di Jordan Bowen e Luca Marchetto

How the “beautiful shirt” almost becomes a second skin

«The most beautiful shirt? It’ s always gonna be the next one»; thus, riffing on Enzo Ferrari’s famous aphorism, speaks shirtmaker Alessandro Gherardi, who has been plying his trade for 45 years. The s/s 2023 collection already displays some exciting new arrivals. Summer designs are always more daring, when the classic shirt can be replaced with something more unusual yet still elegant. Linen plays the starring role, noble and natural, in large check madras fabric bearing exclusive prints. Seersucker is also a light, easy-towear cloth, and the use of alternating tighter and looser warps gives the cloth a slightly puckered look. No modern collection can be complete without technical materials like those in the Atlantic line. A must-have for next summer, Casual is a capsule with ten models with overshirts, polos, bowling shirts and button downs, all given special treatments.

ANTONY MORATO - pag 181

New destinations for this brand’s next journey

Four very different cities, but all worth including in your bucket list of places to visit at least once in your life: Las Vegas, Sydney, Dubai and Detroit. These are the virtual stops in the new collection by Antony Morato (which is celebrating its first 15 years with a party at Pitti), mega-cities to lose yourself in and enjoy all the exciting sensations travel brings. This urban magnetism is reflected in the clothing –pop colours, natural fabrics, floral prints and patterns, all given a modern remix in a sort of melting pot of styles. There are also many references to the urban fashions of the 1980s and 90s. Brash prints first of all, then clean, slightly squared lines and slick materials. Another new arrival for the season is the reinterpretation of their Timeless garments – suits, polos, trousers and knitwear all exert a totally new allure.

BARACUTA - pag 182

G9 Harrington jacket: design creates a new personality

The G9 Harrington bomber jacket is one of those undisputed icons of the male wardrobe - created by Baracuta, a brand founded in Manchester, England, in 1937, and worn by Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley and James Dean, to name but a few of the jacket’ s famous fans. Now the G9 has been revamped and given a twofold presence, becoming on the one hand a varsity jacket, similar to a classic button blazer combined with a shirt collar, and on the other the Aviator jacket, a suede flying jacket. Not forgetting all the other items in summer colours recalling the English flower garden aesthetic –from turquoise to yellow, intense red and Tudor Rose, the quintessential symbol of the nation itself. The fabrics range from Baracuta Cloth, the most recognisable, providing matchless protection from rain and wind, to Cable Knit cotton polo for garments with a more sporty appeal.

BARRETT - pag 183

The effortless cool of a classic moccasin

Against the background of settings from Anthony Mingella’s film The talented Mr Ripley, a desire for lightness, sun and seaside holidays –a need to escape has inspired Barrett’ s new collection. In the moccasins, that light-hearted adventurer look is conjured up by details like the antique brass accessories. These shoes also feature destructured designs and special leathers – lined calfskin and suede are treated with gentle tanning processes making them soft yet hardwearing. This brand was founded in 1917 in Parma following a fortuitous encounter between the owner of a tannery in London’ s East End, John Richardson Barrett, and Zanlari e Tanzi, a renowned shoe manufacturer in Italy’ s Emilia region. For the next S/S its iconic shoe takes the form of the Riviera, a flexible moccasin whose upper is embellished with buckles or tassel rings. The sole is almost flat.

BRIGLIA 1949 - pag 182

Something was missing, now it’s here: Upcycled _ & sustainable

Often, beautiful fabrics are quickly discarded, thrown away after only

’ s Campania region that makes trousers with a sartorial spirit, presents its Upcycled _ line of garments, made using recovered fabrics, surprising Jerseys and soft cottons. The trousers (the Upcycled _ models draw inspiration from military clothing or evoke working class styles) are all numbered, ensuring the authenticity of the limited run, and bear a QR code to enable traceability. At Pitti the brand is also presenting other models like the Oxford and Basilea, trousers and shorts in technical nylon and the Cortina models with zips. Finally, there is also a Genderless collection – trousers for everyone, regardless of gender, providing a soft, contemporary fit and feel (also note the vibrant colours like fuchsia, violet or mustard).

FILIPPO DE LAURENTIIS - pag 185

An artisanal touch for summer knitwear, polos and T-shirts

The summer sweater for men should be a self-indulgent treat, soft, pleasant to wear with or without a jacket at any time of day. Luxury knitwear brand Filippo De Laurentiis was founded in Pescara in 2013, and the brand enjoys close links to its native Abruzzo region while retaining an international outlook as it exports throughout the world. It offers four knitwear lines, Skyline, Satori, Club and Lido. Skyline presents clean lines and neutral colours, twisted cotton and linen for oversize polos and sweats. Satori has a chilled-out, Zen spirit, with silk or linen garments featuring generous collars. Club is a collection of polo and bowling shirts enhanced by cable knits, honeycomb and English rib. Lastly, Lido means total summertime – some garments are in towelling, single colour or patterned – all boasting artisanal production and Italian quality and flair.

