Hot Spots to Check Out During Men’s Fashion Week

Milan is gearing up for Men’s Fashion Week, now underway. If the schedule allows, there are some hot new spots to check out: fresh bars, a hotel and a gallery right in the heart of the fashion district.

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Here’s a roundup of the unmissable spots:

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Hotel Calimala Milano

Hotel Calimala Milano makes its debut in the Porta Venezia neighborhood, marking a new chapter for the brand, which originated in Florence. Located at Via Melzo, 7, the hotel was designed by architect and designer Alex Meitlis and features 88 rooms, including four premium suites. The property boasts a ground-floor espresso bar and a rooftop with a bar and swimming pool.

The hotel’s design follows a “total design project,” where every element, from furniture to lighting and art, has been custom-crafted for the property. The interior showcases walnut wood, glass, oversized locally sourced black marble terrazzo floors that celebrate Milan’s artisanal traditions.

Meitlis described the project as a “love letter to Milan,” influenced by the city’s heritage of fashion, art and urban vibrancy. “We wanted Hotel Calimala Milan to feel like a natural extension of the city,” he said. The hotel holds personal significance as it was designed with his late husband, the artist Ivo Bisignano, in mind.

The interior pays homage to Milan’s artistic heritage, featuring photography by Dafna Arnon, and curated by artist Carmel Ilan. The color palette includes clay pink, citrus orange and minty blue.

The hotel’s restaurant on the fifth floor, called Five, will open in spring 2026, offering a Mediterranean-inspired menu crafted by chef Moshiko Gamlieli. The menu features light portions, small plates and sections dedicated to crudo, pasta and fish. The restaurant will have an open kitchen and will seat up to 80 people.

Hotel Calimala Milano
Via Melzo, 7 – 20129
calimalamilano.com

Bar Sandøy

A new wine bar has opened in the Porta Venezia neighborhood. Bar Sandøy, located in Via Melzo, 3, is a project designed by Milan-based architecture studio Vudafieri-Saverino Partners, which has transformed a former 1960s electrical shop into a stylish new locale.

The bar takes its name from a small Norwegian island. The studio has chosen to preserve the original floor and walls of the former shop, incorporating the historical layers into the design. It’s divided into two sections: the first features a street-facing window, tables, wall-mounted shelves and high seating; the second is anchored by a bar that leads to the kitchen. The color palette combines red tones, black and earthy hues.

On the walls, black iron bookcases display the wine bottles, while suspended lamps create an intimate atmosphere. A graphic and distinctive touch is added by the black and red checkered cladding that wraps around the bar area and is featured in the customer bathroom.

The bar seats 25 at high tables and the food and wine concept is inspired by the experience of Basque pintxos bars: bites to enjoy standing up, paired with a selection of natural wines. The kitchen is centered around an open grill, featuring vegetables, fish, shellfish and select cuts of meat. Signature dishes include marinated cod and chimichurri and ginger chicken bites, among others. The wine selection, curated by Andrea Cigalotti, completes the offering.

Bar Sandøy
Via Melzo, 3 – 20129
barsandoy.com

Bar Sensa

Milan draws inspiration from Venice for its new destination. Bar Sensa, opened in Via Garofalo, 21, is a wine bar that takes its cue from Venice’s bacari — what bars are called in the lagoon city. The format includes an offer of wine, an extensive selection of aperitifs and cocktails, and small plates to share inspired by classic Venetian “cicchetti” and hot tramezzini, called Tostini at Sensa.

The owners, three partners, Giulio and Enrico Vescovi, along with Marco Doro, wanted to create a place that pays homage to their native region. The name is inspired by one of Venezia’s most important festivals: the “Festa della Sensa,” which celebrates the relationship between the city and the sea.

The interior design project was entrusted to Milan-based interior and set designer Thayse Viégas, founder of art gallery Casa Canvas. Green floors evoke the city’s canals, while a large shelving unit recalls stacked oars, and reflective materials reference the water of the lagoon.

Bar Sensa
Via Garofalo, 21 – 20131
barsensamilano.com

Simon Cracker

The fashion brand Simon Cracker has opened its first monobrand store at Via Solferino 3, in Milan’s Brera neighborhood. The space was launched in collaboration with Roberta Tagliavini, owner of the Milanese gallery “Robertaebasta.”

“When I met Roberta, I immediately knew we would get along,” said Simone Botte, founder of the brand. “She works with objects in the same way I work with clothes: we both give things a second chance. The preparations are almost complete, and soon our new space will open to the public, featuring a small Simon Cracker flat, the first monobrand store that will showcase not only the clothes but also everything surrounding the brand that I have never had the chance to display before.”

The interior design, curated jointly by Botte and and Tagliavini, sports a mix of metals, vintage details and a 1970s-style living room bar at the heart of the space.

The store features shelves wrapped in fluorescent tape, mannequins, and handmade terracotta jars reinterpreting the aesthetic of the “Cracker Boy.” Botte described the space as “my flat open to all,” where visitors can discover unique pieces and accessories for both personal and home use.

Simon Cracker
Via Solferino, 3 – 20121
simoncrackermilano.com

Upsilon Gallery

Upsilon Gallery has inaugurated its first Italian and European location in the heart of Milan’s fashion district, at Via Gastone Pisoni 2. Founded in 2016 in New York by German-Argentine art dealer and chief executive officer Marcelo Zimmler, the gallery has expanded to include another New York private space (by appointment only), a London outpost in Mayfair, and an operational office in Miami.

“The choice of Milan as our first operational hub in Europe reflects the city’s pivotal role in the international art scene, as a crossroads of cultures,” said Zimmler. “A bridge between past and future, as evidenced by its rich artistic tradition, from Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces to Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondanini at Castello Sforzesco, Milan today expresses its creativity in fashion and design.”

The exhibition space spans approximately 2,160 square feet, divided into three interconnected “sub-galleries” linked by a wide corridor: two facing the street and one at the rear. The ceilings are over four meters high in order to accommodate artworks and installations of any size. The design pays homage to Milan, featuring Ceppo di Gré flooring, a material used in iconic buildings like the city’s Municipality building, and marble and natural stones that are hallmarks of Milanese architecture, present in palaces, streets, and at the Duomo.

Upsilon Gallery
Via Gastone Pisoni, 2 – 20121
upsilongallery.com

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