A semi-serious chronicle from fashion's behind the scenes

Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.

If the one pronounced by Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada remains one of the most iconic quotes in the history of cinema (and fashion), the fashion industry has developed recurring expressions and unforgiving questions that are impossible to escape. Far from the fictitious yet revered Runway magazine to get closer to the reality of the industry, there's an Instagram page that more than others has been able to tell with frankness and humour what it means to work in the fashion world. 

With over 9K followers gathered in just a few months, @milanosulset has become the symbol of a composite community of professionals who find themselves dealing with an industry in which it's difficult to emerge, in which asking to be paid sounds like an offence, where the rhythms are frenetic and the requests are often absurd. The founder of the page, who prefers to remain anonymous, told nss magazine that "the page was born for two reasons. The first is linked to the health emergency, I had Covid and I found myself with a lot of free time during the quarantine. The second derives from the frustration accumulated on the various sets where I worked. I took the opportunity to make irony on the phrases and quotes most pronounced on the set and which bothered me most. To laugh so as not to cry. " The story of this world, often idealized and romanticized, starts from the direct experience of the founder of the page, who works as a director. "In fact, among the first phrases, I published is 'We also need it vertically for the Stories' or 'Change. Ah no, sorry, there is the video'. I must say, however, that in developing the page I tried to put myself in the shoes of the other professionals on the set, such as models, MUAs, stylists and photographers." 

One of the reasons behind the popularity of this page, as well as one of its strengths, is the honest, truthful, funny and ironic approach, which, without being heavy, excessively petulant or offensive, manages to accurately describe the industry, through a lightness that is the most effective way to portray the real Milan on the set. The success of @milanosulset has in common with other pages, first of all, @cibodellamoda, which accurately portrays catering and lunches that are served on fashion sets, is the unfiltered look they offer behind the scenes of fashion, which has always been one of the most fascinating worlds, followed by a huge and composite audience. It's the same principle that animates other IG pages such as @stressedstylist or @fashionassistants, which have always made fun of the work of the stylist and the fashion assistant, but that seems to have found new thrust and relevance thanks to the local approach and the Milanese focus that these profiles offer. Above all, the chosen format, which finally moves away from the more classic meme, that nonetheless started a real genre, makes the message that of these pages even more effective.  

@cibodellamoda

@cibodellamoda

@cibodellamoda

@cibodellamoda

@cibodellamoda

@cibodellamoda

@cibodellamoda

“Everything [that is being told] is true. Every sentence was really said. The interpretation is always very ironic and the language follows a precise memetic, but everything corresponds to reality. Milan on the set is a community of people who do the same job and who have common interests, this is a nice goal”, continued the creator of the page. The Milanese fashion scene finds itself (guilty) portrayed in typical expressions, almost catchphrases, ranging from "'You are the photographer' to 'Okay we can fix it in post' referring to a flaw or a dirty floor, as if retouching the images in post-production was that easy... Or 'Sorry, the WeTransfer has expired' or more simply the language of fashion 'For me, it's too much.' Another commonplace I play on a lot is the no budget, there's, for example, the phrase 'Sorry if we disappeared, but we found those who can do it for free", concluded the founder of @milanosulset. 

Although several quotes posted on the page offer space for more serious reflections, from the treatment reserved to models to the economic compensation of freelancers and professionals, @milanosulset intends to remain an ironic and fun platform, even a game: if you work in the fashion industry try to count how many of those sentences you've said at least once in your life...