FIORIO MILANO - pag 186

Now you see it, now you don’t: a swimming costume and its ghost pattern

Handmade ties and the so-called “ soft accessories ” : pochettes, men ’ s footwear…This is Fiorio Milano, a brand founded in 1946. Every summer the brand expands its range with a beachwear collection and this year ’ s centrepiece, the Ghost swimming costume, is being presented at Pitti. A mix of great craftsmanship and the element of surprise, given that, once wet, the costume reveals a delicate two-tone design that disappears again when dry. The summer range continues with beach towels, linen shirts in many colours as well as some that reprise the patterns of the costumes, bags that can be matched with pochettes, jackets and basketball caps. The ties (still sewn by hand after 70 years) remain the “first love ” even during the summer season: the colours are lively, almost three-dimensional, and there is a preference for opaque and raw fabrics like cotton and linen.

IMPULSO - pag 187

Part city, part beach: Bermudas to go anywhere

The longing to be on holiday, breathing in the sea air and maybe bringing some of that seaside flavour to the city too. This mood is the inspiration for the new collection by Impulso, a brand by the historic Maglificio Liliana di Moncalieri, founded in 1969 in Brescia. It begins with the colours that are strong and bold, and then confirms the trend for tie-dyes, the colouring technique loved by 1980s surfers. The boldest look is the matching terry sweatshirt and shorts suit (the materials range from technical fabrics to natural fibres, with an eye to organic cotton), while others alternative, including looks for working in the city. Also for the office is the “ over ” shirt with big pockets that has taken the place of the old structured jackets of times past. Just right for sitting at the desk and thinking of the beach.

INCOTEX BLUE DIVISION - pag 188

A new brand combining knowledge with craftsmanship

Can jeans really be couture? Yes, but they need creativity, innovation and skill. Denim and craftsmanship are being combined at Incotex Blue Division, a brand born from the collaboration between Incotex (the luxury trouser brand that originated in Venice in the 1950s) and Giada Spa, the leading producer of premium denim. This partnership has given life to the “easy” five-pocket pieces, tailored to perfection, created in 30 different fabrics and with 45 different washes. Three lines are being presented at Pitti: Couture, Lab and Superior. The first is the quintessence of jeans couture: there are front creases, slant pockets and a particular construction at the waist. Lab is more experimental: trousers are produced from sustainable fabric using zero-impact treatments. And Finally, Superior stands for absolute comfort, thanks to soft, stretch fabrics.

Eight impeccable pieces for a “Made in Italy” capsule collection

The jacket is striking in its simplicity: double-breasted, it really stands out in white linen and wool. This is just one part of the Vent de Sirocco capsule collection by Latorre, a tailoring house founded in 1965 in Locorotondo, a village in the heart of Puglia’s Itria Valley. This collection, halfway between colonial style and the look worn by kids on Miami’ s South Beach, is created in natural colours and fabrics and also includes a fresh overshirt, a cotton safari shirt with drawstring waist, and an organic cotton parker with patch pockets. Another must for the season? The gilet: this is in cotton and linen and has gusseted patch pockets and a buckle at the rear. And then there are the pinstriped, high-waisted trousers and Bermudas with a touch of explorer chic: high waist, double pleats with a small pocket on the front.

NORTH SAILS - pag 191

New partnership breeds cutting-edge collection

The former love the ocean, sporting (and other) challenges and people that want to venture beyond their limits; the latter are passionate about fast cars and innovation but never deny their DNA, which is pure “made in Italy” luxury. The former are called North Sails and the latter Maserati, and they have come together for the North Sails X Maserati SS23 collection. Common ground: a desire for adventure and great craftsmanship, but always assisted by technology. This is what brought into being new garments like the Marin Padded Shirt Jacket in double-layered recycled stretch fabric that is windproof and waterproof with Thermore® Ecodown insulation, a material that uses second-life plastic bottles, or the Half Zip Hoodie in recycled polyester with a Maserati

LORENZONI - pag 190

Between tradition and modernity: making way for versatility

Just like an elegant Tadzio, straight from the pen of Thomas Mann, the man who wears Lorenzoni is more refined than ever, even though there is no lack (nor could there be) of modernity in the cuts and the research that is at the heart of the selected fabrics. The centrepiece of the collection is the knitwear: there are new necklines, a return of the gilet, knitted polos with buttons and original textures. Just like the tricot, which is enriched with jacquard work and particular stitching. Probably the most representative items are those with multi-coloured stripes, open weaving and special cotton terry yarn inserts. And then there ’ s the tracksuit, in a fabric called interlock, resulting in a modern garment that has a vintage feel. The latest offering from the brand is the matching set of “shirt plus shorts”, a real total look.

graphic motif on the back. Style, yes, but with one eye on the environment, in particular marine areas.

