Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
is one of the leading countries in
fashion design
Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and plac ...
, alongside
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
. Fashion has always been an important part of the
country's cultural life and society, and Italians are well known for their attention to dress; ''la bella figura'', or good appearance, retains its traditional importance.
Italian fashion became prominent during the 11th to 16th centuries, when artistic development in Italy was at its peak. Cities such as
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
,
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The city is noted for its ...
,
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
,
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
,
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...
,
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
and
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a thr ...
started to produce
luxury goods,
hats,
cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protec ...
,
jewelry
Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...
and rich
fabric
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not ...
s. From the 17th century to the early 20th, Italian fashion lost its importance and lustre and Europe's main trendsetter became France, with the great popularity of
French fashion; this is due to the luxury dresses which were designed for the courtiers of
Louis XIV
Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...
. However, since the 1951–53 fashion soirées held by
Giovanni Battista Giorgini in Florence, the "''Italian school''" started to compete with the French ''haute couture'', and labels such as
Ferragamo and
Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragranc ...
began to contend with
Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chane ...
and
Dior
Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds 42.36% shar ...
. In 2009, according to the
Global Language Monitor
The Global Language Monitor (GLM) is a company based in Austin, Texas that collectively documents, analyzes, and tracks trends in language usage worldwide, with a particular emphasis upon the English language. It is particularly known for it ...
,
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
, Italy's centre of
design
A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design' ...
, was ranked the top
fashion capital of the world, and
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
was ranked fourth,
and, although both cities fell in subsequent rankings, in 2011, Florence entered as the 31st world fashion capital. Milan is generally considered to be one of the "big four" global
fashion capitals, along with New York, Paris, and London; occasionally, the "big five" also includes Rome.
Italian fashion is linked to the most generalized concept of "
Made in Italy", a merchandise brand expressing excellence of creativity and craftsmanship. Italian luxury goods are renowned for the quality of the textiles and the elegance and refinement of their construction. Many French, British and American high-top luxury brands (such as
Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chane ...
,
Dior
Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds 42.36% shar ...
,
Balmain and the main line of
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his c ...
) also rely on Italian craft factories, located in highly specialized areas in the metropolitan area of
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...
and in the centre-north of Italy (
Tuscany
it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Citizenship
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 = Italian
, demogra ...
,
Marche
Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...
,
Veneto
Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona.
Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...
and
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
), to produce parts of their apparel and accessories.
The nonprofit association that co-ordinates and promotes the development of Italian fashion is the
National Chamber of Italian Fashion (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana), now led by Carlo Capasa. It was set up in 1958 in Rome and now is settled in Milan and represents all the highest cultural values of Italian fashion. This association has pursued a policy of organisational support aimed at the knowledge, promotion and development of fashion through high-profile events in Italy and abroad. The talent of young, creative fashion is also promoted in Italy, as in the annual ITS (International Talent Support Awards) young fashion designer competition in
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into pr ...
.
Italian fashion houses, designers and luxury brands
Examples of major Italian fashion houses focused on both menswear and womenswear, but also accessories:
*
Armani
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, ...
(founded and directed by
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expande ...
)
*
Renato Balestra
*
Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta () is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Milan, Italy. Its product lines include ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, accessories, and jewelry; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrances.
History
Foun ...
(designed by French Matthieu Blazy)
*
Roberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli (; born 15 November 1940) is an Italian fashion designer and inventor. He is known for exotic prints and for creating the sand-blasted look for jeans. The high-end Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli sells luxury clothing, pe ...
(created by Fausto Puglisi)
*
Costume National
Costume National is an Italian fashion house founded in 1986 by Ennio Capasa, creative director, and his brother Carlo, CEO. It has its head office in Milan. The company produces clothing under the brands ''Costume National'', ''Costume Nationa ...
*
Brunello Cucinelli
*
Diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engi ...
(directed by Glenn Martens)
*
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cos ...
*
Dsquared2
Dean and Dan Caten (né Catenacci; born December 19, 1964) are Canadian fashion designers, radio personalities, and businessmen. They are identical twin brothers and the founders and owners of Dsquared², an Italian luxury fashion house based ...
(created by Canadian duo
Dean and Dan Caten)
*
Etro (directed by Marco De Vincenzo)
*
Fendi (previously directed by
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Otto Lagerfeld (; 10 September 1933 – 19 February 2019) was a German fashion designer, creative director, artist and photographer.
