Not only is he head buyer for the city’s high-end, stand-alone boutique Antonia and the Milanese mainstay department store Excelsior, but Dario Pandolfi is pretty much the only man who can truly pull off white jeans in winter (oh and he’s a champion horse jumper too!). Here he gives us the inside scoop on what’s hot on the Italian retail scene and why.
The art director of Moncler, Francesco Ragazzi launched this label three seasons ago and it epitomizes street style cool with fine-tuned sartorial cred. It’s for those Italians who dream of America but who also have an appreciation for fine tailoring and details. The perfectly cut and extremely elegant leather jacket is a total must-have.
Everyone knows the best tailoring comes from Naples! Salvatore Piccoli is a classic example of perfectly fine-tuned tailoring that started small with just shirts and now encompasses an empire that has become synonymous with more than just made-to-measure but also “designed to measure.” I love mixing Scottish cashmere pieces with his shirts.
Ok, so this is a French brand but its very popular with Italians because it is so well made and its our best seller. The look borrows from Paris street style and is loved by the creative tribes looking to adopt an urban look that feels modern and cool. I love their denim military field jacket that is perfect for the city’s biker kids but they’ve also got perfectly tailored tweed coats.
This brand is so strong and perfect for the contemporary man who spends all week in a suit but is looking for something classic with a modern twist at the weekend. Slouchy pants cut in clean lines paired with printed shirts or a leather bomber makes after-hours dressing functional and chic.
The only show I ever cried at was Prada. It is what you would save from a fire in your house. The new romantic style means that everyone from young guys to older, more seasoned shoppers can find something. This season Prada proved that you only need to change the neckline of a shirt for something totally inspired and perfect!
The new generation is looking for clothes that empower and that is born from these new high societies in L.A. and big cities in America. It is luxury street style that is worn by big names and that sells a dream of opulence. It is cool but extremely well made.
We are in the renaissance of Gucci. The entire look can be a bit much for some but if you pull the pieces apart you will find the perfect jacket in the perfect color that illustrates perfect Italian style. You can mix any piece from Gucci with another brand and you can feel Italian! The Italian DNA is in the brand.
I love the very clean, fine lined coats of Massimo Piombo. Classic silhouettes with perfect tailoring that are modern enough for the younger generation who appreciate quality and workmanship but who want something relevant and modern.
There is only one name when it comes to suits! (and I am not just saying that because I used to work there!) Everyone knows the heart of classic tailoring and craftsmanship is found in Naples. The suit is a deconstructed English style that becomes a second skin that you never have to take off; you can drive in it, play cards in it, go for cocktails in it.
I am a big fan of English brands like Churches an Evergreen but Marsell is a great Italian brand with classic options for a modern man. Their leather is top quality that result in impressive shoes that can just as easily be work with a suit for the office or a piece by Rick Owens.
These are classic ties made in the Neapolitan tradition that are the perfect complement to a properly made suit.
I really like what Andrea Pompilio is doing. He is the new boy, the new blood, part of the new generation but still very Italian in his style.
He is so proud to be Italian and you can see that in how he constructs everything, the color, the bold lines. His silhouette is always chic with the perfect length skirt, the exact and perfect length coat. He captures the high-life for fashion savvy women very well.
-Meredith Nichols
Viviana Volpicella
Simone Marchetti
Damir Doma
Candela Novembre
