L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 4 60 years of Milanese style: the touch that drives an industry S ometimes clothes tell me about humanity more than philoso- phers , s cholars or gurus. I love fashion, and if you w ant to live and breathe fashion, you have to be connected with Italian style. Italy remains the country with the most brands relevant on a global scale. And if there might be some debate around when its fashion industry truly began, there's no doubting its reputation as cutting edge. While in the late 1940s and '50s H ollyw ood s tars w ere snapped in Rome and Florence w earing s harp tailoring, for decades now everything coming out of Milan is identified as aes- thetically sexy. Italian glamour originates from Milan, the true creative epicenter of the national fashion industry. Twice a year, in spring and fall, the world awaits Milan's flawless, hectic, feisty glamour fashion week, a rite that has now turned 60. The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana was formed in 1958 as an association of top Italian fashion players to disci- pline, coordinate and promote the development of Italian Fash- ion. Essentially, it conceived and runs Milan fashion week. After New York's packed calendar and London's quirk and edgy vibe, Milan shows arrive and always go big on sex appeal with an emphasis on traditional crafts- manship. This year, shows will be held from Sept. 18 to 24 for the spring-summer 2019 collec- tions, as usual before iconic Paris runaways, which close the round of catwalks in the big four fash- ion capitals. The big guns of the style world are getting ready, with tai- loring still at the heart of Milan shows that take months to design, plan and present. The great Milanese fashion houses have a place in the city's mythology and self-image in a way that has no equivalent in any other Italian city. Milan couture is an expres- sion of Italian national pride and Milanese self-belief, but general- ly what really distinguishes Ital- ian style? "Pucci prints and Gucci shoes did not make the Italian look," writes Silvia Giacomoni in her book L'Italia della Moda. "They are only Made in Italy acces- sories, small precious badges, memories, nostalgia or hope of a wonderful journey as told by American cinema to the world," she says.  "The Italian look is another thing: It is something more difficult to understand because it does not settle in some precise and stable forms over time, such as American denim, the English blazer, the Austrian loden wool coat. The Italian look is protean. " According to fashion curator Erika Ghilardi, modern Italian fashion has its roots in the '30s. "The grandmothers were para- noid about how you look when you cross the front door," she says. "Rich or poor, it was always a question of decorum. Personal decorum. It doesn't mean elegance. It means being decent. These were the fascist ideals. When you are told things like that so many times, it changes the mentality." Ghilardi says that Italian style is "uniting colors, uniting fabrics and pulling all the elements of a look together into a model of coher- ence." Italy's first commercial fash- ion show was held in Florence in 1950 under the guidance of Gio- vanni Battista Giorgini, who exported Italian goods to US department stores. Within two years, he was hosting shows at Palazzo Pitti, starting the Pitti Immagine tradition. Since the end of WWII, great fashion designers contributed their own signature styles to shape the quintessential visual identity of each decade: Iconic Emilio Pucci's abstract prints and swirly psychedelic motifs in acidic colors in the '50s and '60s through to Roberto Capucci's textile sculptures in the '60s, from Missoni's colorful zigzag patterns in the '70s to Armani's unstructured suits and jackets in the '80s - they are still key pieces in our wardrobes.Then again, there is the timeless Valentino image synonymous with polished femininity, the glitz and glamour of Gianni Versace who had a huge impact on the fashion industry (also inventing the '90s vogue of using major supermod- els), and Gucci in the '90s, fol- lowed by Miuccia Prada's unique elegant-geek aesthetic and Dolce & Gabbana's modern classicism whose essence lies in its contrast- ing features. Two recent exhibitions, Bel- lissima and Italiana highlighted the striking Italian fashion indus- try from the early days through- out its international decades.  The fashion industry is evolv- ing every day in Milan, still an outstanding incubator for talent- ed new designers that today include Christian Pellizzari, Nicola Brognano and Salvatore Piccione. Several others display their experimental and flamboy- ant creations, presumably to grab attention rather than good sales. Milan knows how to really make a business out of fashion. The city itself is home to 13,000 clothing brands while 34,000 companies are active in the entire region of Lombardy, generating total annual revenues of 35 bil- lion euros. The Italian fashion industry as a whole brings in 51 billion euros. But there's no fashion fix quite like the Milanese fashion fix. In Milan women seem to be born with a sartorial pedigree. They use their style to exude their creativity, sometimes even passionately breaking dress codes. And so evening wear can make great beachwear and straight-cut silk nightgowns in delicate colors make sophisticat- ed evening dresses that enhance your femininity. Milanese style is effortless, utterly chic and minimalistic. N ever overdres s , even w hen your w ear echoes a moody baroque drama. If you want to live and breathe fashion, you have to be connected with Italian style © Francesco De Luca MARIELLA RADAELLI LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS DESIGN There is nothing quite like Milanese style: effortless, utterly chic and minimalistic Cover image credit: Abiti Gian- franco Ferré. 1982. Foto Giovanni Gastel / © Giovanni Gastel

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