He was known as the creative director of the French fashion house Chanel, a position held from 1983 ...
for women's clothes and ready to wear and now by
Kim Jones and by Silvia Venturini Fendi for accessories and men's lines)
*
Salvatore Ferragamo (designed by Maximilian Davis)
*
Gianfranco Ferré
*
Fiorucci
*
Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragranc ...
(formerly directed by
Tom Ford and later on by
Alessandro Michele)
*
Iceberg
An iceberg is a piece of freshwater ice more than 15 m long that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open (salt) water. Smaller chunks of floating glacially-derived ice are called "growlers" or "bergy bits". The ...
(directed by James Long)
*
Kiton
*
Loro Piana
*
Marni
The name Marni originates from several languages, including Hebrew, meaning "rejoice", and Latin as a variant of "Marina", meaning "of the sea". It also has derivations from Gaelic and Swahili. "Marni" and "Marnie" are the two most common spelli ...
(founded by
Consuelo Castiglioni and now directed by Francesco Risso)
*
Missoni
Missoni is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Varese, and known for its colorful knitwear designs. The company was founded by Ottavio ("Tai") and Rosita Missoni in 1953.
History Early beginnings
The business was founded in 1953, when O ...
*
Moncler
*
Moschino
Moschino () is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino in Milan known for over-the-top, campy designs. The company specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, and fashion accessories.
History Founding and 1990s
Franco M ...
(directed by
Jeremy Scott
Jeremy Scott (born August 8, 1975) is an American fashion designer. He is the creative director of the fashion house Moschino and the sole owner of his namesake label. Since launching his brand in Paris in 1997, Scott has built a reputation as ...
)
*
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
(
Raf Simons joined
Miuccia Prada
Miuccia Bianchi Prada (; born Maria Bianchi on 10 May 1949) is an Italian billionaire fashion designer and businesswoman. She is the head designer of Prada and the founder of its subsidiary Miu Miu. As of October 2021, ''Forbes'' estimated her ...
as co-creative director)
*
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, Californi ...
*
Jil Sander
*
Ermanno Scervino
Ermanno Scervino is an Italian fashion house headquartered in Florence, Italy. Entrepreneur Toni Scervino and designer Ermanno Daelli founded the fashion label in 2000.
History
In 2000, Toni Scervino and Ermanno Daelli founded the fashion brand ...
*
Tod's
Tod's S.p.A., also known as Tod's Group, is an Italian company which produces luxury shoes and other leather goods. The company is majority controlled by the founding family Della Valle Family and is listed on the Italy's Milan Stock Exchange bei ...
(designed by Walter Chiapponi)
*
Trussardi
Trussardi is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Milan, Italy, and specialized in leather goods, ready-to-wear, perfumes, and accessories.
Trussardi was founded in 1911 as a leather glove manufacturer, and expanded its line to addition ...
(under the directorship of Benjamin Alexander Huseby and Serhat Isik)
*
Valentino (founded by
Valentino Garavani and now directed by
PierPaolo Piccioli)
*
Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as ...
(founded by
Gianni Versace and now directed by
Donatella Versace)
Examples of major fashion brands which are specialized mainly at womenswear (and also accessories for women) are
Agnona,
Laura Biagiotti,
Blumarine
Blufin S.p.A. is an Italian fashion house founded by Anna Molinari and her late husband Gianpaolo Tarabini. The core brand is Blumarine, which they started in 1977, followed by Miss Blumarine (1987, 8- to 14-year-old girls), Blugirl (1995, for t ...
(created by
Anna Molinari
Blufin S.p.A. is an Italian fashion house founded by Anna Molinari and her late husband Gianpaolo Tarabini. The core brand is Blumarine, which they started in 1977, followed by Miss Blumarine (1987, 8- to 14-year-old girls), Blugirl (1995, for te ...
),
Capucci (directed by Mario Dice),
Alberta Ferretti
Alberta Ferretti (; ) is an Italian fashion designer and dressmaker. She designs for her namesake brand Alberta Ferretti, and designed for Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti until 2014. Her showroom is in Milan, Italy but her studio is in her na ...
