It's that time of year again, Milan's Salone Internazionale del Mobile—Salone for short—and the orgy of cocktails, dinners and hobnobbing has begun. And although the fairgrounds where  the goods are displayed are the official draw, it's the "fuorisalone" (away from salone) events that get Opera Chic's blood pumping.

Downtown, the Quadrilatero has been decorated with 200 lampshades strung over Via Montenapoleone, some decorated by fashion designers like Ermanno Scervino, Kean Etro and Roberto Cavalli.

Kicking off the cocktail party cycle on Tuesday was Bottega Veneta's fete celebrating their new collection of Japan-inspired furniture and household "oggetti" (objects). Creative Director Tomas Maier (awesomely casual in white jeans, black jacket and brown shoes) presided, and the distractingly gorgeous servers, all dressed in head-to-toe black Bottega, plied the VIPs (including Italian actress Isabella Ferrari) with trays of sake in pristine small wooden boxes. The sea of buff security guards—too good-looking to be menacing —nearly outnumbered the guests.

In the Mardi Gras atmosphere of Zona Tortona, Dsquared's Dean and Dan Caten, Delfina Fendi and Margherita Missoni hosted an all-night rage in honor of the new Mini Countryman car. The setting was an indoor forest complete with live butterflies nestling in lush flowers. Two hours and too many Campari Fizzes later, the faux-celebrities arrived, which was our cue to move onto the next event.

There's no escaping the Salone madness. The Marni shop on Via Senato has an installation created by Matteo Thun and Consuelo Castiglioni (above); Iceberg's windows host a Dan Flavin-inspired fluorescent light display; Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola has designed a handbag for Ferragamo that will be for sale only during Salone. The windows at Tods on Via della Spiga (below left) are filled with iconic furnishings from the hitlist of modern design: Philippe Stark's Louis Ghost chair, Harry Bertoia's self-named chair, Anne Jacobsen's Anniversary Egg, etc. Even party animal Roberto Cavalli has gotten into the design spirit with Laszlo LL Papp conceptual furniture cradling his mannequins (below right).

O.C. has so many events on her agenda this week (including Versace's "F.U.N.K" party and Stella McCartney's and Marc Jacobs's parties to celebrate their new stores) she's actually looking forward to Friday night's La Scala premiere of Verdi's Simone Boccanegra so she can sit in one place for three hours.

Look for regular dispatches from our favorite (and anonymous) opera blogger, the Milan-based Opera Chic, every week. See her previous W posts HERE.

It had to happen—the American hipsters have landed in Milan! With the opening of his Marc by Marc shop in the city's Brera neighborhood a couple weeks ago, Marc Jacobs marked his first foray into Italy (honestly, Opera Chic doesn't count the paltry selection on the upper floors of Milan's tragically unhip department store, Rinascente). Marc's store sits in the quaint Piazza del Carmine (#6) in the shadow of the beautiful 13th century Carmelite church, Santa Maria del Carmine. Unlike Milan's Quadrilatero neighborhood, where luxury labels like Etro, Chanel, Balenciaga, Valentino, and Dior have set up shop, Brera is artsy and bohemian, with an abundance of outdoor bars, cafes and small boutiques. (Just watch out for the cobblestones—and even worse, the kiwi-sized stones that line the piazza. Opera Chic has massacred more than one pair of heels in this part of town.)

Bringing the famous American work ethic to the more relaxed shores of Italy, the store is open seven days a week (most stores here are closed on Sunday), opening at noon and closing at 8pm (10pm on Thursday). The sales team is made up of bilingual Americans and Italians who refreshingly and unironically rock American street style against a soundtrack of unedited rap. Mark-up of prices is fair, unlike other American brands found in Italy. On the first trip to the store, we purchased a few Marc by Marc mushroom hoodies (for 16 euro, about $21 USD) and a cute canvas tote bag (for 25 euro, about $33 USD). There are also Milan-only items, like a Marc by Marc beach towel done up in red, white and green.

Perhaps best of all, the store has its own cafe serving breakfast, lunch, and aperitivo that's caught on like fire with locals. You can eye-up fellow shoppers at the outdoor table service or make it quick with traditional Italian bar service where you sip your drinks on your feet. The menu offers salads (one deliciously called "Octopussy"), burgers, veggie plates, and sandwiches. Having only opened a couple weeks ago, the cafe could use chicer seating and few umbrellas— Opera Chic hopes Marc visits Milan soon to add a few final touches and sell us some of his man skirts.

