“意大利人是欧洲的中国人”——上海和米兰，惊人的相似之处！

米兰人是意大利的上海人？这两座友好城市有着特殊的联系和惊人的相似之处！去年9月，为了在米兰举办上海时尚日活动，上海国际时尚联合会秘书长宋波在这座意大利时尚之都度过了一个月的时间。“意大利人是欧洲的中国人，”他用比喻的方式回顾着那些和意大利人打交道的日子。“而米兰人是意大利的上海人。”在他眼中，上海与米兰，虽然身处不同大陆，但同为联合国教科文组织全球创意城市网络（Creative Cities Network）的成员城市，这两座城市有着惊人的跨越空间、国界与文化的相似之处。

意大利建筑师、艺术家和国际策展人范嘉雷出生于米兰附近的亚历山德里亚，并于2000 年移居上海。他和宋波有着一样的感受：“人们都会认同说米兰和上海有着特殊的联系和许多相似之处，尤其是在社会和人们的行为和思维方式上。”“Everybody agrees that Milan and Shanghai have a special connection and there are many similarities — especially in the way that society and people act and think,” said Gabriele Fezia, an Italian architect, artist and curator who comes from Alessandria near Milan and moved to Shanghai in 2000.

早在1979年6月25日，上海和米兰就成为了中国和意大利间的第*对友好城市。随着2010 年上海世博会和 2015 年米兰世博会的成功举办，这段友城关系也在两届世博举办接力的过程中变得牢固。自那以后，上海和米兰之间的合作与交流也进一步得到了深化。In 1979, exactly 45 years ago, Shanghai and Milan joined hands to become the first pair of sister cities between China and Italy. The friendship has been particularly enhanced in light of the passing of the baton between the two World Expos, namely the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai and the 2015 World Expo in Milan, thanks to a memorandum of cooperation being signed between the organizing committees of both sides. 范嘉雷表示：“2015 年之后，上海和米兰真正开启了合作，双方都采取了很多举措促进合作交流。例如，米兰国际家具（上海）展览会自2016年开幕以来，取得了巨大的成功。我们也能看到意大利的生活方式和元素在中国得到了推广。”“After 2015, Shanghai and Milan really established serious cooperation. There have been a lot of initiatives on both sides. They are setting up exhibitions such as the Shanghai branch of the Salon del Mobile — a notable annual furnishing exhibition in Milan since ages ago. It has been a big success (since its inauguration in 2016) and we have seen Italian lifestyle elements promoted on many occasions in China,” said Fezia.在上海和米兰交流合作的诸多领域中，时尚与设计行业尤为亮眼。若问起世界的“时尚之都”“设计之都”是哪里，米兰一定榜上有名；而若问起中国*潮流、*时尚的地方是哪里，上海也一定不遑多让。米兰是著名的历史文化名城，拥有国际四大时装周之一的“米兰时装周”，是全球设计师向往的地方之一。几乎世界所有的时装品牌都在此设立机构，半数以上时装大牌在这里设立总部，是公认的世界时尚之都之一。

近年来，随着上海大力推进建设世界“设计之都”和“时尚之都”，“上海时装周”等标志性活动的海内外影响力逐年提升，本地的时尚、设计和创意产业飞速发展，吸引了来自全国乃至全世界的人才来到这里寻找机遇。 

知名意大利建筑师和设计师安东·西比克自1977年起就生活在米兰，他2018年迁居上海，现担任同济大学荣誉教授并拥有自己的工作室。他说：“上海和米兰一样，是不同的人相互认识、交流和产出的地方。而在这之后，你会创造新的机会和业务，创造新的设计和可能。”“Shanghai, like Milan, is the place where different people meet to know each other, to exchange and to produce. Then after that, you create new opportunities, new business, new design and new possibilities,” said Aldo Cibic, an acclaimed Italian architect and designer and an honorary professor at Shanghai's Tongji University who relocated to Shanghai in 2018 after having lived in Milan since 1977.

西比克是国际知名的设计师和建筑师，也是著名的孟菲斯集团的创始人之一，对后现代设计做出了举足轻重的贡献。他说上海让他想起了 20 世纪 80 年代的米兰那种生机勃勃的氛围：“我无比喜欢上海的时尚，因为现在这里的人们在通过他们的着装方式来表达自己，这与 80 年代在米兰发生的事情如出一辙......”As an internationally acclaimed designer and architect, and a pivotal contributor to postmodern design as the co-founder of the renowned Memphis Group, Cibic said Shanghai reminds him of Milan’s vibrant atmosphere in the 1980s.“I like how Shanghai is fashionable. Here people are expressing themselves through the way they dress, which is the same thing happening in Milan in the 80s,” said Cibic.

