage area and figured out the seating before Paola sat down with us to go over our roles. Lily and I were assigned to work with the international press and told we’d hear from Francesca’s PR team soon.

Saturday Feb 28th

We had the day off, so Lily and I slept in before heading out to explore. We found a few free fashion week events, starting with a pop-up for emerging designers featuring outfits from students and lesser-known local designers, short but really cool. Then we hit a L’Oréal pop-up for their new Metal Detox hair mask. After a 40-minute wait, we scored free samples, hair accessories, and bags, and I got a free blowout from a stylist named Fredrico, who told me about the other shows he’d worked on that week. It was great to hear about fashion week from his perspective. Later, while shopping for all-black outfits for the show, we stumbled upon the Bottega venue. We figured it was worth a shot, so we introduced ourselves to security. They couldn’t let us in, but they chatted with us and gave some tips on getting access next season, really kind of them. We ended the night with dinner with the other Marist students who had just arrived by train.

Sunday March 1st

Show day! Lily and I woke up early to pack up our apartment and drop our bags with the Marist students at their hotel before heading to the venue. We started with a final check of all the garments and then greeted models as they arrived and helped get them into hair and makeup. About three hours before showtime, Lily and I joined the PR team to help coordinate guests and set up the press area. We also shot behind-the-scenes content before the guests arrived, then moved backstage to assist the models and keep the press out of the area. The show started a little late, around 4:30, but it was incredible to see everything finally come together. Afterward, we met up with the rest of the Marist students and headed to the train station to catch our train back to Florence.

Final thoughts

I’m so grateful to Francesca and her team for this incredible opportunity. Most of my fashion experience has focused on marketing and product development, so being part of an actual runway show taught me so much about the details: venue, hair, lighting, that are critical to communicating a designer’s vision. I’m also so grateful for all the people I met along the way. Everyone, from Francesca and Paola to the models and fellow volunteers, was kind and welcoming, which made me feel so much more confident throughout. Even people outside the show, Fredrico, the Bottega security guards, were memorable. I realized that so much can come from simply starting a conversation with a stranger. This past week was full of great lessons, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of it.