It’s the second day of the Milan Menswear Spring 2007 season. It is also the day that Italy plays Australia at the World Cup Soccer tournament.

Everyone was looking forward to it; that one I understand, after all, in the U.S., Super Bowl Sunday is an unofficial holiday. I thought I was right on target in my perception of how much the Milanese and the Italians in general love football, i.e., until the Versace Menswear Spring 2007 catwalk presentation.

The same time that Versace will present its latest collection is also the same time that the match happens. All right, we are professionals, so the show must go on, and everyone is expected to attend the Versace show.

Here’s the big surprise for me. As I entered the venue for the Versace show, there were several widescreen TV with the satellite feed of the game. The press officers, as you come in inform you that the catwalk presentation will be done during halftime.

So, I entered the catwalk area, and a TV screen about the size of a movie screen also had the game! Everyone in the room was oblivious to the comings and goings of other guests. They were all watching football!!!

Taking my seat, it was very hard not to get involved. I found myself cheering for the Italian team, too. Observing the room, no one was talking or doing the usual catching up during pre-show. Everyone was glued on the game.

One minute before halftime, the houselights started flickering, the accepted signal that the show is about to go on. And the moment the commercial break for half time came on, the TV screen projected the new Versace logo, the house lights went off, the music started and the first model came out the same time the spotlights were turned on.

It was as if a switch was turned on and off with the people inside the room - from football fans everyone became fashionistas in a split second. The cameras started clicking and the journalists had their notebooks and pens out.

When the show finished and we were walking out, the widescreen TVs at the entrance were once again broadcasting the game (still at halftime). And as the Versace press officers thank everyone for coming, I realized that getting the satellite feed for the games was an extra cost for the maison.

But from the smiles on their faces (the Italian team was winning, and would actually win the game against Australia) proved that the House of Versace did not mind spending the extra bucks so that their guests can watch the game.

Versace is Italian, no matter how one looks at it, and football is close to its heart like the whole Italy feels about the game. What they did is more than just nice. It was also a display of patriotism in a sense.