Milan has a way of making even the simplest moments feel cinematic, and I felt that from the minute we arrived. But what stays with me from our time in Italy with Brutal Fruit isn’t the fashion week invites or the postcard views. It’s how quickly a group of women who barely knew each other started to feel like friends. Through The Pink Table, Brutal Fruit brought together nine South African influencers, African besties and Brazilian creators for a trip that moved between the electric energy of Milan and the quieter beauty of Lake Como. I’ll be honest: when you travel with a group of women you’ve only met through screens, there’s a flicker of “will we click?” What I found is that a trip away does something the group chat never can. It strips away the performance and leaves the people.
Our home for the Milan leg was ME Milan Il Duca, and the sense of occasion started before we even stepped outside. When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted with a glass of Brutal Fruit and a beautiful bunch of flowers to welcome us. The thoughtful touches in our rooms, and the shared anticipation of getting ready for a city synonymous with fashion and design, set the tone. On our first night a tram ride gave us Milan the way locals live it, beyond the landmarks and into the everyday. I loved that. It felt like a small reminder that the best way to get to know a city, and each other, is to slow down and look closer.
Then came the Nonnas dinner, which is where I felt the group really settle into each other. Women from different countries, backgrounds and ways of seeing the world sat around tables trading stories, flavours and laughter. There’s something universal about gathering over a meal, and I watched walls come down in real time.
The next day we had the privilege of attending the fashion show of Italian fashion designer, Barbara Rizzi at the breathtakingly beautiful Museo Bagatti Valsecchi. At the show, Rizzi shared, “With this collection, it was not just about clothes but identity and heritage.” That line stayed with me, because it was exactly what I was seeing around me. A group of African and Brazilian creatives, each carrying her own heritage and style into a city with a strong fashion identity. From the front row to the conversations afterwards, it felt like fashion at its best: making room for more than one voice.
Milan kept revealing itself in layers. Museo Bagatti Valsecchi gave us a glimpse of the city’s artistic and architectural heritage, and dinner near the Duomo brought us back into its unmistakable atmosphere after dark. Milan was never just a backdrop for photographs. It invited us to be present, and I think that’s what brought us closer.
But the moment that made it all click came just outside the city.
Lake Como, about 40 minutes from Milan, brought a slower rhythm. At Villa Regina Teodolinda in Laglio, around 75 guests gathered around The Pink Table for an intimate celebration at the water’s edge, hosted by global MC and Italian actress Marina Valdemoro Maino, with food, music and conversation, and Brutal Fruit woven through it all.
The setting was breathtaking, but what I’ll remember is the feeling at the table. South African women, African besties and Brazilian creators swapped stories, compliments, photographs and plenty of laughter. Connection happened without anyone forcing it. As women, I think we rarely give ourselves permission to simply enjoy each other without an agenda. Here, nobody was rushing off to be anywhere else.
Candice van den Bosch, Brand Director at Brutal Fruit, says creating that kind of space is at the heart of the brand. “Brutal Fruit is at the core of many friendships. As women, it feels like we have many roles and responsibilities and we juggle a lot of roles, and sometimes you just need that permission to pause and choose joy and sisterhood.”
The setting was undeniably beautiful, but it was the atmosphere around the table that made it memorable. South African women, African besties and Brazilian creators shared stories, compliments, photographs, food and plenty of laughter.
At Lake Como, I felt that. The Pink Table wasn’t only a beautiful setting; it was a reason to put the phone down, pour another drink, start a conversation and really see the women beside me. That’s what made this feel bigger than fashion week. The clothes were beautiful, the locations spectacular, and the food, architecture and fashion gave us plenty to admire. But underneath the glamour was something simpler and more powerful: space for women to connect.
Because sometimes the best part of a new city isn’t ticking off the itinerary. It’s stopping, raising a glass, and looking around at the women you’re sharing it with.
For Candice van den Bosch, Brand Director at Brutal Fruit, creating that kind of space is at the heart of the brand.
“Brutal Fruit is at the core of many friendships. As women, it feels like we have many roles and responsibilities and we juggle a lot of roles, and sometimes you just need that permission to pause and choose joy and sisterhood.”
At Lake Como, that idea felt particularly tangible. The Pink Table wasn't simply a beautiful setting; it became a reason to slow down and be present. To put the phone down for a moment, pour another drink, start a conversation and enjoy the women sitting beside you.
And that is what made Brutal Fruit's Milan experience feel bigger than fashion week.
Brutal Fruit is not served for people under the age of 18
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