OPEN HOUSE 2016 was all about learning and care to detail. I find incredible how my perception about architecture and detail has changed and evolved since the very first time I took part in a trip with my architect mates at the School. I can't believe already five years have passed since that first trip to Ticino and Milan area!

The more years I spent watching, learning and receiving classes about structures, design theory and history, the more I'm able to pay that attention to detail and be aware of everything surrounding me, specially when I go on a trip to places I've never been before. Besides, visiting buildings and places with a group of architect friends forces you to discuss, to watch carefully and see everything.
On this trip to the capital I had the chance to take it easily, making super punctual scapes out of the group to the Old Book Fair placed at Paseo de Recoletos; or to enjoy a tour visit to the Royal Tapestry Factory, which was amazing. This was a visit to Madrid in which I had so much time for myself, to stroll around the city and really feel the independence I'm looking for on a near future. There's so much to think about once you cross the subway entry and start walking downstairs to take the train which will lead you to the outside neighbourhoods of the city, to look up an specific building you've wanted to visit for a long time.

Open House festival in Madrid also let me plot and start the thinking process on some new ideas and coming posts for the blog, as well as discovering new guest for the "Behind the design" series which I'll be sending emails to and getting in touch as soon as possible. It's all about learning!

Madrid is such an exciting city! There are lots of interesting and amazing things happening there every day, every week. There's so much to do, so many miles to stroll around and still so many places I've got on my agenda to see, that every time I go on a trip there, I'm seeing a completely different city.

Last week during Madrid's Architecture Week there was held OPEN HOUSE 2016 at the city, which is a festival where some rare buildings are open to regular public for them to visit on a tour, and some architecture studios at the capital are able to be visited too. So, I got the amazing chance to meet some of my favorite architects and teams in Madrid, as they showed students how they work and what they're up to lately. It was such an experience I shared with 11 people whom I know a little (some very close friends, others close friends of my close friends living in other Spain places and coming from very far) but these days I spent in Madrid provided me the opportunity to open up to new people, to learn A LOT, visit new places I had no idea they existed... Sometimes these are the kind of experiences which really make you to stop for a little bit, take some (needed) fresh air and see things from a very new perspective. 

I arrived home exhausted but at the same time so energized! Spending time on a city which is not your hometown although you've been there uncountable times make you feel more aware of your surroundings, stepping out of your comfort zone and taking decisions on a very short period of time. Perks of travelling with a huge group of people and realizing you also need your own space of time for yourself to enjoy the city, to stroll around with no particular destination and let yourself drift to discover.

Did you know about OPEN HOUSE Festival? What's your favorite part of being lost in a city you already know as the back of your hand?

Liverpool. Coming back to last week's trip to UK with some friends. As you might already know, we were based in Manchester for the whole week, so in our fourth day we decided it would be a nice idea to take 1 day-off on our travel routine and get to Liverpool, do some quick sightseeing, take some pictures and come back to Manchester on early evening.

I won't lie to you and said I wasn't really afraid we got lost around England or something. Once I get out of home and my comfort zone, I turn the most crazy, controller gal in the whole world. I must have my route, my maps and everything under control so everyone can get safe and sound back home.

So, the first thing to do was getting a Liverpool map. I downloaded this map from a Liverpool tourism page and kept it on my smartphone, which was really easy because I didn't carry extra folded papers and things with me. The second thing was getting our train tickets, which was way easier than I though. For less than 9£ we departed from Manchester Picadilly Station at 9:30am, arrived on about an hour to Liverpool Lime Street Station, and got back to Manchester the same evening at 9:30pm.

The image above and the image below were taken at Crosby Beach's "Another Place" installation which consist on iron human statues facing the sea scattered around 3.2km of beach. My dear best friend was really excited to visit the place as it is really near Liverpool, and although the weather wasn't as good as it should have been, we decided to go. And it was really worth the visit, and it's really easy to get there from Liverpool! It only took us about 20-25 minute train trip from Liverpool Central Station taking the red line train to "Southport" and stopping at "Blundellsands & Crosby" which is the nearest train station. Then take Blundellsands Road West all straight. (Believe in me because the indications in Google Maps will lead you further! I found this as the easiest way to get to Crosby Beach).

Of course, if there's something Liverpool is known as, is for being the place where The Beatles assembled. And The Cavern Club is one iconic place to visit, have a beer and listen to nice music and Beatles' covers performed live. It appears on the map I listed above, so you'll have no problem finding it because it's downtown Liverpool and a few steps closer to the rail stations and Lime Street Station as well.

Other places to visit and which may be enough for a 1 day trip to Liverpool may be, Lime Street Station itself (the old building above it which is now a hotel. It's antique and beautiful!), The Docks (with Tate Modern Liverpool, The Beatles Museum and Liverpool Museum on them) and all the commercial area near these.

And you? Have you ever been to Liverpool?

