We Retrobranded: Why MilanoStyle Is Returning to Its Original “M” (and Why It Matters)

Some changes feel exciting. Others feel right.

After long deliberation, we’ve decided to retrobrand — returning to our original MilanoStyle logo, first created in 2008. It’s a small visual shift, but it marks something bigger: clarity about who we are, what we publish, and how we want the MilanoStyle universe to feel as it grows.

A quick look back: the lily era (and what it gave us)

But over time, we noticed something important: the lily communicated luxury so well that it sometimes communicated the wrong category entirely. A surprising number of people assumed MilanoStyle was a hotel brand, a tour company, or a boutique hospitality service — all wonderful worlds, but not quite ours.

MilanoStyle is editorial. We’re a publication.

Why we’re returning to the “M”

The new (retro) mark is unmistakably metropolitan: a bold “M” that reads as Milano, modern, and media — a logo that feels at home on a magazine cover, in a newsletter header, on a city guide, or on a travel feature that starts in Lombardy and ends somewhere unexpected.

This matters because our content has grown.

Yes, our roots are Milan and Lake Como — and those will always be our anchor points. But MilanoStyle today is also:

• Italy travel (from weekend escapes to longer itineraries)
• Style and Design (the lens through which we look at places)
• Lifestyle and Culture
• World Travel and Experiences (because MilanoStyle readers don’t only travel within one border)

So the logo needed to do one simple job: signal “publication” at a glance, without being mistaken for a service provider.

The MilanoStyle + LakeComoStyle focus

Another reason this shift feels natural: we’re building with clearer structure.

MilanoStyle and LakeComoStyle are sister platforms — distinct, focused, and connected. The “M” gives MilanoStyle a confident, editorial identity that pairs well with the LakeComoStyle world, while still leaving room for the broader Italy and world sections to live comfortably under the same umbrella.

For those who have been following closely; ItalyTravelStyle remains a strong support channel on social media.

Retrobranding isn’t going backward — it’s becoming recognizable

Retrobranding isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s a decision to choose the identity that feels most native to your brand — the one that readers remember, that looks strong across platforms, and that doesn’t require explanation.

Sentimental, maybe. But we kept coming back to it.

Where you’ll see the logo next

You’ll start spotting the updated logo across:

• the website header and favicon
• social media profiles and story covers
• newsletters and downloadable guides
• media kit and editorial assets

If you’ve followed MilanoStyle for years, consider this our little nod to the beginning — with a very modern step forward.

What do you think of the return to the “M”?
Let us know your thoughts. (And if you’ve been here since the early days, I’d love to hear when you first discovered MilanoStyle.)

Behind the Blog: How the MilanoStyle Logo Was Created

The MilanoStyle logo has always been a study in clean, metropolitan simplicity—designed as a bold “M” that can stand on its own, with a subtle nod to the iconic “M” of Milan’s metro signage. The original mark was created in Adobe Illustrator in 2008 by Celia Abernethy, founder of MilanoStyle, drawing on her graphic design training at Milano Scuola Arte e Messaggi (back when the school was located at Castello Sforzesco). In 2018, we recreated and reformatted the logo in Canva to adapt it for new platforms and layouts, and we refined the wordmark by moving from a standard Helvetica to the more elegant, slender Abiha Light. Today, with new tools and technologies at our fingertips, we’ll be experimenting with subtle animation and occasional color treatments—but our signature look remains the same: classic black and white, timeless and unmistakably MilanoStyle.

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