PAUL&SHARK - pag 192

Recovering things to reinvent them –before putting them back into circulation

The idea is simple but – at a time when throwaway clothing rules supreme – also revolutionary: wearing garments as much as possible to make them more and more beautiful (and polluting less by not throwing them away after every season). The Paul&Shark brand has long been committed to sustainability (in particular around marine environments) and it manifests this in many different ways, also with the Sail The City Typhoon Jacket. The jacket is made with windproof, waterproof Typhoon Save the Sea fabric and is decorated with used, retrieved and repurposed sailcloth. And then there are garments in linen too, natural and ethical (it is grown using little water and few chemical agents); the 1983 Sweater (the oversize 80s-style sweater) is an archive garment that has been given new life and the Fisherman line brings the sea to the city thanks to hybrid garments like the jacket with knitted sleeves.

A young name in denim, with a rich handicraft legacy

There are the Singapore and the Bali model, with their particular slant pockets (the front ones, where you can insert your thumbs); there is the Caprera, that comes with pleats and laces, and then the Malindi, cargo pants with a drawstring. There are some five-pocket models “sewn by hand in Italy” as the logo says, at Richard. J. Brown, a relatively young brand created in 2007, making jeans and handcrafted trousers. Some models are already famous, like the Copper, with the copper selvedge (the edge along the internal leg stitching that becomes visible when turned up). The great focus on accessories applies to all the garments; the rear brand patch is in coloured denim, suede or canvas with a heat-sealed logo and there are jointed or enamelled buttons in matching or contrasting colours. And then there’ s the brand’ s ecofriendly soul: the capsule collection “Richard J. Brown-Italian Luxury Denim with a green Soul”, created in Italian and Japanese organic cotton denim and dyed using organic products.

ROY ROGER’S

The same 1970s denim spirit, and still experimenting

- pag 194

They were the first to make jeans in Italy. When denim was still considered a work fabric, Francesco and Giuliana Bacci packaged their first Roy Roger ’ s. It was 1952. The new collection tells the story of the evolution of blue jeans through the reproduction of their five most famous models. They are “dated” on the rear brand label tag, with the years 1952, 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1990. The models, wearability, rivets, buttons and zips are faithful to the original garments ’ colours and materials. Even the rinses, from the darkest to the lightest, retrace the history of jeans. The collection will be accompanied at Pitti, by Roy Roger ’ s 70th Anniversary, a four-minute mini film directed by celebrated photographer Bruce Weber, to commemorate 70 years of the brand.

SUN68 - pag 195

A touch of fluo, always on hand for distinction

In the beginning, there was the polo shirt: it was 2005 and SUN68 presented its first line of light knitwear with the unmistakeable logo of the triangle and the X. Since then we have seen the total look with 16 monobrand stores and more than two thousand multibrand stores in Italy and Europe. At Pitti, SUN68 presents all of its new collections, beginning with Everydaylife: garments designed for sports activities that can also turn into formalwear. And then there are the Heritage sections, from classic colours and textures like jersey and linen, and New Hamptons with the subtle woven fabrics and impeccable polos. Indeed, the polo remains the most celebrated SUN68 garment: 30 models are available in the ss 2023 collection. The SUN68 logo crops up everywhere, particularly on the sneakers: initially there were six models, now there are an infinite number, in a variety of colours and not just for the summer.

XACUS - pag 196

Authenticity, sustainability, respect and attention

Most likely Xacus, the brand founded in 1956 in San Vito di Leguzzano (Vicenza) by Alberto Xoccato and a group of expert tailors. created the ideal shirt precisely for the summer of 2023: indeed, its latest collection is a summary of history and modernity, brought together for classic garments (the shirt being perhaps the most essential item in the menswear range) that are innovative at the same time. Beginning with the Seersucker Active, which is both technological (in anti-bacterial, anti-crease and thermo-regulating cotton) and traditional (in yarn-died and tinted fabrics) and continuing with the Wrinkle Free, the blouse that doesn ’t crease thanks to the combination of premium yarns and contemporary techniques. And then there ’ s the eternal linen, the denim, the seersucker cotton and gabardine in many tones – perfect for comfortable, loose-fitting shirts for summer evenings.