OPTICAL PRISM | COVER STORY
Exhausted from all the excitement , I was overwhelmed when I was dropped off at the most contemporary , comfortable , boutique hotel , in the Piazza San Carlo . Surrounded by the finest bakeries , historic structures and shops including Dior and Gucci , I couldn ' t help but take a moment to inhale it all in .
I awoke the following morning to a whole new world and ventured out for a stroll , before getting picked up to visit our boutique . I couldn ' t help but imagine how Julia Roberts must have felt while filming , " Eat , Pray , Love ". I had waited my entire life to visit Italy and I was enraptured by the beauty , architecture , culture and vibrancy of the city .
My host spent time sharing many iconic spots in Turin and I was captivated with all I experienced .
We visited our store , I took time to film and post my travels and then ended my journey in Milan .
Although we never made it into the city to tour , we spent a solid day at the factory of Customeyes , where I was blown away by the magnitude and diversity of what was being created . An old button and comb factory that went bankrupt was purchased and all the equipment reconfigured to make frames . Liquid acetate created from raw materials , frame molds of various shapes and sizes , modern technology to create any pattern or design , innovation that was simply thrilling to the human eye .
Leaving Italy was perhaps the second hardest thing that I had to do in the past two weeks . Two days prior to my departure from home , I had to put my almost 17-year-old pup to sleep .
In leaving home , my mourning traveled with me but my experience abroad was a great help in my healing .
In returning back to Montreal , I was filled with gratitude and purpose .
I look forward to developing my presence overseas and traveling back for Mido , 2022 .
With all that we have experienced these past 18 months , it is a sheer joy to be able to plan ahead , with great vision and hope .
Hope to see you there ! OP
SILMO PARIS 2022 is set for Sept . 23-26 , 2022 .
28 OPTICAL PRISM | November 2021