Look for regular dispatches from our favorite (and anonymous) opera blogger, the Milan-based Opera Chic, every Wednesday. See her previous W posts HERE.

The average opera house’s season has a life span of about eight months, with spring marking the remainder of the annual programming. Most houses will then wind down and prepare to more or less close shop during the summer. (After that, it’s summer festival offerings.) Here, Opera Chic’s picks of the top five productions that will be in American and European opera houses from now to the beginning of summer.

1. Los Angeles Opera presents Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen
After a quarter-century of existence, the Los Angeles Opera is presenting their first complete Wagner Ring cycle, a huge task for any opera house to wedge into their season between lighter Italian and French repertory. Beginning in May, the cycle will be conducted by L.A. Opera Music Director, James Conlon, with production design by Achim Freyer. Going to town on his $32 million dollar budget, Freyer turned Wagner's iconic characters into light-saber wielding heroes (some with giant puppet heads) who traverse a Tron-inspired universe, which greatly helps the four operas fly by at a breakneck speeds: a full Ring cycle (Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung) usually takes place over the span of four evenings, adding up to about 15 hours.

2. Palermo's Teatro Massimo presents Franz Schreker's Die Gezeichneten
Austrian composer Franz Schreker's best known work, Die Gezeichneten (The Stigmatized) gets a new production for Italy's biggest opera theater, Sicily's Teatro Massimo. Opening on April 14, the late-romantic tragedy comes from British opera director, Graham Vick, Artistic Director and founder of the delightfully progressive Birmingham Opera Company (England—not Alabama). Vick's trail-blazed through the world's biggest opera houses with his unpredictable, innovative, and satirical productions that pull down the pants of your parents' traditional operas. He'll give your favorite opera a wedgie.

3. Fort Worth Opera presents Jorge Martín's Before Night Falls
Everything's better in Texas, especially an opera spin-off of Reinaldo Arenas's autobiography Before Night Falls. The late Cuban writer was also inspiration for Julian Schnabel's 2000 film of the same name, starring that sexy slice of Serrano ham, Javier Bardem. The new opera was composed by Cuban-American composer Jorge Martín and was written by close friend of Arenas, Dolores M. Koch. Baritone cutie Wes Mason (above) sings the lead in Fort Worth Opera's 2010 Festival world premiere in May.

4. Salzburg's Whitsun Festival presents Mozart's Betulia liberata
Every spring, the quaint and very Austrian town of Salzburg hosts the Whitsun Festival (Salzburger Pfingstfestspiele). Under Neapolitan maestro Riccardo Muti’s baton, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's seldom-heard oratorio "Betulia liberate" opens the late May festival. Written when the Austrian composer was only 15, teenage Wolfgang’s gorgeously clean work narrates the creepily-sexy biblical beheading tale of Judith vs. Holofernes. It’s guaranteed to inspire salaciously gory post-concert conversation in one of Salzburg’s beer halls.

5. Royal Opera House presents Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment
Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez (above) is at it again, belting out those vocal-chord-defying high C's for the Brits, as London's Royal Opera House hosts (again) the iconic Laurent Pelly production of Donizetti's French-libretto opéra comique, La Fille du Régiment. Flórez's lightweight, flexible, high tenor (also called tenore di grazia) voice easily swings it out of the ballpark with an effortless bravado in Tonio's famous aria, "Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!" Late May will find Flórez at Covent Garden opposite French Soprano Natalie Dessay as his character’s love interest, Marie. If that doesn't do it, Dawn French (of “French and Saunders” fame) takes a hilarious cameo as La Duchesse de Crackentorp.

Look for regular dispatches from our favorite (and anonymous) opera blogger, the Milan-based Opera Chic, every week. See her previous W posts HERE.

For many of Milan's most stylish women (not to mention Anna Wintour, when she's in town), the only hairstylist trusted to tend their coifs is Alessandro Lisi of Area #6 salon. The handsome Lisi, whose clients also include Queen Rania of Jordan, Jessica Alba and Italian pop star Eros Ramazzotti, is as much known for his discretion and charm as his talent with scissors. His salon, a short walk from downtown's Piazza san Babila, is beloved for its intimate, low-key vibe done in the Milanese way of understated elegance.

Some of your colleagues make a point of only styling women. Do you also have men coming to your salon?
Women, men: they're all part of my clientele. There's no distinction really, I simply say that my clients are "uomini e donne," men and women, simply people -- but both with good taste!

