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Florence Men's Season Opener: A Story of Style & Grit
By: Kim Coston
Jan 22, 2002/ FWD/ --- There was an air of determination in Florence last week in the face
of economic challenges posed by the events of last fall. The city was bursting at the seams
with entertaining opening events, fashion shows, buyers and excitement as Pitti Uomo began.
Scaffoldings had been proudly stripped off to reveal glossy new Pucci, Giorgio Armani and
Roberto Cavalli stores on Via Tornabuoni.
Kicking off the Italian menswear market on Thursday, Pitti Uomo's exhibitors were poised
to fight recession for Fall/Winter 2002/2003, with 80 new brands and a total of 664 companies
showcasing their wares.
Proving their reputation for high quality and innovation, there was a dazzling array of
product from Italian firms, bolstered by a gaggle of international exhibitors
(35% of the total) lead by England and France.
The offerings ranged from the finest in
custom and classic tailoring, to avant-garde styling and technical sportswear, to denim
dimensions, vintage galore and handcrafted finery.
Were there concerns about the post-September 11 economy? Umberto Angeloni, CEO of Brioni,
observed, "It's going to be survival of the best. September 11 has triggered a global
recession. Consumers are making choices, looking at who has the best brand and the product."
He believes that Brioni, a niche-market luxury brand of personalized, custom tradition, will
not suffer from the recession.
Another brand with the finest of sartorial lineage, the Ermenegildo Zegna Heritage collection
revitalized classic archival silhouettes with new contemporary tailoring and fabrics
reinterpreted in lighter weights.
On the innovation front, Zegna Sport introduced its revolutionary weightless Microlite fiber
with high performance waterproof, windproof jackets that weigh only 250 grams.
Pirelli made news with their hi-tech unisex line that includes the P Zero Aria "pneumatic"
parka and P Zero Aqua shoes. Modeled by soccer superstar Ronaldo, the parka took two years of
collaboration to develop.
The finished product is made of lightweight, rubberized cotton with zip-out construction
and a patented anti-theft device.
Corpo Nove and IDEAS showed off existing hi-tech possibilities with demonstrations of 3-D
customizing software for shoes and prototypes featuring groundbreaking luminescent fiber
optic fabrics.
Can we still be surprised by jeans? Apparently, yes. Having already made waves with cult-like
retailers such as Colette in Paris, newcomer Etienne Ozeki made his début with one-of-a-kind
patch jackets and accessories, all slightly different thanks to unusual treatments like
Bio-Wash, Enzyme Stone Wash and hand-coated print work.
The Levi's Red stand was a shrine dedicated to the oldest pair of Levi's. Recently purchased
on eBay for a whopping $46,000, the archival 1880's jeans put a new slant on Levi's vintage
value and heritage.
To top off opening day events, the crowds moved from the Fortezza da Basso, Pitti fairgrounds
to the magnificent old train station-turned-exhibition space, Stazione Leopolda, for the
opening of the Windsor collection.
The contemporary array of photography was sponsored by the German fashion brand and includes
artists such as Cindy Sherman, Helmut Newton and Inez Van Lamseveerde.
And finally, after moving into a cavernous adjacent room, the much-hyped John Varvatos
Euro-première woke up flagging buyers and journalists with an immense video of Jimi Hendrix
playing the Star Spangled Banner.
The soundtrack rocked, but the "rebel prep" clothes left one wondering if there was more
to come. Elegant fabrics of cashmere, cashmere flannels, fine and felted merinos, and some
knits were notable.
Some of the coats and jackets hinted at offering more. But repetitive silhouettes rendered
the presentation monotonous and the drab color story did not give the same lift as the music.
Despite the outlook for an economically difficult cycle of recovery, at Italy's Florence
season opener, the menswear industry was facing the challenge with creative product offerings,
style innovation and sheer grit.
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