,
Gattinoni,
Genny (designed by Sara Cavazza Facchini),
Giamba (created by designer Giambattista Valli),
Krizia (founded by Mariuccia Mandelli and now art directored by Zhu Chongyun),
La Perla,
Luisa Spagnoli
Luisa Spagnoli (; ; 30 October 1877, in Perugia – 21 September 1935, in Paris), was an Italian businesswoman, famous for creating a brand of women's clothing company and chocolate factory Perugina.
Perugina
Spagnoli was born in Perugia i ...
,
Max Mara (created by Ian Griffiths),
Miu Miu (founded and directed by
Miuccia Prada
Miuccia Bianchi Prada (; born Maria Bianchi on 10 May 1949) is an Italian billionaire fashion designer and businesswoman. She is the head designer of Prada and the founder of its subsidiary Miu Miu. As of October 2021, ''Forbes'' estimated her ...
), Philosophy (directed by
Lorenzo Serafini),
Emilio Pucci (created by Camille Miceli),
Mila Schon and Twin-set Milano whilst the most important luxury houses which focus only on menswear and accessories for men are
Brioni,
Canali
Canali is an Italian luxury menswear brand founded in 1934.
History
Canali was founded in 1934 by the Canali brothers Giovanni, a fabric magnate, and Giacomo, a tailor.
In the 1950s, the ownership of Canali passed on to the second generati ...
,
Corneliani,
Lardini
Lardini Srl is an Italian fashion house founded in 1978 by then 18-year-old Luigi Lardini, his 21-year-old brother Andrea Lardini and 19-year-old sister Lorena Lardini.
History
The company was founded by the Lardini family in 1978 in Filottrano ...
,
Stefano Ricci,
Ermenegildo Zegna (directed by
Alessandro Sartori
Alessandro Sartori is an Italian fashion designer, and the artistic director of Italian brand Zegna. Previously, he was creative director of Z Zegna and artistic director of Berluti.
Early life
Sartori received a degree in textile engineering in ...
) and
Pal Zileri.
Luxury sportswear and
streetwear
Streetwear is a style of casual clothing which became global in the 1990s. It grew from New York hip hop fashion and Californian surf culture to encompass elements of sportswear, punk, skateboarding and Japanese street fashion. Eventually haut ...
have become general fashion trends, mixing high and low, formal and active style in one look and also in this segment Italy, apart from big luxury brands focused on ready to wear (or couture) developing their own streetstyle lines or items such as
Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragranc ...
,
Fendi,
Moschino
Moschino () is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino in Milan known for over-the-top, campy designs. The company specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, and fashion accessories.
History Founding and 1990s
Franco M ...
and
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
or top brands with a strong sporty heritage like
Bikkembergs, has got a few high end companies focused on this style like
GCDS,
OFF White
Shades of white are colors that differ only slightly from pure white. Variations of white include what are commonly termed off-white colors, which may be considered part of a neutral color scheme or yellow that looks like brown.
In color theor ...
founded by American
Virgil Abloh but based in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
,
Stone island. In sportswear some of the most prominent houses are
Diadora
Diadora is an Italian sportswear and footwear manufacturing company based in Caerano di San Marco ( Veneto), subsidiary of Geox, founded in 1948. Diadora produces football boots and athletic shoes, as well as a range of apparel that includes ...
,
Fila
Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. ...
, and
Kappa
Kappa (uppercase Κ, lowercase κ or cursive ; el, κάππα, ''káppa'') is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless velar plosive sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals, has a value ...
.
A few Italian designers head (or have headed) some important fashion brands outside Italy.
Riccardo Tisci had been working for French luxury house
Givenchy for twelve years until 2017 and in 2018 was named British
Burberry
Burberry is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather accessorie ...
's creative director until 2022,
Maria Grazia Chiuri after co-heading at Valentino together with Pier Paolo Piccioli now is the first female creative director ever at
Dior
Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds 42.36% shar ...
, French fashion brand
Rochas had been directed by
Alessandro Dell'Acqua
Alessandro Dell'Acqua (born 21 December 1962 in Naples) is a fashion designer. He presented his first prêt-à-porter collection at Milan Moda Donna in 1996 and his first men's line at Pitti in Florence in January 1998.
Dell'Acqua took over as cr ...
for a few years, Marco Colagrossi heads
Ungaro after a few years under the directorship of Fausto Puglisi,
Nino Cerruti
Nino Cerruti (25 September 1930 – 15 January 2022) was an Italian businessman and stylist.