You style many notable names -- among them Jessica Alba, Queen Rania of Jordan, Anna Wintour, Lindsay Lohan -- as well as fashion editors and all these very chic Milanese women: do you have any favorites among your clients?
I make a point of behaving the same and treating every client the same. It doesn't matter whether they're big celebrities or my regular clients' little kids: everybody has something special that makes them and their own look quite unique.

What's your philosophy?
In my work and in my life alike: freedom and respect for other people.

How do you feel about those who constantly change their hairstyles (like Lady Gaga) versus those who maintain more or less one look through the years (like Mariah Carey)?
I definitely love Lady Gaga's genius in being such a wonderful chameleon and for the constant evolution of her look. But there's really something to be said for someone like Mariah Carey, who keeps the same hairstyle but is very careful to maintain her hair's health, the right color, and the generally healthy, lovely look of her hair.



What's the latest trend?
Mid-length, 1950s-inspired layered styles with a nice fullness and consistency. But you must always, always consider a person's face and bone structure before you plunge into the latest style.

Give us some easy take-home advice.
Always make sure to use a shampoo that's free of surface-active agents. I also advise a weekly restorative treatment with palm oil, which can be easily done at home.

What are your plans for the future?
I'm thinking of moving to a larger salon not far from here, but I want the new location to have the same intimate, easy vibe.

You have clients from all over the world: let's have fun and generalize a little. How would you describe the difference between your Italian, American and French clients?
The Italians: exacting. The Americans: elegantly free. The French: innately sophisticated.

Salone Area 6, Corso Concordia 6, Milan. Telephone: 02 36566257

Look for regular dispatches from our favorite (and anonymous) opera blogger, the Milan-based Opera Chic, every week. See her previous W posts HERE.

In the cover story of the upcoming Wall Street Journal magazine, Prada's Patrizio Bertelli discusses, among other things, a possible initial public offering for the company, noting that the stock market is the best option to give the company a real future. Of course, Prada has had problems with IPOs in the past. We took the opportunity to call Gian Luigi Paracchini, special correspondent and fashion critic for Milan's Corriere della Sera (Italy's largest daily newspaper) and the author of Vita Prada, (the much-discussed biography of Miuccia and Patrizio that came out in Italy this past winter) for his take.

From left: The cover of Wall Street Journal magazine; the cover of Paracchini's Vita Prada.

Why has Prada has so  many problems with IPOs?
Most of those problems can be summed up in one date: September 18, 2001. That was the day Prada was supposed to launch its IPO. Obviously, it was just one week after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, and it was unthinkable to go forward. The plan was shelved until June 2004 when it was re-examined and then postponed. Again, in May 2008 there were serious talks of an imminent IPO that was then postponed. Bertelli knows that going public is inevitable, given the debt load -- about 1.5 billion USD -- that the company has incurred, partially due to bad luck (that Bertelli admits) and to some acquisitions which ten years ago seemed like a good idea -- Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, Church, Alaia, Car Shoe, Byblos, Jenny, the Fendi deal made together with LVMH. Bertelli wanted to create the Italian equivalent of PPR and LVMH: hindsight will tell you that it was risky, but it was an excellent idea then and it still makes a lot of sense now. September 11th, speculative bubbles, the most severe recession since 1929 came in the way of an idea that is still very impressive.

How would you define Bertelli's style as a CEO?
The reason Bertelli can still run a successful company given its considerable debt load is that he's the sort of businessman that inspires confidence in the banks - to borrow from equestrian slang, he's a "purebred", someone with the right DNA to succeed. Prada has always reinvested their profits into the company, making Prada look more forward-looking, and they keep such an influential connection to the avant-garde -- the stores designed by star architects, their Fondazione Prada. Banks know that Miuccia and Bertelli know what they're doing, and they know that the whole fashion business always pays a lot of attention to everything Prada does. That's why Bertelli, as CEO, has been allowed to go for an IPO taking his time.

When do you see it happening?
The IPO is not an option, it is a necessity, and it will have to happen before 2012. Late 2010, early 2011 are a reasonable forecast. Bertelli needs to raise money but doesn't really want to sell a large chunk of his and his wife's company to a major partner. He likes being his own boss.

Bertelli and Prada

How do they work together? Bertelli is the sort of man who'll smash mirrors in a store because he thinks that they make people look fat, the man who will clear the room of people who don't work for the company before proceeding to chew out some underling who made a minor mistake. Your book is full of those anecdotes.
They seldom agree about stuff, and even though they recognize their strengths -- she knows he has amazing commercial insights, he knows she's a uniquely creative mind -- the process is very adversarial.

