For the first couple of days in Torino, Italy we had the freedom to tour the city, shop and experience all the Italian cuisine our hearts desired. I, being the foodie that I am, was looking forward the fresh pastas, authentic Italian pizzas, chocolates, cafes and desserts! It was myself, Sisters Hassanah, Harmoni, Nzinga, Scherri and Summayah. We wasted no time taking advantage of being so close to everything. I don’t think any of us realized how much walking we had to do, so the first stop was H&M to get some flats.
Along the way, we took photos and I recorded video footage of the group as we journeyed through the city’s cobble stone streets, which by the way didn’t have any traffic lights or signs. Therefore, we had to be careful walking since the drivers were not as observant as one would hope.
Torino Fashion Week- Touring Torino + Milan from Ebony S. Muhammad on Vimeo.
That night we took more photos of the city and the unique architecture that surrounded us.
Every luxury brand one could imagine was minutes away along with local boutiques. One particular thing I noticed throughout Torino, as far as fashion, was how modest their selections were. It wasn’t just a few stores here and there that carried modest attire. Just about every store we entered had a modest theme.
The first night in Torino we dove right in to experience the authentic Italian pizza! I had the veggie pizza, and yes I ate the whole thing (laughs)!
There is definitely a difference in how fresh all of the ingredients were, how much toppings were given and the overall taste! It was filling but not overwhelming in portion, which is totally the opposite in America. After dinner we went out for gelato, my second one that day ;-).
On the second night, we went to a more formal restaurant and made reservations for everyone in our party. We started off in their downstairs dining area, but we were asked if we wanted to move to a nicer space. They took us to their upstairs dining room that was extremely nice and quiet. I had the eggplant ravioli, which did not leave me disappointed at all!
Their pasta is incredibly fresh, and again, the portion was perfect! I also had my first Tiramisu for dessert. Just for the record, they do not add rum to the cake.
We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience there. The service at that restaurant was awesome! We could tell they were intrigued by us by the type of questions they asked along with taking our orders and checking on how everything was at our table.
Sidebar: We noticed there weren’t many, if any, Black people in Torino. Sister Nzinga and I met a brother we believed to be homeless who was asking for money, but he was along the outskirts of the city. His demeanor was indicative of not wanting to pass a certain point. The only time I recall seeing Black people in Torino was on our way out of the Egyptian Museum, but they were selling souvenirs. When they saw us they seemed almost shocked. We realized that Black people were either not openly welcomed or just didn’t venture into Torino for whatever reason. There were many times when less than welcoming experiences did occur while we were visiting, but it didn’t take away from our excitement.
The third day we were in Torino was actually Sister Hassanah’s birth anniversary. Unbeknownst to her, we were all planning a surprise dinner party. We scouted a few restaurants, bought a blueberry gelato cake and balloons.
Once we arrived to the restaurant, myself, Sister Nzinga and Sister Hassanah walked towards the back where Sister Harmoni and Sister Summayah were seated. I noticed they were both acting a bit strange. Almost immediately we all decided to sit outside. Sister Hassanah walked out first, and it was at that moment I saw that Sister Harmoni was hiding the balloons under the table! Talking about a close call (laughs).
Although we wanted to sit outside, the party next to us decided to smoke. Honestly, it seemed like everyone in Torino smoked 🙁
As a result, we decided to go back inside to dine. Sister Hassanah still had no idea we were surprising her for her birthday, so it appeared to her that we had forgotten. After we ate, we could tell she was ready to leave. It was then that we had the servers bring out her cake and balloons! We all dove into the delicious gelato cake!
After leaving the restaurant, we enjoyed the rest of the evening walking around the city. By the way, the sun didn’t begin setting in Torino until 9:30pm.
I have to mention this: Earlier that day I was out shopping with Sister Carmen and visiting stores such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton. One of the highlights of that week was watching how she confidently walked in and introduced herself as the Owner of Al-Nisa Designs. As she handed them her card invited them to Torino Fashion Week to see her segment. They were polite and smiled, but I could tell they weren’t taking her as seriously as they should have. Little did they know it would be her segment that would rock that city to its core! I’m sure they’re looking back at that moment wishing that they had spent more time getting to know her. Oh well…*Kanye shrug*
I do have to mention the $1,500 Chanel bag and $750 shoes lined in pearls that I saw before we left the store. Excuse me, this was in Euros so it would actually be $1,770 for the purse and $884.43 in USD for the pair of shoes.
The following nights of dinner were a blur (laughs). We returned to the restaurant from the second night and then a different restaurant the night of the fashion show. I completely understand why The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad said not to eat spaghetti at every meal, because by night four I was done! The following nights I passed on the pasta! Well after this unique veggie pasta… then I was done 😉
This concludes part 2 of The Torino Fashion Week Testimony! Part 3 forthcoming.
Be sure to check out Part 1: The Story Behind the Missing Luggage!