He founded his own haute couture house, Cerruti, in 1967 in Paris. He managed the Italian family business ''Lanificio Fratelli Cerruti'', which was fou ...
founded his own Paris-based fashion house,
Giambattista Valli's main ready to wear and high fashion lines are set in Paris and
Stefano Pilati
Stefano Pilati (born December 10, 1965 in Milan) is an Italian fashion designer. In 2017 he founded Random Identities, a ready-to-wear brand.
From 2004 until 2012, Pilati was the head designer of Yves Saint Laurent. In late 2012 he left YSL t ...
was for almost eight years
Saint Laurent's head designer.
Among the newest labels or younger designers, the most prominent are
Golden Goose Deluxe Brand and
Stella Jean.
Other luxury labels which are mainly focused on the production of leather goods such as accessories, especially shoes (but not only), are
Baldinini, Ballin,
Bontoni,
Rene Caovilla,
Bruno Magli
Bruno Magli () is an Italian luxury house that specializes in shoes and leather goods for men and women.
History
Founded in 1936, siblings Marino, Mario and Bruno started a small business in the basement of their home in Bologna, Italy, after ...
,
Cesare Paciotti
Cesare Paciotti (born 1 January 1958) is a shoe designer from Italy. His eponymous company makes luxury shoes and other leather goods, including jewelry and watches, and he is famous for its dagger logo.
Biography
Cesare Paciotti was born from ...
,
Pollini,
Sergio Rossi,
Giuseppe Zanotti, while fashion brands or labels which produce primarily bags, totes, suitcases are
Braccialini,
Furla,
Mandarina Duck,
Piquadro
Piquadro is an Italian leather goods company specializing in business and travel items in Italy and internationally. The company offers products ranging from men's and women's professional bags to luggage and small leather items. As of April 2010, ...
,
Valextra.
Italy also is home to many fashion magazines, such as ''
Vogue Italia'', ''
Vanity Fair Vanity Fair may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Literature
* Vanity Fair, a location in '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1678), by John Bunyan
* ''Vanity Fair'' (novel), 1848, by William Makepeace Thackeray
* ''Vanity Fair'' (magazines), the ...
'', ''
Elle'', ''
Glamour'', ''
Grazia
''Grazia'' (; Italian for ''Grace'') is a weekly women's magazine that originated in Italy with international editions printed in Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Colombia, France, Germany. Greece, Indones ...
''.
Other Italian accessory and jewelry brands, such as
Luxottica (owner, amongst several luxury eyewear brands, of
Ray-Ban
Ray-Ban is an American-Italian brand of luxury sunglasses and eyeglasses created in 1936 by Bausch & Lomb. The brand is known for its Wayfarer and Aviator lines of sunglasses. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to Italian eyewear conglomera ...
and
Persol),
Safilo
Safilo Group S.p.A. (acronym of ''Società Azionaria Fabbrica Italiana Lavorazione Occhiali'') is an Italian company that designs, produces and distributes prescription frames, sunglasses, sports eyewear, ski goggles and helmets, and cycling helm ...
,
Buccellati,
Damiani
Damiani is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Chip Damiani (1945–2014), American drummer
* Damiano Damiani (1922–2013), Italian screenwriter and film director
* Donatella Damiani, Italian actress
* Ernesto Damiani, ...
, Vhernier,
Pomellato,
Morellato,
Officine Panerai and
Bvlgari.
File:Valentino black dresses.jpg, Clothes by Valentino
File:GiorgioArmani.jpg, Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expande ...
, founder of the Armani
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, ...
company
File:Prada milano.JPG, Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
shop in Milan.
File:Las Vegas (2013) 20.JPG, Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragranc ...
and Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cos ...
Store on the Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas cit ...
Modern history
Fashion in Italy started to become the most fashionable in Europe since the 11th century, and powerful cities of the time, such as
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
,
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
,
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
,
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...
,
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a thr ...
and
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
began to produce
robes,
jewelry
Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...
