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Traditions in top yarns! The 57th Edition of Pitti Filati
[Susan Glasspool]
What, you may ask, is Pitti Filati? Well it is one of the offspring of Pitti Immagine which organises all the Florentine fashion shows and one of the leading trade fairs of its kind. Pitti Filati however is not just fashion - it is literally what fashion is made of - in other words, all the latest yarns, wools and knits that come in one thousand and one varieties, an unimaginable range of colours, surfaces and mixes. Shaggy, rough, smooth, shimmering, natural, ecological, brilliant, gilded, embroidered, brocaded or damasked, you name it, and you can find it - and more - at Pitti Filati. Don’t forget the Florentine traditions in the preparation of wools, silks and textiles in general. The area around Piazza della Signoria, Piazza Santa Croce, Piazza Cavalleggeri and the Arno were once full of laboratories for preparing and dying textiles, which was then carted out of the city along today’s fashionable Via della Vigna Nuova. The production moved to Prato when the city expanded. Even so many old Florentine families made their name - and money - thanks to the wool and silk trade and the dying of textiles, among them the Rucellai, who acquired their name after the head of the family discovered a wonderful plant called Orchilla in the desert, during the Crusades.
The leaves of this plant could be used to dye cloth a beautiful purple colour, until then never seen before, and was to bring fame to the Florentine dyers of cloth. Even today the city treasures this colour as one of its dearest symbols.
Even if you are not an expert or have no pretences about designing or making clothes yourself, you will find Pitti Filati exciting and stimulating for the original ideas, designs, splendid colours, textures and yarns, for which it, Florence and Italy, are so famous. In fact it may even encourage you to take up textile or dress design yourself - naturally in Florence!
Having waxed poetic about the unimaginable variety of yarns on display, all you have to do now is visit the show and see for yourself.
There are however many shops in Florence whose products are closely linked to this event and so, if you miss the show, you can still make the most of what is often on display there by visiting them and buying their wares!
One classic example can be found in the elegant Via della Vigna Nuova at number 15r where the BP Studio boutique concentrates the display of its knitwear production in prized natural fibres. Here an international clientele can find an exclusive selection of clothes and accessories, the fruit of constant research and new ideas, together with beautifully designed pullovers and cardigans.
Another well known label in the world of fashion is Ermenegildo Zegna in Piazza Rucellai 4-7r and Zegna Sport in Via Tornabuoni 3r. Both shops cater for an international clientele with their Spring-Summer 2005 collections that show the new trends in refined and exclusive tailoring, from their refined Couture line created with unusual fabrics and colours to the Sartorial line which revisits classical shapes and materials. Made-to-measure is inspired by the best tailoring traditions and includes exclusive quality shoes. Technical performance matched with smart appeal is instead the key element in the Zegna Sport collection, created with special lightweight but breathable materials that also guarantee a high resistance to both wind and rain. They are accompanied by many other cleverly designed ideas for sportswear.
Another excellent place to shop is the the Zhed boutique, close by the Ponte Vecchio, in Borgo SS. Apostoli, 32r, specialised in fine cashmere. The two women owners are really two friends with an idea in common: the creation of their own original line of fashion knitwear in the finest possible yarns - cashmere and silk – and sell it directly at competative prices. This is what lies behind "Zhed", a new brand name that is also distributed abroad, a new boutique in the heart of a historic area that dates from the 12th century.
On the other side of the Ponte Vecchio, near the Pitti Palace, you can find the new elegance of Piazza Pitti Cashmere (Via dello Sprone 13r), where the ancient culture in knitwear gives life to really priceless and unique interwoven yarns. The skill of craftsman combined with creative talent produces soft and warm products, in glimmering and natural colours. These elegant collections, with their fine finish and detail are a synthesis of the best of Made in Italy and, of course, of Pitti Filati.
The G.P. Biancheria Palombella shop has been situated in Piazza Duomo 62r, right in the heart of Florence, for the last 40 years and offers a wonderful selection of home linens and accessories as well as fine lingerie for ladies and underwear for men. The company in fact makes and sells a quality collection of embroidered and edged table sets in damask, beautiful bed linens (sheets, quilts, bedspreads and cushions) and bathroom towelling. The range of men's and women's lingerie and underwear includes some of the best Italian brand names. The firm has opened another shop specialised in home furnishings only in Borgo la Croce 51r.
PITTI IMMAGINE FILATI n. 57
July 6th-8th 2005
Fortezza da Basso, Florence
www.pitti mmagine.it.
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http://www.pitti mmagine.it.