"In Italy, the Milanese are well organized but follow bourgeois taste. They adhere to certain codes of elegance, but not to individualism"
About this Quote
“Bourgeois taste” is the loaded term. It’s not simply “middle class”; it’s a critique of safety masquerading as refinement. Lacroix points to a Milanese aesthetic that values correctness: the right label, the right cut, the right restraint. The compliment (“well organized,” “codes of elegance”) acknowledges Milan’s dominance in producing wearable luxury and running the industry like a machine. The sting is that the machine rewards conformity. Elegance becomes rule-bound, and taste becomes social compliance dressed as sophistication.
The subtext is a familiar fashion-world rivalry: Paris versus Milan, couture fantasy versus industrial polish. Lacroix’s France, and his own brand identity, are tied to the idea of the singular vision, the designer-as-author. Milan, in his telling, is a city of consensus - exquisitely executed, expertly curated, but wary of the eccentric. It’s not that Milan lacks creativity; it’s that creativity must pass through an unspoken dress code of belonging. The line works because it reframes elegance as a kind of civic discipline: beautiful, efficient, and quietly suspicious of anyone dressing for themselves.
Quote Details
| Topic | Art |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
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APA Style (7th ed.)
Lacroix, Christian. (n.d.). In Italy, the Milanese are well organized but follow bourgeois taste. They adhere to certain codes of elegance, but not to individualism. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-italy-the-milanese-are-well-organized-but-52263/
Chicago Style
Lacroix, Christian. "In Italy, the Milanese are well organized but follow bourgeois taste. They adhere to certain codes of elegance, but not to individualism." FixQuotes. Accessed February 3, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-italy-the-milanese-are-well-organized-but-52263/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"In Italy, the Milanese are well organized but follow bourgeois taste. They adhere to certain codes of elegance, but not to individualism." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-italy-the-milanese-are-well-organized-but-52263/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.



