Drawing upon research from the archives of Italian fashion houses, museums and private foundations, the exhibition will investigate the aspects that made Italian menswear and womenswear influential over seven decades, namely the use of luxurious and high-quality materials, expert textile production, and reliance on regional manufacturing traditions and processes.

On display will be around 100 garments and accessories by numerous Italian labels including Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Missoni, Prada, Pucci, Mila Schön, Valentino, Giambattista Valli and Versace that will narrate how the international reputation of Italian style has increased over time, from the early 1950s (the decade when Giovanni Battista Giorgini organised the first ‘Sala Bianca’ runway shows in Florence and Hollywood producers opted to shoot films in Italy featuring glamorous actresses such as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor) to the second decade of the twenty-first century (with examples of how the Italian fashion industry is addressing current shifts in production, press and retail formats).

The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014 will be open to the public between 5 April and 27 July 2014.

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Over the last few years, River Island has made a significant investment in its menswear offering, a decision with very positive results as evident in the elegant tailoring that pervades formal and evening wear as well as in the successful accessories and outerwear pieces. The only downside of the brand’s current production strategy is the choice of fabrics that are not always of the best quality, even though that move allows for lower price points to consumers.

For its autumn/winter 2013 range of clothes, accessories and footwear for men, River Island has opted for tried-and-tested designs and colours that have been popular over the last couple of seasons. In spite of the focus on this safe (and wise) approach, textures and structures play a significant role in the success of the collection, with abundant examples of cable knit and Fair Isle cardigans and jumpers, and tactile fabrics such as velvet and brocade woven with metallic threads. The colour palette is overall sombre, with white, grey, black, brown, burgundy, emerald and navy highlighted by bolder patterns and prints such as checks, paisley, florals and polka dots.

Evening wear is key to the River Island autumn/winter 2013 menswear collection, in the form of evening suits, dinner jackets and penny collar shirts that can be worn either as part of a full  look for Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties or as separates combined with jeans for a smarter look during the day. Accessories such as evening scarves, knitted ties, bow ties, tie pins, pocket squares and handkerchiefs complement this range.

Also worth noting are the successful examples of outerwear, particularly the military overcoats and trench coats. In addition, a diverse range of accessories and footwear complement the clothes, including colourful beanie and bobble hats, brogues, wedge shoes, high tops, holdalls, backpacks and satchels. All in all, this is a collection with many accomplished pieces that will please many men.

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Even though the denim jacket has more or less kept its original shape, its traditional fabrics such as sturdy cottons and practical colours such as black and dark blue have been softened and adapted to urban contexts by featuring malleable materials and colourful patterns such as florals or ombré effects.

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Following Kris Van Assche’s utilitarian view of menswear, the collection included very wearable looks made possible by fusing conventional cuts, designs, and inspirations. As such, cotton and denim trousers and shorts came in versions with pleats, turn ups, visible stitching, and elasticated waists; the arms of suit jackets were imaginatively reinterpreted by incorporating the short sleeves of white or black cotton t-shirts in colour block effects; and crisp white shirts were either covered by a casual cotton t-shirt or were cut so that it seemed that short sleeves covered longer ones.

According to Van Assche, this was a collection conceived to allow flexibility for the users of the garments; in this sense, the shirts’ sleeves had zippers to become detachable, not only to allow for varying lengths, but mostly to allow the wearer to move from day to night situations wearing the same outfit. The colour palette included white, black, beige, blue denim, red and grey micro-checked pattern, and an oversized crossed out diamond print in light blue.

Kris Van Assche was born in Belgium in 1976, and studied Fashion at the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts. He moved to Paris in 1998 and worked for Yves Saint Laurent and Dior Homme before founding his own label, KRISVANASSCHE, in January 2005. He has been involved in diverse projects, from developing collaborations with popular brands such as Eastpak and Lee to being the Artistic Director for Dior Homme, a post he took in April 2007. In addition, he also produces an art magazine, and is an artist whose pieces have been exhibited in various galleries in Geneva, Paris and Florence.

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Since graduating from Polimoda, Bjerkesjö has designed exceptional collections of bespoke footwear that he personally produces together with skilled craftsmen in Tuscany, Italy. The meticulous attention to production of Bjerkesjö’s shoes can be seen in the structured stages in which the leather is worked as well as in details such as hand-beveling, elegant punching on the toe caps, the etching of the designer’s signature onto the upper element of the sole, or the inclusion of three 18k gold pins in the heels as a way to pay homage to the classic Viennese heel.

After Bjerkesjö presented his collection of handmade shoes in the surroundings of Florence’s Palazzo Favard during Pitti Uomo 2012, it came as no surprise that Vogue Italia considered that his work revealed “the most innovative tailoring in Florence”. More recently, he was selected as a Finalist in the ‘Who is on Next?’ competition organised jointly by Altaroma, Pitti Immagine and L’Uomo Vogue to identify the future talent of menswear and men’s accessories. Whether he receives the top award in this competition or not, for The Style Examiner Bjerkesjö is already a very worthy winner. The recent news that he is expanding his shoe line to include men’s clothes only confirms Erïk Bjerkesjö’s potential as one of the most promising creative minds in contemporary men’s fashion.