Is it true that she addresses him by his last name?
Yes. She will only say "Il Bertelli" (The Bertelli), a very peculiar Milanese highbrow manner of addressing someone in your close circle. It's how well-to-do, popular, cool high school girls such as young Miuccia would address their school friends. It's affectionate, and it's also very Miuccia. He will simply call her Miuccia, instead, plainly: he's a direct, pragmatic man. He also loves sailing, and like sailors he might use the occasional profanity to drive his point home. They have a very interesting dynamic, the volcanic Tuscan and the cool, aloof Milanese signora.

How did they react to your book? They gave you interviews and quotes but it was not an authorized book.
I had no interest in doing a hatchet job: I wanted to know how you can start from one old school store in Milan's Galleria selling exquisitely made luggage and bags and end up as one of the world's strongest brands in about three decades. He liked the book but he still thinks I put too much emphasis on his famous temper tantrums (tantrums that he has not denied happened). Miuccia liked the book, too, but had a very Miuccia way to convey her impressions: "I don't think I'm as big a bitch as you think, but I had fun reading it," she said.

Over the past few months, Milan's been booming with a new cache of stylish destinations that would keep even the most jaded fashionista placated. New stores and hotels have popped up everywhere, with another wave of highly-anticipated openings coming this spring. And although Milan's in no way recession-proof (we can't ignore those florescent "affittasi" signs hanging ominously in many of the smaller boutiques), the city's been steadily pushing through the credit crunch with a dizzying selection of gorgeous things to distract us from our woes. Here, Opera Chic's tour of Milan's latest fashion and style destinations.

Maison Moschino: Corso Como, the small stretch of closed-to-traffic cobblestone street that boasts Milan's trendiest clubs (Hollywood, Tocqueville) and stores (Eral 55, Boule de neige, Carla Sozzani's 10 Corso Como) welcomes its newest neighbor, Moschino's fashion hotel, which just opened in the middle of Fashion Week last Friday. The first hotel in Milan designed by a fashion label, Maison Moschino offers sixty-five rooms (starting at 250 euros) in 16 assorted, modern styles. There's also an in-house restaurant, Clandestinò -- if you can't get a reservation at Corso Como's Cucina Le Langhe! Viale Monte Grappa 12.

Marc by Marc Jacobs: Marc Jacobs is about to open his first Milan store, in the trendy Brera/Corso Garibaldi neighborhood. Still boarded-up, OC walks by the store in Piazza del Carmine on her way downtown and recalls the half-dozen former shops (a bakery, a stationery store, an antique book store) that were previously in the location, a sprawling 16th century building that buttresses the Santa Maria del Carmine church (which incidentally holds a seasonal antique store where you can buy the most amazing furniture and personal effects in their cloisters). The new space, designed by Stephan Jaklitsch architects, will feature retail space in addition to a bar and cafe, two features that all the cool kids in the city have been adding to their architectural blueprints. Piazza del Carmine 6.

Abercrombie & Fitch: For two years, Milanese stared at the ugly scaffolding on A&F's shuttered facade, waiting patiently for the store to open. Four months ago, the mega-shop finally opened, and barely a day goes by when there isn't a long line wrapping around Corso Matteotti for a meet & greet with their modelesque co-ed sales staff (see above) stationed every 10 feet, swaying in A&F miniskirts, tank tops and flip flops, snapping, "Hi what's up how you doing" in endearingly run-on English. The soaring, muraled interiors of the four-floor palazzo, designed in 1939 by Italian architect Gio Ponti, are just as entrancing. If the cloying scent of their "Fierce" fragrance doesn't get you high, the experience will. Corso Matteotti 12.

Dsquared2: Wonder Twin powers, activate! Form of an awesome Milan boutique! The Canadian twins, Dean and Dan Caten, inspired by their Canadian roots, created a sleek yet earthy store, a dichotomy that totally works. A facade of matchstick wooden slats, the interior looks like a sexy cottage full of wooden stumps and deer antler lamps. There's also a separate bar in black leather that serves Mumm champagne if you're into liquid lunches. Via Verri 4.

Stella McCartney: A week and a few days old, Stella McCartney's first Milan store shares space in Milan's prime fashion district, just a few paces down from Valentino's iconic Via Monte Napoleone store. Injecting youth into her old-school neighbors' boutiques, McCartney's women's collection is inside a historic, neoclassic palazzo. Two gorgeous floors of sumptuous inlaid wood parquet, detailed plaster, and sculpture make it almost impossible to focus on the clothes.  Via Santo Spirito 3.

