Pitti Uomo 89. Toscanello, Street-Style Cigar
The Toscanello, born in 1948, is traditionally considered the "cigar of friendship" because it is among those most often smoked in the company of others.
Following the latest edition of the Florentine menswear fashion event, Pitti Uomo 89, the idea has grown on me that the Toscanello could, to all intents and purposes, be described as a "street-style cigar" (also a more modern definition). A quick glance around during the three-day fair showed fashion lovers on every street corner with a Toscanello in hand - a cigar that is steadfastly able to complement the very latest fashions and to unite the generations.
It is no coincidence that this edition of Pitti Uomo was dominated by a "synchronicity of many different generations, in terms of dress style and life style," explains Raffaello Napoleone, Managing Director of Pitti Immagine. "We live in a world in which age is increasingly a mental state as much as a fixed fact, with mature men wearing jeans and t-shirts, and young men with Victorian beards, passionate about vintage clothes". From this perspective, the Toscanello can undoubtedly be considered an appropriate complement to style.
For those among you who consider yourselves fashion lovers, I have selected a couple of projects (with their links) to keep an eye on, even if merely as a source of inspiration (I suspect, in fact, that these will be beyond the reach of most wallets).
The first project, The Sartorialist for Roy Roger's, blends an international vision with an Italian approach. The new collection is born of a collaboration between the renowned street-style photographer, Scott Schuman, and the Italian clothing brand, Roy Roger's, which specialises in denim. It offers a reinterpretation of the 1970s, revisiting the shapes and details of jeans, jackets, bomber jackets and knitwear. The single exception is the parka, the most important wardrobe symbol of those years.
The second project, which is heavily artisanal in nature, is the Cappellificio Biellese, a hat-makers founded in Biella in 1935. After many years of closure due to the post-war economic depression and the increasingly limited role of headwear in people's wardrobes, production has recently restarted. This is due to the passion of Alberto Benigni, who conducted meticulous research, delving into the memories of townspeople and exploring the archives of municipal offices. The new output is inspired by an understanding of old fabrics such as tweed, flannel and solaro, combined with a passion for British-style hats (e.g. the Newsboy and the Irish Cap), manufactured in accordance with traditional Italian standards of production excellence, creating a successful fusion of British and Italian styles.
Photos by Stefano Coletti, taken from Vogue Italia website.