Fashion

#TravelInFashion: The streets of style in the “Medici” capital

русская версия | english version

26 июня 2023

#TravelInFashion: The streets of style in the “Medici” capital

Ignatious Joseph

Firenze or Florence, whose hot summers are cooled by gentle breezes borne by the river Arno, is the capital of Tuscany. What is known in its Western history books as the Renaissance is closely associated with the artists and artisans that this city’s patricians supported and encouraged. Although centuries have passed since Da Vinci, Dante, and Michelangelo worked here the natural beauty of the Arno capital and its entrepreneurial traditions maintain Firenze’s international importance.

If one can wade through the swarms of undergraduate students who fill the city for summer semesters at one of the many branch offices of foreign universities, then one can still feel the energy which Tuscans generate. Like in any ancient Italian municipality there are lots of historical artifacts, not to mention churches. However unlike Rome and Milan, the essential character is not only preserved but compact, even intimate.

The contributions to the western peninsula to be known as Europe made by those talents between the Alps and Sicily, especially in city-states like Florence, have had a big impact on every field from the cultural to the culinary.

However, what is less well appreciated is that what would become Italy- first as a monarchy and later a republic- was since the expeditions of Marco Polo, the principle interface between China and the West. It was the Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci who established the regular cultural and scientific communications between the advanced Chinese civilization and a Western peninsula recovering from endless feudal and religious wars. Florence as a city has an extremely important role in both Italian and global history. The Medici family, merchant bankers who dominated the city and international affairs when Florence was at its height of influence, promoted the arts and learning on the banks of the Arno, Tiber and Seine.

Although the ducal houses have declined, Florentine merchant ingenuity survives. With much of the Italian economy in ruins after 1945, the Florentines decided to launch the Pitti fairs and the Uomo Imagine trade fair as a vehicle for resuscitating Italy’s textile and clothing industries as motors for future growth. It was the Florentine businessman Giovanni Battista Giorgini who held his fashion show in Florence in 1951 to launch that recovery…

Originally called the “First Italian High Fashion Show”, Giorgini set up the show at his house in Florence, called Villa Torrigiani. Designers were invited from around the world to view the latest Italian fashions. The name was eventually changed to “Pitti Uomo” and the location of the event was changed twice. The first time in 1972 to Florence’s Grand Hotel and finally in 1982 to the Fortezza da Basso (Fortress of Saint John the Baptist), where it continues to be held to this day.

Then the Tuscan capital becomes a showcase and runway for the world’s menswear industry.

For more than two decades, I have been part of it. I still remember, as a young entrepreneur, watching all the gray haired “godfathers “ of the industry, stopping and shaking hands and greeting young ladies with pride and dignity. They were the real “patrons“ of the Italian clothing industry, who harvested world wide reputation. Their contributions to men’s wardrobe have been priceless. They would turn a boy into a charismatic gentleman. They were proud to represent the true Italian heritage, these families had a bond and a mission. It was the — Spazzatura —

Florence presented unpretentious access to everyone who wanted to drink and dance during these glorious days in summer and winter. It was a never ending movie. The narrowest street, presented the finest dining experience, a Tuscany culinary experience, the famous “Bistecca alle Florentine“ Florentine steak or the Bolito , a white been soup. The men dressed immaculately to fit the evening and later settle to enjoy a digestivo in one of those cosy local pubs. Furthermore there were cocktail parties given by various entrepreneurs to honor the significance of Made in Italy.

The gentleman were dressed in crispy white linen, white straw hats in summer and in winter with heavy fur coats and boots. They will be walking from the Santa Maria Novella railway station, showcasing their prestigious wardrobes to spectators and photographers, photographing the best of the best. I was clueless, how to get the attention of this jury, until an old veteran, said, there were old tricks. I had to learn the hard way to attain the recognition I enjoy today.

The doors wide open to old and new friends at “Fortezza Da Basso“ to celebrate the new seasons collections, from classic to sport, contemporary to streetwear, everything is nice and beautiful. Exhibitors and buyers were ready to sign contracts and initial the order books with a toast for the success until the next exhibition. It was also challenging to convince new buyers and clients who expect Pitti to be the ultimate temple of fashion. It’s not. It is a trade show. There is serious business to be done. Many visitors come just to enjoy the glamour and the aura of this event. I still remember, having a pen and paper to take notes and write important impressions.

Those days are gone, now there is a new generation of gentleman who would gladly call themselves «influencer” or brand «ambassadors», parading with there electronic devices. I ask myself who are they influencing? Indeed they have managed to impress and influence the new generation of men, from Mumbai to Rio, to Hongkong to New York. My international travels testify to the power of this phenomenon. Young men will stop me and ask me if I was “dandy” because they have seen images in all kinds of media, weblogs and other resources. I could not have imagined this type of exposure two or more decades ago. Ultimately in the course of our conversation, they would recognize the pictures sent throughout the world from Pitti Uomo and the capital of Tuscany. So there is no doubt justification for recognising these men as influencers!

In a nutshell, what we know in the modern world today is partly because of Florence, the one of the cradles of the western Renaissance. The city on the Arno has an extremely important role in both Italian and global history, when it comes to displaying the finest. There one still finds the resplendent Duomo and of course, the magical “Pitti Uomo”.

Photo: Ignatious Joseph, Jeroen Noordzij

26 июня 2023

Ignatious Joseph для раздела Fashion