Florence In Spring

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Florence In Spring *

I learned how build community in a foreign place, how to be inspired, how to feel & experience.

I had the formative experience of studying abroad this past spring in Florence, Italy at the Santa Reparata School of the Arts. At the time, I was serving as Junior Editor-in-Chief of a student publication called River City Fashion. This provided an irrefusable opportunity to begin writing a column from abroad. One of the most rewarding aspects of journalism, I've discovered, is the pursuit of experiences and interactions with strangers I would not have otherwise approached. Armed with intense curiosity and the excitement of being in a foreign place, I was emboldened to chat with vintage shop workers in Prague, capture street style outside fashion week shows in Paris, and pursue the definitive list of "best second-hand in Firenze." Purpose gives me strength and the courage to follow the path led by my ever-inquiring mind.

Tourists and locals alike graced the cobbled streets of Tuscany with spunk, swagger, and sophistication. Whether out for a walk with their very small dogs, heading to work, or going to Sunday brunch, most pedestrians dressed as if they were ready to sit in the front row of a fashion show—even long after fashion week had come and gone. Throughout my semester, the staples I saw while out and about were high-quality denim, pleated trousers, vintage leather, and ballet flats—exemplifying the truth that elegance, self-expression, and practicality are at the heart of Italian streetwear.

  • Outside of Melaleuca in Santa Croce, Florence

  • Woman at the Market, Florence

    Woman at the Market, Florence

  • Woman in Fur, Florence

  • VCU’s Very Own @Eveme_iao, Lucca

  • Artist Out For a walk, Volterra

  • @Francesco_.cicala_ Having a Smoke, Florence

  • Women walking her dog, Volterra

  • Santa Reparata Student, Volterra

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