Italy's favourite son, finally moving out - The Florentine

20
Thursday 7 September 2006
STYLE & FASHION
Life in Italy
www.theflorentine.net
A blast from the past
Vintage passion feeds Florentine fashion
By Cassandra Brown
People have always appreciated
treasures from the past, and
the last couple of years have
seen a global rise in the demand for
vintage fashions. Not many years
ago, it was seen as something distasteful
in the eyes of many Italians
to want to wear items of clothing
that other people had worn or that
were ‘second hand.’ Recently, however,
we have seen an increase in the
popularity of vintage, and with this
has come the arrival of stores selling
vintage clothing and accessories
across Italy.
Fuelled by the frequent sightings
of celebrities in vintage clothing,
especially from America and the
UK, Italians, more used to setting
rather than taking on trends, have
adopted some aspects of ‘vintage’
fashion. Part of this trend comes
from the fashion houses around
Italy, which have delved into past
collections and archives to produce
pieces inspired by the past. Last
year, Gucci recreated an exquisite
pattern on many accessories originally
designed for Grace Kelly. Matthew
Williamson at Pucci has also
designed his collections with one
eye on the past of the great man of
prints himself. This desire to obtain
pieces of clothing from differing eras
has filtered down into mainstream
and high street fashions, and has
further encouraged a desire to seek
out items from years gone by.
People seek vintage items often
because they are ‘one off’s’ and lend
an individual a style that is different
and unique. Some people appreciate
the quality of vintage goods,
especially those that have been hand
made. In today’s climate of mass
production and clothes and accessories
that have been imported from
factories all over the world, this is
certainly something to consider.
Florence, although not often seen
as such an important city for fashion
as Milan, is nevertheless home to a
number of vintage fashion stores and
fairs. Often coinciding with the Pitti
Uomo and Filati fairs, is Pitti Vintage,
which showcases a vast array
of differing styles from around the
world. At this increasingly popular
fair, pieces from big names such as
Gucci, Fendi, Pucci and Prada can
easily be found, as well as a number
of handmade items, accessories,
shoes, and luggage. A popular trend
among new and existing ‘trendy’
designers is to purposely design ‘new
vintage’ items – distressed jeans and
tee-shirts being perfect examples
that are now mainstream.
The Corsini family regularly hold
vintage sales in the gardens of their
stunning palazzo. Here the great
and the good of Florence sell and
buy designer and hand made items,
more often from Italian and in particular,
Florentine designers.
Pitti Vintage, close to the Pitti
Palace, is a treasure trove of items
from the past, selling many big name
brands, and is more on the costly
end of the vintage market in Florence.
Here it is sometimes possible
to find accessories in exotic leathers,
such as crocodile and lizard. There
is also jewelry as well as luggage,
shoes and boots. Other accessories
include belts, suspenders and an
eclectic mix of brooches. Ceri Vintage
sells a mix of brand and nonbrand
items, including Gucci, Louis
Vuitton and Armani, as well as a
selection of marine garments, buttons
and emblems. Yves Saint Laurent
pieces can sometimes be found
in these stores, although normally
more in clothing than accessories.
Lastly, Borgo Pinti is home to Maison
Dumitru, which tends to sell
non brand name vintage, from private
labels or private collections. It
is a treasure trove of unique pieces.
All of these stores also occasionally
sell ‘one off’ items, such as old
cigarette holders or containers and
business card holders, and they are
great places to find exquisitely tailored
items that have been hand
made by tailors across Florence, and
the world.
Vintage fashion is popular among
the huge numbers of tourists and students
that come to Florence to study.
So much so, in fact, that Ceri Vintage
has organized the Florence Vintage
Market next Sunday September 10
at the Canoa Club presso Canottieri
Comunali Firenze, on the Lungarno
Francesco Ferrucci, no 4. It looks
to be a fun afternoon with a bar-bque,
music and free entrance from
12.30pm to 8.00pm. There will be
vintage clothing, accessories, luggage
and jewellery from all over the world.
It is exciting to see that Florence,
a city steeped in history, has reacted
to a worldwide trend in vintage fashions,
and has encouraged a whole
new approach to individual and
unique ways of dressing. With the
arrival of more and more vintage
fairs and shops, it appears that finding
and choosing items from decades
gone by can be a fun and fascinating
way to shop.
Having earned a medical degree
from Cambridge University, UK,
Cassandra followed her heart
to Florence, and into the fashion
world. She works in communications
and marketing, as well as writing
for several international publications
on fashion and luxury.