,
textile
Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, different #Fabric, fabric types, etc. At f ...
s,
shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from cultur ...
s,
fabric
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not ...
s,
ornaments and elaborate
dresses. Italian fashion reached its peak during the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
. As Italy is widely recognized as the cradle and birthplace of the Renaissance, art, music, education, finance and philosophy flourished, and along with it, Italian fashion designs became very popular (especially those worn by the
Medici
The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mu ...
s in Florence. The fashions of Queen
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici ( it, Caterina de' Medici, ; french: Catherine de Médicis, ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Florentine noblewoman born into the Medici family. She was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King ...
of France were considered amongst the most fashionable in Europe.
After a decline in the 17th to mid-20th century, Italy returned to being a leading nation in fashion, and Florence was Italy's
fashion capital in the 50s and 60s from the very first high fashion parade at the Sala Bianca of the
Pitti Palace in 1952 with names such as
Emilio Schuberth,
Emilio Pucci,
Vincenzo Ferdinandi,
Roberto Capucci,
Sorelle Fontana,
Germana Marucelli
Germana Marucelli (13 October 1905 - 23 February 1983) was an Italian fashion designer.
Life and career
Born in Settignano, Florence into a family of craftsmen, after the primary school at 11 years old Marucelli started working as an apprenti ...
,
Mila Schön,
Fausto Sarli, whilst
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
led the way in the 70s and 80s, with then-new labels, such as
Armani
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, ...
,
Enrico Coveri Enrico Coveri (26 February 1952 – 8 December 1990) was an Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur from Prato, Italy.
Career
A former model and stage designer, he founded the eponymous fashion house in Florence and was acclaimed for his cre ...
,
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cos ...
,
Gianfranco Ferré,
Romeo Gigli,
Krizia,
Missoni
Missoni is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Varese, and known for its colorful knitwear designs. The company was founded by Ottavio ("Tai") and Rosita Missoni in 1953.
History Early beginnings
The business was founded in 1953, when O ...
,
Moschino
Moschino () is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino in Milan known for over-the-top, campy designs. The company specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, and fashion accessories.
History Founding and 1990s
Franco M ...
,
Luciano Soprani
Luciano Soprani (1946 – 23 October 1999) was an Italian fashion designer known for his tailored, colorful men's suits and silk evening gowns.
Early life
Soprani was born in Reggiolo Obituary in 1946 to a family of farmers in the province ...
,
Trussardi
Trussardi is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Milan, Italy, and specialized in leather goods, ready-to-wear, perfumes, and accessories.
Trussardi was founded in 1911 as a leather glove manufacturer, and expanded its line to addition ...
and
Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as ...
and opening up and setting up their first boutiques and emporia. Until the 1970s, Italian fashion was mainly designed for the rich and famous, more or less like the French "''Haute Couture''". Yet, in the 1970s and 80s, Italian fashion started to concentrate on
ready-to-wear clothes, such as
coats,
jacket
A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which ...
s,
trousers,
shirt
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body (from the neck to the waist).
Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for a broad variety of upper-body garments and undergarments. ...
s,
jeans
Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and pa ...
,
jumper
Jumper or Jumpers may refer to:
Clothing
*Jumper (sweater), a long-sleeve article of clothing; also called a top, pullover, or sweater
**A waist-length top garment of dense wool, part of the Royal Navy uniform and the Uniforms of the United State ...
s and
miniskirts.
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
became more affordable and stylish for shoppers, and Florence was deposed of its position as the Italian
fashion capital and replaced by Rome, which grew in importance as high fashion pole in the country thanks to the creations of
Valentino,
Fendi,
Roberto Capucci,
Renato Balestra and
Gattinoni.
Today,
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
and
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
are Italy's fashion capitals, and are major international centres for
fashion design
Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and plac ...
, competing with other cities such as
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
and
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
Also, other cities such as
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
, Florence,
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...
,
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a thr ...
,
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different na ...
,
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
and
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
are important centres. The country's main
shopping districts are the
Via Montenapoleone fashion district and the
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
),
Via dei Condotti
Via dei Condotti (named always ''Via Condotti'') is a busy and fashionable street of Rome, Italy. In Roman times it was one of the streets that crossed the ancient Via Flaminia and enabled people who transversed the Tiber to reach the Pincio ...
(
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
), and
Via de' Tornabuoni (Florence).
Cities
Italian fashion is dominated by Milan, Rome, and to a lesser extent, Florence, with the former two being included in the top 30 fashion capitals of the world. Nonetheless, there are numerous other cities which play an important role in Italian fashion.
