the oracle of seminyak
MILO TALKS ABOUT FASHION IN PRESENT AND FUTURE TENSES
I first met Emilio “Milo” Migliavacca more than a year ago on assignment for hellobali, and it was one of those interviews that lingers in the mind long after the story is written. Milo has all the warmth and charm expected from his Italian ancestry combined with a seemingly all-embracing aura obtained from his dedication to Hindu teachings. Sprinkle on top of that the passion and creativity of a designer and avid orchid cultivator and you have Milo.
The story is well known, but in a nutshell Milo came to Bali in the late sixties, directed by the toss of a coin – or else the Philippines would be his home right now. He opened the first high-end fashion store in Bali, become a member of his local banjar and a dedicated Hindu. His thirst for culture and natural beauty is only matched by his dedication to creating unique fabric and beautiful clothes.
Those memorable sparkling eyes welcome me into the dry haven of his upstairs studio next to his Seminyak home. When I complain about the buckets of water being dumped from the sky on Bali, he tells me to expect a lot more; after all it is the rainy season and “this is what it’s meant to be like”.
As we’d extensively covered Milo’s story previously, I wanted to focus on the future – what he’d been doing lately and what we could expect. I wanted to know how things had changed as nothing stays still for very long in Milo’s world. “Oh so now I am to be the oracle of Seminyak?” he laughs. But the past actually leads me to the future when I ask him to relate the highlight of 2011. “I did a show in London last July with 200 invited VIPs,” he says with raised eyebrows and a beaming smile. He then shoots me his iPad (a piece of technology he’s most impressed with by the way) and shows me a photo of himself standing with Princess Stephanie of Monaco.
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