Thank God for Joe & the Juice at Stansted Airport. Their coffee might not be the best in the world but their spicy tuna melt on gluten-free flat bread is the breakfast of champions, setting me up for the super early morning flight to Pitti. I’ve arranged to meet up with the Sane Communications crew who have followed suit, flying into Bologna instead of Pisa for the first time since I’ve been making the seasonal pilgrimage to Florence. Cheaper flights and better times plus a much faster train service when you land makes me wonder why I haven’t done it this way before now. I upgrade myself to a emergency exit seat next to Steve Sane so we can discuss all things life, love and literature for two hours. He’s reading an actual book made of paper, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which probably explains why he owns a successful agency; whilst I’m fantasising about being a part-time international assassin with one of many nameless fictional series loaded onto my battered Kindle.
I’m flying solo and on a mission to see everyone I know in the fashion industry over the course of the next 48 hours. Not exhibiting means I can cover more ground and set up coffees, cocktails and dinners via DMs or, as is often the case at Pitti, through spontaneously bumping into people. It’s not exactly a science but it is one the 4 P’s of marketing – Place, eg. putting yourself out there. It’s the first time I’ve registered for the show as press, flexing my platinum LUMAER status and top of my To Do list is getting an invite to the Undercover/TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist. presentation Thursday night.
Next, I visit my favourite section of Pitti, the new Futuro Maschile area in the Arena Strozzi. The stand layout and brand mix here creates an atmosphere that makes you want to hang out all-day. My outerwear friends from COHÉRENCE are showing their beautiful collection of jackets and coats, made in Japan using premium jerseys and super luxurious cashmeres. This shawl collar blazer in marl grey heavy cashmere is one of my top picks from the new line, although you can’t fail to kill in any one of their signature 1930s voluminous silhouettes.
Across the room is Sweden’s most handsome man, Peter from THE WHITE BRIEFS who is lucky to have made it in time considering he missed his flight when he arrived at the airport early and was enjoying a casual coffee opposite his gate before it rudely closed, forcing him to rebook an indirect flight that arrived 15 hours later. He’s just opened his first stand alone store that I’m looking forward to visiting next week in Paris. Out of the corner of my eye I spot the very dapper Gordon Richardson at KIRK ORIGINALS, the brand where I purchased my first pair of prescription glasses in 1999. I didn’t really need them back then, but I really, really wanted them. It’s the first time I’ve seen the brand at Pitti although they relaunched here last season. Our mutual friend Nick Wooster is a fan and these Formentera frames (available now) in Olive Green are the ultimate Aviators with oversized grey lenses that can even make a man who woke up at 4:30am to catch his flight look good.
My good friend Michi at MEY STORY is holding court in his usual stand position and is busy as always. We get together before closing time and fight the departing crowds, heading to the best rooftop bar in Florence, hidden atop the The Westin Excelsior on the banks of the Arno river. On our way over we discuss ordering Negronis when Michi’s Italian agent recommends we go for a Milano-Torino instead. Neither one of us is familiar with this particular tipple but according to the internet: “First created for Count Camillo Negroni in 1919 at Florence’s Café Casoni, the Negroni is actually predated by the Milano-Torino, a mix of bitter, barky Campari and sweet vermouth that evolved into the Americano.” We order away and it’s delizioso. Mon ami, Benjamin from ETIQUETTE joins us halfway through our first cocktail before we grab a typically late dinner at Il Santo Bevitore. Four hour and three food babies later, we head over to JK Place for a nightcap that ends in a fairly respectable 1:30am bedtime. Batteries on charge for tomorrow.
LUMAER 