Look for regular dispatches from our favorite (and anonymous) opera blogger, the Milan-based Opera Chic, every Wednesday. See her previous W posts HERE.

Opera Chic, our girl in Milan, answers some of the most common questions she's been asked by visiting fashion editors. (Click HERE for part 1.)



Victoria

Why is everyone always inviting me for an aperitivo? What is aperitivo anyway?
Aperitivo is happy hour, and a staple of Milanese social life. It starts around 6pm and runs until 8 or 9. Bars put out bar food (focaccia, olives, pizza, cheeses, etc.) and you pay a flat-fee of 6-8 euros a drink. Lots of people skip dinner and just do aperitivo. O.C.'s recommendations for aperitivo are Da Claudio (Via Ponte Vetero 16), Victoria (via Clerici 1), Principe di Savoia's Il Giardino (Piazza della Repubblica 17), and the bar at the Park Hyatt (Via Tommaso Grossi 1).
 
Is there a place to get a manicure in Milan?
Milan hasn't caught on to NYC's manicure mania, but you can still get your nails buffed and detailed. The best place we know is Enhancements (Via Solferino 46), established by an American living in Italy who wanted an American-style salon in a Milanese setting.



Trussardi Cafe

Where can I go for a casual (yet chic) lunch?
If you feel like sitting down for lunch but don't want the hassle of going to a full-on trattoria, there's Trussardi Cafe (Piazza della Scala 5), the downstairs, casual cafe attached to the Trussardi boutique overlooking Teatro alla Scala. You might find yourself sitting next to an opera singer or conductor on their lunch break.  At Peck's Italian Bar (Via Cesare Cantu, 3), you can get Il Club Sandwich Peck, a plate of culatello, a cheese plate, or smoked salmon, all in the classic, pristine Peck style. Bianco Latte (via Turati, 30) is one of Milan's top places to go for gelato, but they also have a fabulous lunch menu. If you're in the Brera section, we love either Antica Osteria Stendhal (Via Stamira d'Ancona 1) for their salads or Radetzky Café (Largo la Foppa 5) for their panini.



Calzedonia

Where's the best place to buy tights?
Milan style is all covering your legs. We like to stock-up on our tights at Wolford (Via Bigli 21). If you're in the center of the city and want an affordable, disposable option, Calzedonia is a great chain that offers tons of styles (Via Torino 15, Corso Buenos Aires 45, and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 11).



Profumo "Profumeria"

Best store to buy perfumes and soaps?
Erboristeria L'erbolario. We like the one on Via Dell'Orso 18 at the top of the Brera section. Browse all the products and walk out smelling fabulous for a bargain (OC loves Corteccia, which smells like sweet cedar and oak). Penhaligon's (via Brera 23) is also too excellent to pass up; there, OC goes for the spicy unisex of Opus 1870. There's also Profumo "Profumeria" (via Brera 6), which has a fabulous selection of hard-to-find products, and the amazing Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (Corso Magenta 22), where the artisanal perfumes and soaps are sold in sumptuous, hand wrapped packages.

Where's the best place to get chocolate?
Pay a visit to the 99-year-old Giovanni Galli (Corso Porta Romana 2 or Via Victor Hugo 2) for fresh chocolate and candies. The shopkeepers are a bit surly, but it's worth the lack of customer service. Don't pass up their marron glace.
 


Pupi Solari

Between all the shows and appointments, there's hardly any time to shop. What's worth a fashion insider's while?
Pupi Solari is the doyenne of Milanese style: understated, elegant, and swathed year round in cashmere. Her store (Piazza Nicolò Tommaseo 2) is where Milanese women go to get ballet flats to match their latest Hermes bag. Don't mess with Pupi. There's also Isabella Tonchi, the wacky sister of Stefano (head editor of  T: The New York Times Style Magazine) who has her own store behind Corso Como (Via Maroncelli 5). Her clothes follow a playful yet streamlined and elegant ethic. 
 

Look for regular dispatches from our favorite (and anonymous) opera blogger, the Milan-based Opera Chic, every Wednesday. See her previous W posts HERE.

If you're in Milan for Fashion Week, chances are you're just as frustrated with the city as we locals are: The shows turn the city into a cranky, chaotic mess of overbooked restaurants, nowhere to be found cabs, and strung out hairstylists. Now, Opera Chic has answered some of the most common questions she's been asked by visiting fashion editors: With O.C.'s insider guide you'll never have a bad meal, a bad cappuccino, or be stuck without a cab (if you're unlucky enough not to have been given a driver).
 