Those of you who follow Something Fashion at its main social platforms (Facebook and Instagram, mainly) might now that I spent last week strolling through England. About 5 years ago I discovered this country thanks to an immersion English course on the south & London, and it was time to commemorate it, do some tourism and visit old friends who are currently living at the city. So, my friends and I started looking for accommodation and flights in early March, and things to do and visit as well on a 7-day trip. Unlike the other summer trips I've been doing to the Netherlands past year, or Ticino we were 100% on our own, so the timetable and plans were more improvised and budget-friendly than ever. And still, we managed to have the best time ever. Traveling with friends should always be like that!

We were established in Manchester, near downtown, and we were planning to do Liverpool & Manchester as our main visits as we noticed they weren't huge cities at all. I was really afraid we got lost as we were on our own, although we carried maps and had our Wi-Fi smartphones ready just in case something happened, but I must say, since the very beginning of our trip, anything we wanted to do, anywhere we wanted to go was signposted very nicely and clear. From landing on the airport, to taking the train to Manchester Picadilly Station, to arriving our hotel. Even the weather was on a truce, since it only rained cats and dogs our last night and departure day.

So, what else can I say? Manchester was nothing I expected. It has a really chaotic and messy urban planning (the little Architect inside my head has always something nerdy to say), full of hidden corners with pubs and restaurants to discover, full of really new, futuristic and super high buildings mixed with ancient and traditional red brick constructions. As I said before, it is not really a huge city so walking everywhere or taking the three Metroshuttle lines (free all downtown!) may be enough to enjoy Manchester as a local would do.

What to wear to stroll around Manchester, you'd ask? As we were focused on sightseeing and discovering the city whatever it took, I only carried with me this vintage Adidas' sneakers, and as the weather was totally uncertain (it wasn't really hot, but I'd recommend wearing a jacket or something warmer on early morning and evening) I packed a mix of shorts, thin but long jeans, a pair of sweatshirts and my waterproof jacket and a bunch of basic T-shirts. For a 7 day trip with uncertain, crazy English weather it was enough.

I'm not a big fan of museums. I know: shame on me. But I don't like the feeling of being trapped on a building with tons of paintings and people who only look at the same spot of that thing in front of them. It's boring. And monotone.

On the other side, I prefer much more visiting open monumental spaces. Or buildings which are special per se. The ambient looks always different depending on the light, on the weather, if it's warm or freezing out there. And although they may be crowded as regular museums, it's quite easy to escape from the group for a moment and breathe. And discover little spots or locations by yourself. Or touch the stones with your fingers, seat and watch the people around. To be transferred to another time just by walking around.

That's what happened to me when visiting the monumental Theatre and Amphitheater at Mérida on the 1 week trip by road we took, which almost lead us to travel amongst all the country. The first thing I thought about these buildings was "I could shoot really nice fashion editorials around here!" because the scenery and the lights and shadows from the walls made of brick and stone are just delighting. Besides, is a place full of little details and a magical atmosphere. Totally worth it!

For the daily outfit in black and white, my flats and jacket were a total must, as it was totally freezing (I can say I needed another two or three extra layers). Always remember to carry enough clothes when packing and don't trust the weather guy!

Finally back from my trip around Holland. You guys can't even imagine in such sad mood I've been since I came back home. This trip has been one of the most amazing, fun, and meaningful journeys I've ever been into. One of those who make you realize how things work, who you really are and what is the place to be. Not the typical sightseeing trip of course, because going on a trip with my Architecture School mates means everything but not a regular trip. You may get exhausted of walking and literally run from place to place, sometimes you get to buildings nobody knows or understands why it's important and most of the time, you end up lost on strange villages walking hours to finally find a tiny concrete house nobody seems to care about. But amongst all that, you make new friends, you meet amazing people and you realize how remarkable is to get lost around.

Seriously, I never thought I would love this country so much. I never thought I would fall for another place than New York, but I did. The first days were just crazy, with bikes running over us (because you might know, bicycles are near to be THE religion on the Netherlands), with everyone of the group having misunderstandings with the language (although everyone around there speaks English, but who cares...) and you can imagine in what kind of tangles everyone of us got into. But then, we started discovering how kind and likable people was, I started being amazed on how special the weather is around Amsterdam (I ended up soaked several times due to eventual rain showers...), and how the whole ambient felt. Believe me, Holland is a magical country.

So, this is not the regular outfit post nor even the regular trip post (as you could see here or here). On this article, I wanted to share what I felt on this journey more than focus only on fashion or architecture. I want you to become part of this experience.

Also, say a huge THANK YOU to all my friends and mates who helped me not also enjoy that much this trip, but also to shoot some of the pictures you can see here today!

I was wearing:

Zara dress
Local store sandals
Lancel vintage bag
Rayban sunnies

Cruise boat around Manhattan. That's what we did on the third stage of our trip to NYC. Taking advantage of the great light around (it was a bit cloudy but still nice) and the awesome landscape near the pier, we took this pictures with the polka dot dress which was a little bit more dressy than the outfits I was been wearing those days. Wearing again my flats, I couldn't survive without them!

Actually, the weather has been one of our most formidable enemies these days. It's been cloudy, not cold at all, but still you had to take your umbrellas so you were prepared in case it started raining. Believe me: carrying with more things than you need when traveling it's awful. And then, sun shone. Crazy weather...

