Italian fashion
Cities such as Rome, Palermo, Venice, Milan, Naples, Florence and Vicenza started to produce luxury goods, hats, cosmetics, jewelry and rich fabrics.
[1] However, since the 1951–53 fashion soirées held by Giovanni Battista Giorgini in Florence,[2] the "Italian school" started to compete with the French haute couture, and labels such as Prada and Gucci began to contend with Chanel and Dior.
[5] Examples of major Italian fashion houses focused on both menswear and womenswear, but also accessories:[6] Examples of major fashion brands which are specialized mainly at womenswear (and also accessories for women) are Laura Biagiotti, Blumarine (founded by Anna Molinari), Capucci, Chiara Boni, Alberta Ferretti, 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, Max Mara (created by Ian Griffiths), Miu Miu (founded and directed by Miuccia Prada), Philosophy (directed by Lorenzo Serafini), Mila Schon and Twin-set Milano whilst the most important luxury houses which focus only on menswear and accessories for men are Brioni, Canali, Corneliani, Lardini, Stefano Ricci, Zegna (directed by Alessandro Sartori) and Pal Zileri.
Luxury sportswear and streetwear 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, Fendi, Moschino and Prada 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 founded by American Virgil Abloh but based in Milan, Stone island.
Among the newest labels or younger designers, the most prominent are Calcaterra, Del Core, Federico Cina, Golden Goose Deluxe Brand, Stella Jean, Niccolò Pasqualetti and The Attico.
Other luxury labels which are mainly focused on the production of leather goods such as accessories, especially belts or shoes (but not only), are Anderson's, Aquazzura, Baldinini, Ballin, Bontoni, Casadei, Rene Caovilla, Bruno Magli, Paciotti, Pollini, Gianvito Rossi, Sergio Rossi, Giuseppe Zanotti, while fashion brands or labels which produce primarily bags, totes, suitcases are Braccialini, Furla, Mandarina Duck, Piquadro, Serapian and Valextra.
As Italy is widely recognized as the cradle and birthplace of the Renaissance,[9][10] art, music, education, finance and philosophy flourished, and along with it, Italian fashion designs became very popular especially those worn by the Medicis in Florence.
[15] Many of the major Italian fashion brands, such as Valentino, Versace, Prada, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Marni, Iceberg, Missoni, Trussardi, Moschino, Dirk Bikkembergs, Etro, and Zegna are currently headquartered in the city.
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.
Gianfranco Lotti, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, Ermanno Scervino, Stefano Ricci, Patrizia Pepe, Enrico Coveri and Emilio Pucci were also founded and most of them are still headquartered in Florence.
Florence's main upscale shopping street is Via de' Tornabuoni, where major luxury fashion houses and jewelry labels, such as Armani and Bulgari, have their elegant boutiques.
[18] Major Italian luxury fashion houses and jewelry chains, such as Valentino, Bulgari, Fendi, Laura Biagiotti, Gattinoni and Brioni, just to name a few, are headquartered in or were founded in the city.
Italian holding OTB held by Renzo Rosso, owner of different ready-to-wear brands such as Diesel and also fashion houses like Marni, Dutch label Viktor & Rolf and Belgian Maison Margiela, is headquartered in the countryside near Vicenza in the region of Veneto.