Milan
In 2014,
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
was regarded as the world
fashion capital (based upon frequency of mention in global media outlets), even surpassing
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
,
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. In 2011, Milan was ranked #4, behind London, New York, and Paris.
Many of the major Italian fashion brands, such as
Valentino,
Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as ...
,
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
,
Armani
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, ...
,
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cos ...
,
Marni
The name Marni originates from several languages, including Hebrew, meaning "rejoice", and Latin as a variant of "Marina", meaning "of the sea". It also has derivations from Gaelic and Swahili. "Marni" and "Marnie" are the two most common spelli ...
, Iceberg,
Missoni
Missoni is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Varese, and known for its colorful knitwear designs. The company was founded by Ottavio ("Tai") and Rosita Missoni in 1953.
History Early beginnings
The business was founded in 1953, when O ...
,
Trussardi
Trussardi is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Milan, Italy, and specialized in leather goods, ready-to-wear, perfumes, and accessories.
Trussardi was founded in 1911 as a leather glove manufacturer, and expanded its line to addition ...
,
Moschino
Moschino () is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino in Milan known for over-the-top, campy designs. The company specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, and fashion accessories.
History Founding and 1990s
Franco M ...
,
Dirk Bikkembergs
Dirk Bikkembergs (born 2 January 1959) is a Belgian fashion designer.
Early life
Dirk Bikkembergs was born in Cologne, Germany, as his father was in the Belgian Army. He lived most of his years in Diepenbeek, Limburg, Belgium. In 1982, B ...
,
Etro, and
Zegna are currently headquartered in the city. International fashion labels also operate shops in Milan, including an
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is an American lifestyle retailer that focuses on casual wear. Its headquarters are in New Albany, Ohio. The company operates three other offshoot brands: Abercrombie Kids, Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks. As of Februa ...
flagship store which has become a main consumer attraction. Milan also hosts a
fashion week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, where fashion designers, brands or "houses" display their latest collections in runway fashion shows to buyers and the media. These events influence the upcoming fashi ...
twice a year, just like other international centres such as Paris, London and New York. Milan's main upscale fashion district is the "''
quadrilatero della moda''" (literally, "fashion quadrilateral"), where the city's most prestigious shopping streets (
Via Montenapoleone,
Via della Spiga,
Via Sant'Andrea
Via Sant'Andrea is a luxury shopping street in Milan, Italy, forming part of the ''quadrilatero della moda'', along with Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Manzoni and Corso Venezia.
Shops
*Alba Eloisa d'Alessandro
*Antonio Fusco
*Ballan ...
,
Via Manzoni and
Corso Venezia) are held. The
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the
Piazza del Duomo,
Via Dante and
Corso Buenos Aires
Corso Buenos Aires is a major street in north-eastern Milan, Italy. With over 350 shops and outlets, it features the highest concentration of clothing stores in Europe. The architecture of the area is mostly late 19th- and 20th-century style; the ...
are other important shopping streets and squares.
Florence
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
is regarded by some as the birthplace and earliest centre of the modern (post World War Two) fashion industry in Italy. The Florentine "soirées" of the early 1950s organized by Giovanni Battista Giorgini were events where several now-famous Italian designers participated in group shows and first garnered international attention. Florence has served as the home of the Italian fashion company
Salvatore Ferragamo since 1928.
Gianfranco Lotti,
Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragranc ...
,
Roberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli (; born 15 November 1940) is an Italian fashion designer and inventor. He is known for exotic prints and for creating the sand-blasted look for jeans. The high-end Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli sells luxury clothing, pe ...
,
Ermanno Scervino
Ermanno Scervino is an Italian fashion house headquartered in Florence, Italy. Entrepreneur Toni Scervino and designer Ermanno Daelli founded the fashion label in 2000.
History
In 2000, Toni Scervino and Ermanno Daelli founded the fashion brand ...
, Stefano Ricci, Patrizia Pepe,
Enrico Coveri Enrico Coveri (26 February 1952 – 8 December 1990) was an Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur from Prato, Italy.
Career
A former model and stage designer, he founded the eponymous fashion house in Florence and was acclaimed for his cre ...
and
Emilio Pucci were also founded and most of them are still headquartered in Florence. Other major players in the fashion industry such as
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
and
Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chane ...
have large offices and stores in Florence or its outskirts. Florence's main
upscale shopping street is
Via de' Tornabuoni, where major luxury fashion houses and jewelry labels, such as
Armani
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, ...
and
Bulgari
Bulgari (, ; stylized as BVLGARI) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods.
