Every year, the haute ton descend on Milan to study the catwalk and pick what they will be wearing during the next season. Milan offers two fashion weeks a year: Spring/Summer fashions are shown in the Fall and Fall/Winter Fashions in the Spring. Celebrities and fashion powerhouses hit the city, staying at places like the Hotel Bulgari or the Four Seasons Milan and partying at the Principe di Savoia (the spot to see and be seen during the week). Of course, the centerpiece of the season is not the city itself, but Italy's designers, both the fashion staples and the up-and-comers. Catwalk shows are by invitation only, so unless you're a big time buyer or a Hollywood starlet, you're not getting in. This year did feature several democratic events, including Milan's first open-air catwalk C'N'C by Ennio Capasa of Costume National. Opportunities for the common man at Fashion Week are few and far in between, however, and that is exactly why this event is as prestigious as it is.

From September 23-30, designers like Missoni, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, and Fendi set the tone for the coming year and it looks like next Spring is going to be hot! Fashions were revealing (to say the least) with short skirts, cut away swimwear, and peek-a-boo everything. Other trends to look out for include highly structured, almost architectural dresses, frilly girlish looks and 70's retro.

If you didn't hold a ticket to the runway, you're still in luck because the best time to visit Milan is right now. During November and December, Fashion Week trends start hitting the stores of the Quadrilatero d'Oro, or Golden Quadrilateral. This area consists of Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga where all the top designer stores can be found. You might also want to stop in 10 Corso Como, one of our favorite stores owned by Carla Sozzani, editor in chief of Italian Elle who stocks the store with her favorite things both wearable fashion and home design. Another great find is Biffi (Corso Genova, 5-6), a nice mix of designer labels and inspiring trend setters.

Plan for one day to get your bearings. Try a specially designed shopping tour, like our Style and Substance Tour, to introduce you to Milan. Our guide will act as your personal shopping guide directing you through the city, taking you to the best shops, and interacting with shop owners to get what you want and need. Once you're in the know, you'll want to set off on your own to uncharted territory. Try Dmagazine outlet store (Via Monte Napoleone, 26), a ritzy address with discount prices, or Il Salvagente (Via Fratelli Bronzetti, 16) for legendary designer outlet deals.

If you're thinking of traveling to Milan to stock up your Spring wardrobe, here's what to expect. Airfare to Malpensa is usually fairly inexpensive this time of year and, being a major European hub, gets direct flights from many major US cities. Plan to stay in a centrally located hotel like the 5-star Grand Hotel Duomo or the 4-star boutique Hotel Spadari Al Duomo, both just steps from the fashion district. Being in the northern part of Italy, Milan can get quite chilly in the winter. In fact, you may even see snow! Average temperatures range from 50 to 30 degrees Farenheit in November and 43 to 24 degrees in December and January. Pack your chicest winter coat and remember to sit in a cafe' and drink espresso while contemplating that cut-away swimwear.

Milan isn't the only Italian city famous for fashion. Make a holiday of your shopping trip and head to Rome too. Select Italy's Simplest of Tastes Tour will introduce you to the city's best fashion purveyors and trendiest spots. To custom design your shopping odyssey, call 800-877-1755.

This is what travel agents call the low season - summer vacation is over and less people are traveling to far-flung locations. Accordingly, things should slow down for a couple of months, right? Not at Select Italy! This is what we call the busy season, as this is when the hard work -- and fun -- starts.

When he founded Select Italy, company president Andrea Sertoli knew he wanted to design a company unlike other travel agencies. Sertoli created a website that would offer clients not only the basic must-sees of any Italian vacation, but also a range of services that reveal the off-the-beaten-path charm of Italy -- activities and tours to enrich the Italian experience that maybe hadn't occurred to the average traveler.

"Innovation is the cornerstone of our company," Sertoli says. "Everyone knows you have to see the Sistine Chapel and you have to take a gondola ride in Venice. But no one wants their vacation to be a carbon copy of everyone else's vacation. A vacation has to fit who you are, and no one is exactly like someone else. That's why we search out activities that will expose our clients to something new and exciting."

How do we do that? Trial and error, which is when the fun begins. This month, half of our company has been traveling in Italy, going their separate ways, scouring the country to search for the next big thing. We meet with restaurant owners, tour guides, hotel managers, shop vendors, and Italian friends. We are also gracious enough to do the 'hard work' of going to spas, drinking wine, tasting white truffles and standing in front of Caravaggios. Then, we analyze the results. What makes the final cut are only the finest products, those activities that will provide you with memories to last a lifetime. For example, Sertoli's last trip home to Rome resulted in a series of wine tastings. While these are routine for travelers throughout Italy, going to a Select Italy wine tasting is more than an experience, it's an event.

Our exclusive wine tastings are offered at Casa Bleve, a wine bar that encapsulates the dichotomy of Roman style - Baroque eloquence and ancient splendor. Select Italy clients are treated to flourishing style, one-on-one attention and high caliber wines, all key attributes and requirements for a Select Italy tasting. A range of vintages and varietals is presented to the clients as they learn about wines and flavors, all while enjoying gourmet appetizers like hand-made organic mozzarella and prosciutto di Parma. The tasting occurs in the marble-columned wine bar, something straight out of the "Grand Tour" era. As the wine guide picks out bottles for the tasting, our clients have the exclusive privilege of visiting their wine cellar, built on the ancient ruins of Augustan-era Rome. Clients explore ancient ruins and valued vintages in a meeting of the ages -- not exactly your average wine and cheese party!

Finding new experiences is easy because of the variety Italy has to offer. It is not the typical European nation -- there is no pan-Italian way of life. Each city, each region has its own traditions, ways of life, foods, arts, history. This diversity needs to be introduced to travelers, so we make it our goal to design products that help people find the right Italy for them.

Our sense of innovation is one of the key reasons Select Italy has made the A-List for the past eight years. In the past, Travel+Leisure has asked us to inspire their readers by describing one of our dream trips. Over eight years, we've never come up short because as many times as we've traveled Italy, there's always a new adventure around the corner.

What's next? Stay tuned. Our dreams inspire the stories that we write for the Cappuccino, and we promise to keep dreaming.

To receive 20% off any Select Italy Store purchase, enter gifts20off in your online order. Offer valid from today until November 30.