The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945 – 2014
Maker: Franca Sozzani, Editor-in-Chief, Vogue Italia
The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945 – 2014: Maker Interviews- A series of influential Italian designers, writers, artisans, and creative directors reveal what ‘Made in Italy’ means to them and why Italian fashion has such enduring appeal.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-the-glamour-of-italian-fashion-1945-2014/maker-interviews./
For this project, I took quotes from the V&A Interview with Franca Sozzani and found classic Italian brands and pieces which I felt embodied her vision of what Italian fashion means to her.
“And the prototype of this is when something is like a Prada and that is very luxurious but it doesn’t seem very rich, but it is very rich in a new way”
https://www.mytheresa.com/en-gb/prada-galleria-saffiano-leather-tote-892304.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIluCGleyc6AIVVvlRCh1B6g4lEAQYASABEgJeVvD_BwE&utm_source=sea_pla&utm_medium=google&utm_campaign=google_sea&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMIluCGleyc6AIVVvlRCh1B6g4lEAQYASABEgJeVvD_BwE:G:s
Founded in 1913 by Mario Prada, ‘Prada’ is an Italian luxury fashion house, specializing in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, perfumes, and other fashion accessories. The house quickly experienced meteoric success, and in 1919 was confirmed as an official supplier to the Italian royal household. Prada has since become widely known as one of the world’s most iconic luxury fashion houses. One of the label’s signature motifs is its use of Saffiano leather, a textured leather printed with a cross-hatch pattern that is both hard-wearing and visually appealing. The heat-treated leather is embossed with a cross-hatch pattern that increases durability, scratch-resistance, and water-resistance.
This bag (Above) is officially called the Galleria by Prada, but it is better known as the ‘Saffiano Lux bag’, after the leather it is made of, which was first created and patented by Mario Prada, founder of the brand.
I feel like this bag, and Prada in general, really emulates what Italian fashion is all about. this concept of luxury but in a way that doesn’t have to prove itself. It is an aesthetic that is obviously luxurious but still chic and easy.
” “Made in Italy” has to be like you guarantee the quality” ” I mean we are always talking about shape, colours, fabrics, but the quality is something that really makes a difference because it makes really–, even the shapes, even the prints, it’s really completely different when you have a good quality, so first I think is quality.”
Loro Piana is an Italian fabrics and clothing company that specializes in high-end, luxury cashmere and wool products. Based in northern Italy, Loro Piana produces prime textiles and luxury goods using the world’s finest and unique raw materials. They have 9 production sites owned by Loro Piana, all located in Italy.
I think that Loro Piana is a brand that Sozzani would definitely have drawn inspiration from and paid close attention to them and their collections. In the maker interviews, she talks about how she really appreciates quality and production, bot of which are very highly prioritized within the ethos of Loro Piana’s brand.
“Creativity, because it doesn’t mean eccentricity or extravagancy, it means creativity. Creativity means to give to a brand a style. That again, it seems very obvious but very few people are able to give to their own brand a style. That’s why very few brand are known around the world because very few people are able to give this kind of strength to their own style to become a brand. So I think that more or less this is something that is very important for Italian fashion”
Translating to “Venetian Workshop” or “Venetian Atelier,” Bottega Veneta is a luxury Italian brand founded in 1966 by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro, specializing in premium leather goods and accessories.
(Above) Bottega Veneta ‘Intrecciato Nappa Eyelets Veneta’. Colors: Nero (black), brown. Material: Leather. Size (large): 19.5 x 11.7 x 1.6 (W x H x D inches)
Embodying one of the brand’s trademark styles the intrecciato weave) this shoulder bag from Bottega Veneta executes pure style. Constructed in Italy from premium lambskin leather, it adopts an elegant rounded shape. It features a top handle that can be worn over the shoulder or held by hand, a top zip fastening, an internal zipped pocket, and an internal logo patch.