西比克表示，米兰在设计和时尚方面底蕴十足，长久以来它就是以这些领域而著称，而上海还有许多故事有待书写。一切皆未可知，这就是我喜爱这里的原因。“Milan is a mature city with a rich heritage in design and fashion; it has long been renowned in these fields. Shanghai has many stories yet to be written. Everything is still unknown, and that's why I love being here,” said Cibic.近些年来，上海和米兰在设计和时尚领域交流密切。今年四月，“上海时尚出品”出海计划——设计沪航米兰站在意大利米兰设计周期间成功举办。这个为期一周的展览以“设计翩然游龙今梦”为主题，展示了27个以上海为主的优质时尚消费品，涵盖服装、配饰、护肤品等。Earlier this year, an exhibition organized by Shanghai Design Week landed in Milan for the first time. Themed “Designing Dragon, Fusion of Tradition & Innovation”, the seven-day event in April featured 27 fashion consumer brands, including clothing, accessories, skin care products, and household items, primarily from Shanghai.再早一些的去年九月，作为 2023 年世界设计之都大会的一部分，一场名为 “上海时尚日”的时装秀在米兰引发了一个小小的轰动，让上海的时尚品牌成为了全球瞩目的焦点。A bit earlier, as part of the World Design Cities Conference 2023, a fashion show named Shanghai Fashion Day made waves last September in Milan, bringing Shanghai fashion brands under the global spotlight.宋波回忆道：“这次活动取得了巨大成功，得到了广泛认可。在这次的活动中我也感受到，是意大利人、欧洲人，他们对我们中国的时尚特别感兴趣，这一点是完全出乎我的意料。他们完全是一种带着欣赏和崇敬的方式，骨子里边是对中国文化、中国时尚的一种渴望。他们很想知道。”“It was a big success and received extensive recognition. Through the event, we are surprised to find out that Italians and Europeans are actually very interested in Chinese fashion, with appreciation, respect and yearning,” said Song Bo, secretary-general of Shanghai International Fashion Federation, one of the show’s organizers.这场秀高朋满座，其中就有意大利时尚全国商会荣誉、意大利中国理事基金会马里奥·波塞利。Mario Boselli, the honorary president of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion and president of the Italy China Council Foundation, was among the distinguished guests present at the Shanghai Fashion Day.

波塞利说：“中国设计师所走的新路是正确的，他们以现代的方式重新诠释古老的历史元素。我认为这是上海（的设计和时尚）在国际市场上展现出的*积极的一面。”“The new and correct path that the Chinese designers took involves reinterpreting ancient historical elements in a modern way. I find this to be the most positive aspect of Shanghai, as its products are accessible to the international market,” said Boselli.在一次又一次的探索后，上海的时尚与设计行业也无比期待未来同米兰有进一步的深入交流与合作。宋波表示：“其实双方现在都在互相学习和升级换代。我们希望能够把通过上海跟米兰的交流，把我们就已经有的东西以交流的方式再带到西方去。能够以新的方式、在新的一个起点上面，把西方的文化跟我们现在的文化去做一些交流。”“Both the West and us are learning from each other and upgrading. Through the exchanges between Shanghai and Milan, we expect to stand at a new starting point and find a new way, to promote the communication and exchanges of cultures in our current contexts,” said Song, who has high hopes for the potential of future collaboration between the two cities.波塞利指出，上海和米兰的友城关系是中意关系的纽带。“上海和米兰之间的关系具有重要的历史意义，我认为我们需要回顾历史和预测未来。上海和米兰之间的密切关系正映照了中国和意大利之间的紧密联系，未来，上海和米兰的友城关系将继续成为联结两个大国的桥梁。”Boselli pointed out that the twinning between Shanghai and Milan could act as a link between China and Italy. “The relations between Shanghai and Milan are historically important, and I believe that we need to look at the history to predict the future. The warmth and intensity of the relations between Shanghai and Milan depict the strong connection between China and Italy, and the sister-city friendship will continue to be a bridge between the two great countries in the future.”