L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE rence's Palazzo Pitti – the epi- center of Italian couture style shows — Brioni suits were offi- cially introduced to the interna- tional fashion world. The Brioni brand gained instant celebrity status: lo stile Italiano had gone viral. The seduction of Italian men's suits quickly advanced across the Atlantic. Public appearances by John Wayne, Clark Gable, and other head-turning stars sporting a Brioni suit added to the allure. Remember the cutting figure of Marcello in La Dolce Vita? Brioni is to thank for at least the clothing part of that! Of course, the Brioni brand was not a stand-alone in the bur- geoning market of Italian bella figura. Rising from the fashion districts of Naples was Kiton. Founded in 1956 by 5th genera- tion fabric merchant Ciro Paone, the brand set its sights on "one upping" the suit game. Only the finest of fabrics were acceptable, every garment hand-stitched, continuity of piecing created the illusion of a fluid ensemble: as Paone summed it, "a garment that knows you just as well as you know yourself." Paone's obsessive work habits – "half- love, half-madness" – resulted in the embodiment of what remains today as the classic Neapolitan style suit. Starting at $8,500 USD, they also remain a classic status symbol! While the mid-century designer greats influence on esteemed menswear endures, it would be inexcusable neglect not to pay homage to a more con- temporary name homologous to suits – Giorgio Armani. Original plans for a career in medicine never materialized; Armani felt an irresistible draw towards fash- ion design. Almost 20 years of experience later, he debuted his personal label in July 1975. His innovative ideas – a ready-to- wear line, massive ad campaigns, a vast array of branded products – quickly established the Armani name as synonymous with high fashion. Armani's trademark relaxed- fit jackets soon become iconic as the sexy replacement for the "power suit." Remember Richard Gere in American Gigolo? Or how about Crockett and Tubbs in Miami Vice, DiCaprio in Wolf of Wall Street? Point made. Fine fabrics, hand stitchery, minute attention to detail, and intangible Italian glamour can make a fine suit, but there must be sound building blocks on which to apply these elements. Imagine, if you will, a Venn Diagram: the three large overlap- ping circles each contain one of the three distinct styles of Italian suit design – Romano, Napole- tano and Milanese. Within that inner circle created by the over- lapping large circles we find these shared traits: an unstruc- tured shoulder, high gorge lines on the lapel, a slender contoured fit, flapless pockets, high buttons, no break at the pant cuff, no rear vent – the bones of the Italian suit that took the fashion world by storm in 1952. Perhaps the words of Kiton founder Ciro Paone say it best for every creative mind, hand, and soul that toil passionately togeth- er, creating a masterfully crafted Italian suit: "I love beauty, I am faithful to tradition, and I take huge pride in my work." Continued from page 12 Silk ties, a colorful and trendy accessory of Italian menswear(© Dreamstime) Handmade Italian suits are a status symbol (© Dreamstime)

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