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Halsey started by telling us that he wanted the collection to show the dual qualities that accessories design can contribute to fashion: masculine and feminine, couture and ready to wear, craftsmanship and artistry, and even eccentricity and minimalism. The range of bags is instantly recognisable for its recurring features of ergonomic and organic lines contrasted with geometric panelling and pleating detailing. When asked what drove him to come up with such forms, Halsey told us that the initial inspiration for PiECE’s inaugural collection came from observing the work of French architect Manuelle Gautrand. He first became aware of Gautrand’s work at the time of the opening of the showroom that she designed for Citroën on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in 2008. Subsequently, the work that the architect conducted at the Gaîté-Lyrique theatre in Paris and at the Le Palace Theatre extension in Bethune resonated a fusion of ultra modern and classic, an aesthetic that Halsey also wanted to convey in the collection.

The colour palette for the collection has been inspired by the golden age of motor racing and includes colours such as British Racing Green, Racing Yellow, Pewter inspired by Aston Martin, a Red inspired by Ferrari, and dark rich Tan and Ivory White that signify the quality of fine leather car interiors. Black acts both as a statement and an accent colour throughout the collection.

The design of the Gladstone bags, which are the collections signature pieces, essentially divides each bag into two by means of contrasting colours or leathers, highlighting the contemporary application to what is recognisably a classic shape in a playful and yet elegant manner. And this is what makes PiECE‘s designs so alluring. When asked if he would compromise on changing this design motif, Halsey was clear that this would not be an option. Although PiECE offers a bespoke service for the production of individual bags, we agree with Halsey that what makes them unique is the duality of colours and textures that created by the designer.

The pieces are all designed by Halsey but produced in Florence, Italy, by expert traditional leather makers that have been manufacturing similar accessories for top-end fashion brands such as Versace, Moschino and Zac Posen for many years. The details that Halsey has incorporated into the design of each bag make an examination of these pieces a worthwhile and enjoyable process. Pockets are lined with high-quality fabrics, and zippers and metal locks have been carefully developed.

Born in London, Jason Halsey studied Fashion at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at Central St Martins College of Art and Design. His graduation collections caught the attention of the fashion press and were widely covered by a number of publications, including The Guardian and The Times newspapers, and magazines such as The Face and Dazed and Confused. During his postgraduate studies, Halsey began his professional career by working on high-profile initiatives with extensive media coverage for companies such as MTV and Alexander McQueen.

After completing his MA, Halsey spent a year in New York as design consultant for fashion forecasting company Here and There, working with brands such as Calvin Klein and Donna Karan. He then returned to London to design for Vivienne Westwood, where he gained experience designing accessories for international markets. This was followed by a stint at Marks & Spencer as a menswear consultant. During this period, Halsey started designing his own menswear pieces and showed a capsule collection in Paris selling pieces to Maria Luisa boutique.

After several years gaining experience designing accessories, apparel and consulting for companies such as Arcadia, Fake London, John Richmond, and Kangol, Halsey became Head of Accessories at British brand Firetrap. His last project was to successfully launch a retail start-up as creative director and buyer for a men’s fashion concept store in London’s Soho. Realising that retail was not his calling and designing his own brand was still what he wanted to do, he left retail and embarked on developing PiECE.

When we met Halsey, we was clearly inspired by, and grateful for, the attention that PiECE had started garnering amongst buyers and the press, which has led him to start planning taking part in select trade shows. At The Style Examiner we certainly look forward to following Jason Halsey’s much deserved success at the helm of what we hope will become one of the most promising lines of luxury leather accessories currently coming out of London.

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Born in Treviso near Venice, Italy, in 1981, Christian Pellizzari took his first steps in fashion by designing and sewing clothes when he was still a young child. At the age of 20 he moved to Florence where he studied at Polimoda Fashion School, Institute of Design and Marketing. After this academic period, he honed his menswear skills for four years at garment making company Tonello before moving to Paris, where he worked in fashion design and production at maison Vionnet and Jay Ahr.

Christian Pellizari’s Spring/Summer 2012 menswear range resorts to a muted and elegant palette that includes cloudy greys, deep blues, and touches of ochre. These colours are used across diverse garments, from unlined sports coats to modern suits, including canvas parkas, leather and suede jackets, avant-garde shirts, tailored pants, and day and evening suits. In addition, the collection is complemented by a range of accessories such as leather sandals, belts, and city/beach back packs, as well as beach towels and scarves printed with the design from Saint Marco’s square floor in Venice.

This is most definitely a collection by a young designer that The Style Examiner intends to follow and keep examining in order to see how his accomplished creations grow in quality over the next few years.

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As special guests of the prestigious fashion fair, Valentino’s menswear designers Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri got the fair off to a good start in a year that celebrates the 50th anniversary of Valentino’s first fashion show, also in Florence. This was an elegant collection inspired by 1960s tailoring, with white shirts, skinny black ties, narrow cropped trousers, and tight-fitting jackets predominant under above-the-knee or cropped baggy overcoats with dropped shoulders that provided a cape-like effect.

The materials were luxurious, with leather, cashmere, shearling and wool often juxtaposed in panelling or trimmings of garments that resorted to a stylish palette that included black and dark greens and reds.

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