COMO, ITALY 'Smithsonian Magazine, July 2008

Como, Italy not only lays claim to Europe's deepest lake, it is also home to a thriving silk industry. With the fashion capital of Milan just an hour south, Como has produced fine silk products for more than a century. While the manufacture of raw silk no longer takes place in Italy, the fashioning of fine silk products still does. Of course, Lake Como's unsurpassed beauty has also made it a hotspot for the rich and famous for many years. Today, the hills that surround the lake are dotted by picturesque villages and stately villas of all kinds. I was fortunate enough to travel to Como in May 2008 to shoot a story for Smithsonian Magazine.