While the majority of design, production and marketing is overseen and e ...
, have their elegant boutiques. Via del Parione and Via Roma are other streets that are also well known for their high-end fashion stores.
Rome
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
is widely recognized as a world
fashion capital. Although not as important as
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
, Rome is the world's 4th most important centre for fashion in the world, according to the 2009
Global Language Monitor
The Global Language Monitor (GLM) is a company based in Austin, Texas that collectively documents, analyzes, and tracks trends in language usage worldwide, with a particular emphasis upon the English language. It is particularly known for it ...
after
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
, New York and Paris, and beating London. Major Italian luxury fashion houses and jewelry chains, such as
Valentino,
Bulgari
Bulgari (, ; stylized as BVLGARI) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods.
While the majority of design, production and marketing is overseen and e ...
,
Fendi,
Laura Biagiotti,
Gattinoni and
Brioni, just to name a few, are headquartered or were founded in the city. Also, other major labels, such as
Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chane ...
,
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
,
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cos ...
,
Armani
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, ...
and
Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as ...
have luxury boutiques in Rome, primarily along its prestigious and upscale
Via dei Condotti
Via dei Condotti (named always ''Via Condotti'') is a busy and fashionable street of Rome, Italy. In Roman times it was one of the streets that crossed the ancient Via Flaminia and enabled people who transversed the Tiber to reach the Pincio ...
. The
Rome Fashion Week is an important global showcase.
Other cities
Although Milan, Rome and Florence are commonly regarded as the leading cities in Italian fashion, other cities, such as
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
,
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a thr ...
,
Prato
Prato ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city lies in the north east of Tuscany, at the foot of Monte Retaia, elevation , the last peak in the Calvana chain. With more than 200,000 ...
,
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
,
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...
and
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different na ...
, are also important centres for Italian clothing design and industry. Venice, for instance, is the home of Italian fashion house
Roberta di Camerino, which was founded in 1945. The brand is famous for its handbags, and is most notably associated with the creation of the
it bag, a form of handbag which is recognisable due to its
status symbol
A status symbol is a visible, external symbol of one's social position, an indicator of economic or social status. Many luxury goods are often considered status symbols. ''Status symbol'' is also a sociological term – as part of social and soc ...
. Brands such as
Max Mara and
United Colors of Benetton
Benetton Group S.r.l. () is a global fashion brand based in Ponzano Veneto, Italy, founded in 1965. Benetton Group has a network of about 5,000 stores worldwide. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Benetton family's holding company Edizio ...
, despite being major Italian brands, are not headquartered in Milan, Rome or Florence, yet, the former has its headquarters in
Reggio Emilia
Reggio nell'Emilia ( egl, Rèz; la, Regium Lepidi), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has abo ...
, and the latter in
Ponzano Veneto
Ponzano Veneto is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about north of Venice and about northwest of Treviso.
Ponzano Veneto borders the following municipalities: Paese, Povegliano, Trev ...
. Italian holding
OTB held by
Renzo Rosso, owner of different ready-to-wear brands such as
Diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engi ...
and also fashion houses like
Marni
The name Marni originates from several languages, including Hebrew, meaning "rejoice", and Latin as a variant of "Marina", meaning "of the sea". It also has derivations from Gaelic and Swahili. "Marni" and "Marnie" are the two most common spelli ...
, Dutch label
Viktor & Rolf
Viktor & Rolf is a Dutch avant-garde luxury fashion house founded in 1993 by Viktor Horsting (born 1969, Geldrop) and Rolf Snoeren (born 1969, Dongen). For more than twenty years, Viktor & Rolf have sought to challenge preconceptions of fashion an ...
and Belgian
Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela, formerly ''Maison Martin Margiela'', is a French luxury fashion house founded by Belgian designer Martin Margiela andJenny Meirensin 1988 and headquartered in Paris. The house produces both haute couture-inspired artisanal colle ...
, is headquartered in the countryside near Vicenza in the region of
Veneto
Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona.
Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...
. Italian companies
Cesare Paciotti
Cesare Paciotti (born 1 January 1958) is a shoe designer from Italy. His eponymous company makes luxury shoes and other leather goods, including jewelry and watches, and he is famous for its dagger logo.