St. Ambroeus

What's the best place for coffee near the shows?
Marchesi (Via San Maria alla Porta 11/A); St. Ambroeus (Corso Matteotti 7: the one in New York has the same name but it's a different company, the original's in Milan), Cova (Via Montenapoleone 8); Taveggia (Via Visconti di Modrone 2); Caffe' Ambrosiano Torrefazione (Corso Buenos Aires 20); Peck (via Spadari 9); and Biffi (Corso Magenta 87). And then there's Zucca (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele corner Piazza Duomo), which  is the only good/non-scam place to get coffee in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
 
Where can I get my broken heel fixed?
Italians take their shoes very seriously, so, unlike in Manhattan, there doesn't really exist a cobbler in Milan that has a quick turn around. It's a week-long process, even to get the heel cap replaced! Bring an extra pair, or chunky platforms.
 



The taxi stand in front of Duomo.

How do you hail a cab in Milan?
Cabs in Milan are very hard to find during Fashion Week or during the furniture design fair -- have their own unwritten rules. The easiest way to get a cab is to find the nearest taxi depot. There's a huge one in front of Duomo and at the major train stations and right at the beginning of Corso Como in Piazza 25 aprile. If not, you need to call a radio cab company and tell them where to pick you up. The more popular cab companies have the number 02-4040 and 02-6767. They start the meter early and there's a premium, which means that sometimes when the cab arrives, it's already clocked at 4-8 euros! If it's late at night, you can hail a cab "NYC-style" and try to flag one down in the street (although they very often won't stop). Final note: No one tips cab drivers in Milan; the taxis tack on a surcharge to your fare.



Da Mimmo Osteria

I don't want to run into any fashion people. Where's a good low-key place for dinner?
Rigolo (via Solferino 11); Da Mimmo Osteria (Corso Garibaldi 75), where you won't find fashion people, though plenty of Milan-centric celebrities; Libera (via Palermo 21); Zen Sushi Restaurant (Corso di Porto Romana and the corner of Via Maddalena 1); Trattoria Milanese (Via Santa Marta 11); and Paper Moon (Via Bagutta 1).

I want to see-and-be seen and do a lot of double cheek kissing. What are the hot restaurants I need to hit up?
Da Giacomo (Via B. Cellini, corner of P. Sottocorno 6), Cucina delle Langhe (Corso Como 6), Da Ilia (via Lecco 1), Al Girarrosto (Corso Venezia 31), Antica Trattoria della Pesa (Viale Pasubio 10), Ibiza (Corso Garibaldi 108), Bebel's (via San Marco 30), Bice (Via Borgospesso 12), and Bagutta (Via Bagutta 14). 



Aldo Coppola salon

Where can a girl get a good blow out?
Lots of options here. Aldo Coppola is a stylist-to-the-stars legend in Milan and owns his own chain of high-end salons. (Coppola's right-hand man, Mauro Situra, does Naomi Campbell's hair.) Our favorite Coppola hair salon is located in Corso Garibaldi 110, but there's also one conveniently on the top floor of Milan's famous department store, Rinascente, across from Duomo, and another downtown location on Via Alessandro Manzoni 16. Alessandro Lisi's salon, Area #6 (pronounced "Area Sei" like the number, on Corso Concordia 6), is another heavy-hitter of high-end, celebrity hair stylists, models and fashion people (including Anna Wintour) flocking to his elegant shop. We also love Roberto Raso (Via Cerva 10) for its less hectic (but still glamorous) vibe. Raso is also a block away from Taveggia (via Visconti di Modrone 2), where you can get a post-blow out cappuccino and brioche and marvel at the 100-year-old interior. If you're up by Corso Como, try Franco Curletto's new salon, Curletto (Viale Pasubio 12).

Tomorrow: Check back for Opera Chic's advice on where to get a manicure, an apertivo, a good quick lunch, perfume and soap and more.

Maria Callas aside, Opera Chic has long wept over the poor fashion choices of her favorite opera singers. On stage (and especially off) many if not most of the great stars of the past were quite often downright dowdy. From gawky Joan Sutherland to massive Montserrat Caballe and the late Luciano Pavarotti, we saw way too many singers who simply didn’t care, and probably considered themselves to be somewhat above things such as fashion. But looking good on stage is not simply about looks –it’s about being believable on stage, whether its as a dashing womanizing nobleman or the hottest woman in Paris. Opera Chic has lately been delighted to applaud a handful of singers who just say no when it comes to ill-fitting off-the-rack eveningwear. Here, the Five Best-Dressed Opera Singers, according to Opera Chic.

