Youth.
Issue o r a n i n a The P
1
“Al Panino”
Paninaro Italy is often regarded as a stylish country, a
During the early 1980s a noticeable clique was
passionate country and a culturally rich country.
forming in Milan, a new generation of wealthy
Little attention is paid towards the hardships it
and fashion obsessed youngsters who used sar-
went through from the time of the Second World
torial vigour to display their social standing. Their
War and throughout the following decades.
catwalk was not the high-end landing strip of a
The scene of a political war fought at street lev-
glinted warehouse during fashion week howev-
el, between those with right wing, fascist ideas
er; it was the sandwich bars of Milan’s city centre,
and those who believed in a communist way
specifically Al Paninos in the Via Agnello district
of life is afforded little attention by those who
of Milan. Their culture was called Paninaro, and
regard it as the so called fashion capital of the
those that followed it christened the Paninari.
world. However it was from such issues that a Displaying a nationalist awareness and an apprenew generation of young Italians decided to ab-
ciation of home grown labels, Armani and Fio-
scond from the political strife and the threat of rucci were two of the most evident names assoterrorism to adopt a new attitude towards life. ciated with the movement.
Moncler, Trussardi and a little later down the line, the Massimo Osti productions of Stone Island and CP Company also become much revered staples of the style. A love of classic Americana was also in abundance with Timberland deck shoes being one of the most cherished aspects of the Paninari look, as well as Italian made Superga pumps. Unlike a lot of youth movements that deter the attentions of the media in view of keeping their scene underground and exclusive, the Paninari embraced their role in the mainstream. They celebrated the fact they were part of Italian culture and various magazines dedicated to the lifestyle were published and read in abundance. Incidentally, in 1986 The Pet Shop Boys released ‘Paninaro’, a record celebrating the culture. This youth movement is one of Italy’s finest contributions to modern street culture.
The Sandwich Movement... The Paninaro are the world’s only youth cult from 15-16 up to their 20s, running around with named after the sandwich. Fast food was fancy, scooters to impress girls. foreign and modern in Italy in 1982. The Italians had spent most of the preceding decade living It’s tempting to think ‘so what, kids were rich and in a crisis-ridden country, dealing with domestic
other kids tried to look rich, big deal’, but a lot
left and right-wing terrorists who liked to blow of the bands the Paninaro were into had started each other and various political and business fig- out as vaguely new pop—an overly intellectualures up.
ised obsession British post-punk bands had with making pop music. So something about pop,
Politics were not on the agenda for the Paninaro, that hardest aesthetic in the world to describe— they just wanted to have fun, embrace all things
it’s big, it’s shiny, it’s new, it’s life-affirming—was
American, wear designer labels, and listen to in the air in the 80s. Look at Hollywood, and the British synth-pop. They pretty much hated Italian whole postmodernism thing that everyone was music.
so into back then. Maybe it was just celebratory,
They wore Timberland boots, aviator jackets, maybe it’s what happens when a generation faux fur-lined Levi’s jackets, brightly colored
grows up with no fear of war or poverty, or polit-
Moncler or Stone Island jackets, Levi’s, Armani, ical or sexual oppression for the first time, who and Stone Island jeans, and Burlington socks. knows? But materialism sure looked good. They also had their own magazines: The Paninari —the circulation of which hit a hundred thou- Eventually, because the Paninaro were so obvisand at one point—Wild Boys, Zippo Sandwich, ously not skins, punks or the Chinese, a far-left Preppy, and Paniara girls mag, Siffty.
group of Milanese guys who went out of their way to look not fashion—a lot of bad boys and
it was definitely predominately young people, facists—were attracted to the style.
“
” e r a i l g i r e Sm
” e r a c c “Cu
:
The P reppy one
“
Non me ne sdrumo un drigo
”
Sporty Chic Paninari
The modern wardrobe owes its development These styles have rocked establishments, crenot just to fashion designers in Paris or Mi- ated stereotypes, expressed social division lan but also to gangs and movements brought as much as they have united people, entered together by a shared appreciation of mu- the language, spread around the world and, sic, sport or a particular underground culture, and a certain style that defines membership.
above all, transformed dress for a wider public.
Sporty Chic
Heriot Watt University
Fashion Communication Youth. Magazine Issue 1
Jessica Loletti