Biography
Cesare Paciotti was born from ...
and also
Tod's
Tod's S.p.A., also known as Tod's Group, is an Italian company which produces luxury shoes and other leather goods. The company is majority controlled by the founding family Della Valle Family and is listed on the Italy's Milan Stock Exchange bei ...
, owned by businessman
Diego Della Valle
Diego Della Valle (born 30 December 1953) is the chairman of the Italian leather goods company ''Tod's''.
Biography Family, youth and studies
Diego Della Valle is the elder son of Dorino Della Valle and grandson of Filippo Della Valle. Filip ...
(which produces luxury shoes, other leather goods and also clothes under the labels of
Tod's
Tod's S.p.A., also known as Tod's Group, is an Italian company which produces luxury shoes and other leather goods. The company is majority controlled by the founding family Della Valle Family and is listed on the Italy's Milan Stock Exchange bei ...
itself,
Roger Vivier
Roger Henri Vivier (13 November 1907 – 2 October 1998) was a French fashion designer who specialized in shoes. His best-known creation was the stiletto heel.
Career
Vivier has been called the " Fragonard of the shoe" and his shoes "th ...
, Hogan, Fay and haute couture brand
Schiaparelli), Santoni,
Bontoni are headquartered in the region of
Marche
Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...
, a very important manufacturing district for shoes and leather components in the Adriatic coast. Fashion houses
Fabiana Filippi and
Brunello Cucinelli's home is the region of
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
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and luxury brands
Kiton and Harmont & Blaine were founded in
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...
which is also another prominent area of the country for the manufacturing of apparel and accessories (especially shoes and leather goods in general around the district of
Solofra
Solofra ( Solofrano: , ) is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Avellino, in the Campania region of Southern Italy.
Geography
The town is bordered by Aiello del Sabato, Calvanico ( SA), Contrada, Montoro Superiore and Serino. Its ''fraz ...
).
Fashion shows and fairs
The
Milan Fashion Week takes place twice a year after the
London Fashion Week and before the
Paris Fashion Week. It is scheduled as the third of the four most important and global international ready-to-wear fashion weeks of the calendar during the so-called fashion month. Dates are determined by the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. Some of the locations where fashion shows are held are Milan's
Palazzo Reale
This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent.
Africa
* Abdin Palace, Cairo
* Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo
* Koubbeh Palace, Cairo
* Tahra Palace, Cairo
* Menelik Palace
* Jubilee Palace
* Guenete Leul Palace
* Imperial Palace- Mas ...
,
Palazzo Serbelloni
The Palazzo Serbelloni is a Neoclassical palace in Milan.
The palace at the site was constructed for the aristocrat Gabrio Serbelloni. In the late 18th century, the palace was extensively reconstructed including the façade by Simone Cantoni. ...
, Padiglione Visconti, Spazio delle Cavallerizze at Leonardo Da Vinci museum and many others.
Another prominent platform for men's collections and new projects in fashion industry is
Pitti Immagine Pitti Immagine is a collection of fashion industry events in Italy.
Pitti Immagine Uomo
Pitti Uomo (in English, "Pitti Men"), is one of the world's most important platforms for men's clothing and accessory collections, and for launching new proj ...
in Florence at the
Fortezza da Basso
Fortezza da Basso is a fort inserted in the fourteenth century walls of Florence. Its official name is the Fortress of Saint John the Baptist (Fortezza di San Giovanni Battista). In modern times it is home to numerous conferences, concerts and ...
, held twice a year a few days before the Milanese man's fashion week.
References
Further reading
*
*
Dagmar Reichardt, ''Moda Made in Italy. Il linguaggio della moda e del costume italiano'', edited and with a preface by Dagmar Reichardt and Carmela D'Angelo (Ed.), presenting an interview with
Dacia Maraini
Dacia Maraini (; born November 13, 1936) is an Italian writer. Maraini's work focuses on women's issues, and she has written numerous plays and novels. She has won awards for her work, including the Formentor Prize for ''L'età del malessere'' ...
, Firenze, Franco Cesati Editore, (Civiltà italiana. Terza serie, no. 10), 2016, (), 230 pp.
External links
Made-In-Italy.com Official Website25 Best Italian Fashion Brands- Italy Best Official Website
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