Renée Fleming
Polished and sophisticated (with a seriously killer body at age 51 that the tightest costumes hug in all the right places —how could we forget the skintight Christian Lacroix gold dress she wore in Massenet’s Thaïs at the Metropolitan Opera in 2008?), the elegant American soprano is always lavishly styled, coiffed, and discreetly bejeweled. For concert and gala performances, Renée has been dressed by Bill Blass, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, Issey Miyake, Oscar de la Renta and Vivienne Westwood. For less formal occasions, under-the-radar American couturier Maggie Norris is her go-to designer. At the Metropolitan Opera's season opening gala in September 2009, Renee showed up in a stunning white princess-cut gown by Angel Sanchez (also a favorite designer of Eloisa Dudamel, wife of Gustavo). Renée is The Highlander of Opera: In the end there can be only one. Get used to it.

Juan Diego Flórez
Thirty seven-year-old Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez is such a man of style that L’Uomo Vogue featured him in an eye-popping photoshoot, a rare honor for opera singers. JDF, as he’s known to his fans, is currently in New York at The Metropolitan Opera where he's singing one of his signature roles, Tonio in La fille du régiment (the role that includes the famous nine high C¹s that the late Luciano Pavarotti, Flórez¹s mentor, made famous in his time). Flórez is a “music ambassador” for Ermenegildo Zegna and on stage, he’s known to wear a near-total look by the Italian fashion house. “Always Zegna,” JDF tells Opera Chic. "I wear a frac almost always, and sometimes a "concert" [with a jacket that looks Korean-style] in black, of course.” As JDF and his stylish wife, Julia Trappe, keep a home near Bergamo, not far from Milan, they do some of their best shopping in the city.

Ian Bostridge
The English tenor made headlines in Milan's newspapers a couple years ago when he gave a recital at La Scala. The Milan critics weren’t only raving about his excellently-executed Schubert-on-Schubert program. They approved of his twist on the standard recital uniform: white tie literally without the white tie, Bostridge’s dress shirt opened a few inches under his tux. He described it to us as "Hollywood black tie—very George Clooney." The tall, lean tenor could definitely give Hollywood’s leading men good competition. On stage he wears either a Kenzo suit (in a wool and mohair mix, which shows richer color under the often harsh stage lights) or a handmade blue suit by longtime favorite Paul Smith. Off stage, you may catch him in his cashmere sweaters and corduroy suits, quite befitting the former Oxford and Cambridge scholar.

Kate Aldrich
The fiercely sexy (but sweet as honey) American mezzo soprano with superb vocal skills leads the new school of opera acting, no longer affecting the "park & bark” opera acting methods of the past. And she has a youthful, sophisticated personal style to match. The 36-year-old (who’ll be sizzling onstage in Carmen at The Metropolitan Opera this Spring) has fabulous cache of performance gowns by Max Azria, New York designer Seduis, Nicole Miller and Lisbon-based designer Alves Goncalves. She tells Opera Chic that she looks for gowns with "a lot of texture and in really rich and warm colors." She gets her Adriano Goldschmied jeans in New York; her stilettos in Rome; and most recently, she says, she splurged on a beautiful black satin dress from Dolce & Gabbana.

Vittorio Grigolo
Opera fans swoon over his cleanly brilliant voice (he's currently in Zurich channeling Offenbach's anti-hero lead in Les contes d'Hoffmann) and the opera crossover fans adore his romantic looks (tall, dark, and handsome) and dreamy "popera" ballads (like the songs found on his 2006 self-titled solo CD). Onstage, the Arezzo-born tenor loves to dress up: As he tells Opera Chic, give him “high boots, vests, and jacket with big collars/sleeves," and he's psyched. In recital the singer prefers a streamlined, elegant look: he wears Gucci white tie, which has been handmade and tailored to fit his sizzling body. He knows the value of good shoes, which are provided onstage and off by Berlutti. He's also known to rock John Varvatos and Gianfranco Ferre. Offstage, the singer, who’s based in Los Angeles, says comfort rules his world: Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike and Adidas. Opera Chic demurs at his self-professed predilection for Uggs, but trusts that he’s got enough style to pull them off.

