Fifth
Florence, Italy
Once every six months, the men's fashion festival "Pitti Immagine Uomo" ("Pitti") is held in Florence, Italy. It is a large-scale trade fair where all kinds of men's brands exhibit, and is one of the so-called joint exhibitions, such as those held in Paris, New York, and Japan, but the reason why Pitti is considered special among the many joint exhibitions is because it has a full lineup of "contemporary and classic" items. The show covers all aspects of what is known in Japan as "dress clothing," or casual and formal men's fashion styles based on tailored jackets, and it is no exaggeration to say that Pitti is the pinnacle of men's fashion.
I went to Pitti several times when I was working as a buyer, and I exhibited there on a trial basis when Phil Melange was expanding overseas, so I was familiar with the atmosphere at Pitti, but for the past 10 years or so, I have not had any connection with my work and have not visited the show.
The Sartorialist." I was only vaguely aware that taking snapshots of fashionable people at Pitti was becoming popular, and that the trend was heating up year by year, thanks to a fashion snapshot site called "Pitti Fashion Snapshots" (see below).
I have a friend named "Nozo-chan" who is a regular participant in this fashion snapshots. Last fall, he asked me, "Mr. Ozaki, aren't you going to the next Pitti show? Wouldn't it be fun to go once in a while? He asked me, "Mr. Ozaki, isn't it interesting to go to Pitti once in a while?
It would be interesting to go to this event. I have been reluctant to go to the festival for the past 10 years because I haven't had a chance to do so, and because it is held early in the year or during the hot season, but I am still interested in the current "Contemporary Classics. . Besides, I love the city of Florence.
Nozou-chan is also going to Naples after Pitti because of her work. Naples, on the contrary to Pitti, is a "classical classic" city. I had wanted to visit Naples for a long time. Tempted by the delicious food in Florence and the pizza in Naples, which I had not yet experienced, I took a ticket to Italy at the beginning of the year.
The contrast between the color of the walls and the bright blue sky is beautiful. Florence, Italy .
It was warm as if it was the beginning of January, and the sun was shining so brightly under the clear sky that one might have thought that this place was closer to the sun than Tokyo.
. you can't smile around here."
. if you don't have a frown on your face. ......."
Nozusa-chan, who gives us "tips on how to be photographed by the camera crew," which we have not even asked her about. She is dressed in brown, wearing a trendy tweed jacket with a staggered pattern and dark brown belgian shoes, but the camera crew's eyes are on her, and they pass her by without a second glance.
Perhaps Nozou-chan's sense of style was a little too early for the film crew, as she wore black leather pants, following the fashionable style but daring to be a few steps ahead of the trend.
. I felt nostalgic as I went around Pitti's venue. The content of the exhibition has not changed much, for better or worse, but I like the fact that all the booths are more like a "festival hall" than a serious "place of business," and everyone is relaxed, which I feel is typical of Italy.
Unlike in the past, I was able to look around with a relaxed mindset, as I did not have a sense of mission to buy or sell products. As a result, I finished most of my tour in the morning. . "Just looking around" is easy.
He dragged her out of the hall and took her to a restaurant that was famous in the city.
The restaurant, small but with a certain prestige, was said to be full of reservations even though it was lunchtime, and we were the only ones who entered the restaurant as soon as it opened and were able to sit down without a reservation. How lucky. Italians start late for lunch, and everyone eats slowly after having a drink, so there is no idea of "rotating seats for lunch to accommodate more customers" or the like.
I wonder if people in this town think first thing when they wake up in the morning, "Shall we have lunch at that restaurant today?" and then call for a reservation. . Time passes slowly around the rich food and beautiful scenery. . I still love this city that is favored not only by the sun but also by time.
. Nozou-chan in a brown tweed jacket and a tie of the same color. She is an expert in picking out colors.
You cannot aim to imitate this miscellaneous beauty. Culture, life, and necessity color these walls.
Inspired by the Italian people and after a leisurely meal and a glass of wine, we felt like seeing the city of Florence rather than Pitti's venue, so we decided to leave Nozomu alone and walk around the city on our own without any guesses.
After 10 years in Florence , nothing had changed more than expected.
Fiat and Citroën cars run by, swaying on the cobblestones as if they were hard to drive. A Vespa, which looks broken, is still running around. When the sun shines in the west, the scenery turns white, and nothing can be seen to the west. In the middle of a bridge crossing a big river, we are entranced.
Like some theme park, with beautiful, over-produced scenery, stylish people appearing as if they were cast members, and fun events as if they were attractions. . it was as if someone had thought up a massive flash mob and set it up for me.
Cobblestones and cars. This is the sidewalk on the bridge, so it is beautiful, but the roadway is rickety.
Primavera = Spring. The very first day of January, a light spring day. . I hear it's an exceptionally mild winter this year.
The center of the city is the Arno River. Fishing for catfish in this river is said to be very popular.
The sun does not hide behind the building until it is quite low, and it is so bright that you really can't see over there.
I have made a point of visiting every stationery shop in town around the world to stock up on local stationery, and my old memories led me effortlessly to the stationery shop by the bridge, and I was surprised that the city had not changed enough to repeat exactly what I had experienced 10 and nearly 20 years ago.
, photogenic objects collected in a stationery shop in Italy.
In the same memory, he discovered Madova, a well-known store that also handles OEM production of gloves for major maisons. I buy a batch of gloves in a variety of bold colors. The leather gloves are still stitched by hand, and are inexpensive and of high quality.
Come to think of it, there must have been a store in the neighborhood that sold marble paper, a traditional craft...oh! There was. . . just like this, as if someone had set me up again, the day soon ended as I walked around the city, discovering beauty and good products in rapid succession.
The glove shop at the foot of the bridge, with its unchanged atmosphere .
Gloves by Madova. The quality is inexpensive, so you may want to try some beautiful colors.
. It is also a renowned workshop that has handled OEM for many brands.
Il Papillo is famous for its notebooks and stationery made from marbled paper, a traditional Florentine craft. The paper itself can also be purchased.
I was so impressed by the marble art that no two pieces are alike that I bought several of them in paper form. It would be nice to frame them.
I looked at the workshop with interest, and he practiced one.
Leaning against the railing of Ponte Vecchio at dusk, looking out at the orange sky reflected on the surface of the river, I was lost in thought.
The couple next to me is toasting with a bottle of champagne and glasses lined up on the parapet. . They are probably making a toast to this perfect scene.
Sunset from Ponte Vecchio. . a city where everything that happens is perfect, as if someone had arranged it for you.
What is abundance .
Whenever I am confronted with this proposition, I always weigh material wealth against cultural wealth.
. a city that continues to go round and round with plenty of material wealth .
. a city that enjoys cultural richness and loves simple and certain things.
I suppose there are advantages to both, but I prefer the latter.
I came here to see contemporary classics, but ended up being completely taken aback by old-fashioned old things.
. Even though it's been a mild winter, it's still cold after dusk. It is almost time for Pitti to finish her work. I think I should invite her out to dinner again.
I am sure that the flash mob will be followed by a toast to the most delicious bistecca (T-bone steak) and a deep, austere red wine.
You can set me up every day now.
The journey continues.
PROFILE
. Born in 1980. After working as a store buyer, he launched "Filmerange" and became independent as "Sankakke" in 2012. He spends his days working and traveling while pursuing good Japanese products.