Truth is that the Statue of Liberty did not seem so impressive for me. We didn't go to the balcony, actually saw it from the boat, but there were tons of people and I really preferred the views of the city by the bay. One of the things I like most about this city is imagine its initial planning, how it came to emerge and be so organized.

New York. Finally here are the pictures of the 10-day trip, which will be fragmented on three or four posts because... NYC is a huge city so there're lots of things to tell and many pictures to show!

Let's get started then... First of all, let me tell you that there're some things you absolutely must see as a newbie traveller to New York. The Empire State building is one of those things you can't lose. Breathtaking sights of the entire city, maybe is the best thing you can do on your first day there to get located on the metropolis.

As an architecture enthusiast, I also couldn't avoid visiting some of my favorite buildings and places ever (seen zillion of times on TV series and movies), which are surprisingly close to each other: the Public Library, Central Station, Rockefeller Center and Times Square (really amazing but also overwhelming with so many people around). As you can see, simple outfit for traveling: comfy dress with sailor inspired stripes,  camera bag and black flats. The key is on the accessories!

Luggage. Maybe it's one of my biggest and annoying problems I face when traveling. Preparing your suitcase may seem difficult and exhausting... Shall I take this cute skirt? Do I forgot something? Bleh, my dress came full of creases from the suitcase!!

Switzerland. The second stage of our trip around Italy and Ticino was more rural. Bye-bye to ''more or less'' fashion outfits with dresses and espadrilles. Say hi to shorts, sneakers, and a bottle of freezing water.

Okay, not as terrible as it sounds: we walked a lot, seen lots of things and interesting buildings around Lugano and tiny lost towns in Switzerland and let me say, I had never seen so many green sights on all my life!

It's been a very cool experience. I've learned a lot related to architecture, although I'm still a freshman on all this. I've made new awesome friends, spoke a little bit of Italian (?), tried but finally failed with German, and met new lifestyles. So, when traveling, it's important to pack everything in a right way and doesn't forget anything on your luggage but... It's much more important to have fun, take lots of pictures and make tons of great memories!!

What about you? Do you have any fun traveling story to tell? Have you ever visited Switzerland?

Ciao everyone! My trip around Milano and Switzerland ended yesterday, and although it's been an incredible journey, full of good experiences and moments, I love getting back home and tell you all I've seen there!

Traveling with a huge group of students which everything they want to see and understand is architecture isn't always easy, so our first days were specially exhausting and non-stop at all. But, let me say that this journey has been very inspirational, and has filled my head with new ideas, projects, and desires to start new things.

This post is about what we saw on our first days, around Milan (my dream of walking around on the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle finally came true, yay!), Como and it's lake (breathtaking landscapes). It's been a bit difficult, but I've also tried to include a bit of ''traveling fashion'' as most known for ''outfits on the go'' pictures for you, so you can also take some ideas for your coming trips! Matching clothes when you're visiting a lot of different places in a really small lapse of time is a real challenge you have to deal with when traveling...

Luigi Bocconi University building is one of the most amazing places I've discovered on this trip. It is an open, bright space and gives an impressive feeling of lightness when you're inside. Amazing location to take pictures!

Milano. When traveling, I always try to pack as most comfy but still fashionable outfits as possible, like this one. I'm not already on Milano, I'm leaving on Wednesday so I'm still putting everything in order on my luggage. But this look could be one of those I usually wear on a trip: fresh and light dress, flat shoes and subtle accessories to add that different touch. This dress was perfect for a sunny and warm day around University.

Things that I always carry with me? Sunglasses or hats to protect me from sun, a small but useful bag, wallet and a notebook to write ideas or sketching on the go.

I'm sure Milan is going to be one of that trips that absolutely change your life, and let you see things from another point of view.

What about you? Have you been on Milan and Switzerland? What do you do when preparing a trip?

Traveling to Barcelona it's always a pleasure. This city is so inspirational, so mediterranian that there's more than one reason because I love it. Its architecture it's fresh and modern but at the same time has that historic atmosphere I really enjoy.

We went last week for a daytrip to the city, to visit some of its famous buildings (specially from Gaudí) and  take ideas for our future projects. Somehow architecture reminds me to fashion, and everytime I learn something new on my classes I try to apply it to my outfits or DIY: geometrical forms, volumes, lines,  proportions... These could be the main points on architecture, but also in fashion and design.

As this daytrips are totally like a marathon and the weather was pretty changing, I decided to go for the comfy outfit with ankle boots, skinny pants and jean jacket, so I could be warm when it was windy, or cooler when the sun was shining during the morning.

Mies Van der Rohe, Barcelona pavilion. My favourite ever!

I was wearing:

Zara brocade pants

Zapa ankle boots

Lcaoste old bag

Vintage red scarf

Mango rope necklace

Lloyd's white jacket

Barcelona's Palau de la Música has such a wonderful modernist architecture I've always loved. Colorful, full of different shapes which somehow reminds me fairytales. Pretty!