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Even without the help of stylists, classical music conductors could give some of Hollywood's most fashionable celebs a serious case of wardrobe envy. Conductors are among the classical music world's most seriously style obsessed, stepping up to their podiums in elegant frac (white tie & tails) from Europe's best tailors and design houses. They aren't afraid of handstiching or Hermes, and they spare no expense when it comes to old-world craftsmanship. Get to know the five best-dressed conductors, according to Opera Chic.

Daniel Harding
We've always had a weakness for dapper Englishmen, and handsome young British conductor Daniel Harding definitely makes us weak with his fondness for Tom Ford. You'd never catch Harding—the Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra—on the podium in anything less formal than white tie (except for more casual morning or afternoon concerts which call for a sharp suit). Aside from Tom Ford (he's a regular at the designer's Milan store on Via Pietro Verri), he's known to favor vintage Louis Vuitton trousers and Bagutta shirts. And he tells us he wouldn't be able to survive Europe's cold winters without his dark grey, mid-length Trussardi coat. Harding says he also likes the shopping in Tokyo, where the cuts suit his lean body type.

Esa-Pekka Salonen
The avant-garde musicial proclivities of the Finnish conductor and composer (he often strays into the shadings of Schoenberg and his 12-tone brethren) echo the Maestro's eclectic sartorial tastes. In lieu of the typical evening frac (white tie & tails), Maestro Salonen—who until last year was the Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic—often takes to the podium for concerts and operas wearing a black suit with a 1960s style Nehru collar and a black dress shirt. And during rehearsals, his uniform reflects his casual L.A. style: black cotton t-shirt, black Levis and black boots. As a youthful fifty-something with intense blue eyes and blond hair, he can actually pull it off.

John Axelrod
"European Shanghai Tang" is how American conductor John Axelrod describes his distinctive East-meets-West sartorial style. As the native Houstonian (currently the Music Director of the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire and Principal Guest conductor of Sinfonietta Cracovia) explains, he often conducts wearing "a Chinese collar and buttons fastened from the waist to the neck, but with custom designed tails to resemble a traditional frock from behind." His performance wear is designed in Shanghai by the excellent tailor at the Intercontinental Hotel. Says the clever Maestro, "I give him the design and measurements and 24 hours later he has two frocks ready!" Under his jacket he wears Shanghai Tang black shirts. For travel, Axelrod mixes vintage thrift—Nehru jackets found in Shanghai's markets—with elegant European labels like Etro, Burresi, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Custo Barcelona.

Nicola Luisotti
As Nicola Luisotti settles into his tenure as the new Music Director of the San Francisco Opera, he shows off more than his musical prowess with elegant, old-school sartorial secrets. On the podium, he rocks the frac (with a gilet and white tie), although for matinee performances, he goes with a black suit and a grey/black tie. Off duty, Maestro Luisotti tells us he defers to his wife Rita's advice when they hit up his favorite stores in Lucca, Italy. And although most of his wardrobe is bespoke, he considers his batons the most prized of his handmade possessions—as he should. They were handcrafted by his father.

Fabio Luisi
In Opera Chic's humble opinion, this Italian Maestro—the Chief Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and incoming General Director of the Opernhaus Zurich—is the standout among sartorial standouts, a man who takes bespoke fashion to the next level. Almost everything in his wardrobe is custom, including, yes, a leather Hermes case to carry his batons. (It was special ordered in Paris from his wife Barbara's design.) On the podium, he wears only frac, which he has custom-made at Vienna's Jockey Club in the most elegant, subdued midnight blue—never black. For morning and afternoon concerts, you'll still find the Maestro in tuxedo, although prepared in special, less formal cuts (called "stresemann"). Even off the podium, Maestro Luisi's clothes are mostly handmade: shoes are custom-crafted by Vienna's Scheer; shirts and suits are hand-made by Jockey Club and the Italian haberdasher Russo Capri; ties are from Hermes, Charvet, Ferragamo and Etro. The man even smells like a million bucks: his preferred fragrances include Bandit (Robert Piguet); Filles en aiguille (Serge Lutens) and Eau d'Hermes.

Photos: Gustav Karlsson Frost (Harding); Nicho Soedling (Salonen); Stefano Bottesi (Axelrod); Balu Photography (Luisi)

Look for regular dispatches from our favorite (and anonymous) opera blogger, the Milan-based Opera Chic, every Wednesday. See her previous W posts HERE.

Follow W magazine on Twitter and stay in the know!