Pitti W in Florence

Pitti Pleasures
by Gianluca Longo
21 June 2011

While we were being rained on in London this weekend, stylish tradeshow Pitti W was being held in Florence - attended by Kirsten Dunst and Rodarte's Mulleavy sisters. Renowned fashion journalist Gianluca Longo reports for VOGUE.COM from the event:

"I love Florence. Here people are very classic in their fashion, and it's exactly what the Made in Italy motif became famous for. The big houses of Ferragamo, Emilio Pucci and Gucci are all from Florence. Every excuse is a good excuse for me to go back to this city, and last week I decided to accept the invitation of attending the Pitti W - the fair-come-event devoted to promoting women's fashion.

"I checked in at the chic Hotel Lungarno, which belongs to the Ferragamo family. I like it here, since it's on the other side of the river Arno (a kind of Rive Gauche of Firenze), so less touristic, and it's so close to the Ponte Vecchio you can almost touch it while sipping a cappuccino at breakfast.

"The railway station of Florence is a hymn to the magnificent architecture of the Mussolini /fascist era. And in its gold mosaics private room, the jolly performance of Dress Like A Man put me in a very good mood to start my two-day trip. Here ex-top models Violeta Sanchez, Amalia Vaireli, Axelle Doue and Claudia Huidobro played with basic menswear tailored items to create fun womenswear pieces: a white shirt was wrapped as a skirt, a pair of large linen trousers twisted to become a top and a pair of Church's brogues were worn as a headpiece.

"Ten minutes out of the city, a disused tobacco warehouse was the location for the energetic performance and fashion show of American label Band of Outsiders. Its creative director Scott Sternberg impressed us all with a fun combination of Broadway musical-style dancers and models in pretty clothing - all done in a very American way.

"The morning after started with a quick dip into the Palazzo Pitti to see the newly-restored Titian's masterpiece, That Woman with a Blue Dress - the portrait of a beautiful Florentine woman wearing the deepest navy blue gown, dated 1536. At San Lorenzo market I admired the buzzy atmosphere of a street market, and those artisanal leather goods, typical of Florence. The sandals would make a perfect gift. The swanky boutique Luisa Via Roma has become as important a stop as any museums of this city. It's amazing how many cool labels I found here. A coffee on the terrace of the Hotel Savoy (here they spray fresh water on you), cooled me down and I was ready for my next stop.

"The Rodarte exhibition was indeed the highlight of my trip. Here the two LA-based sisters, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, created 10 couture gowns, inspired by Frangelico's frescoes in the monk's cells at the Convent of San Marco, as well as Bernini's The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. In the most delicate shades of pastels colours - and in the most precious tulle, chiffons, feathers and taffeta - the dresses were displayed in different rooms of a dishevelled ex-china shop in the centre of Florence. Some of the garments had some hand-forged old metal pieces, in shapes you find in many religious paintings. Set designer supremo Alek de Betak added some drama, incorporating neon light tubes. Kate and Laura's background is in art, and they told me it was an amazing opportunity to show this special collection in their favourite city (they spent all their time here museum and gallery hopping).

"Kirsten Dunst came to town to celebrate them, and while drinking water melon prosecco cocktails, I heard that the ten creations will be part of the The Los Angeles County Museum of Art permanent collection soon after this.

"Vivienne Westwood was also in town, to launch the Ethical Fashion Africa Collection she had designed with Nairobi women. The bags and accessories were shown in the elegant gardens of the Palazzo Corsini (they will be sold on YOOX.COM), and I enjoyed seeing Dame Vivienne's tribal dancing in a video shot by Juergen Teller, while on her recent trip to Kenya."

Source: Vogue.com