The Italian Job

Men's fashion made its first appearance of the year in Florence with the show Pitti Uomo 103 and in Milan with the shows for Fashion Week 2023/24. Despite the energy crisis that has hit companies in the fashion industry hard – being highly energy-intensive along the entire production chain – and the crisis of some markets due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Italian fashion is still in demand around the world. This was confirmed by the numbers of buyers who simply could not miss the event in Florence, but also by the enthusiasm of those who attended the shows in Milan. The ‘Made in Italy’ label is an added value. And it is no coincidence that the first book has just come out – published by Gruppo Editoriale – on the man who made Italian manufacturing great the world over: Giovanni Battista Giorgini.

G.B. Giorgini and the Origins of Made in Italy tells the story of the 'father of Italian fashion'. Few, however, know the long journey that this man had to travel to achieve the results – now taken for granted – of organizing the legendary fashion show on February 12, 1951 at Villa Torrigiani in Florence, an event with which Italian fashion took its first steps on the international stage, later ‘moving’ – again Giorgini's idea – to the Sala Bianca in Palazzo Pitti. The journey began with Giorgini traveling to America, where he learned about the US market and, applying his talent as a buyer, sensed the desire for finely-made products that inspired him to transport superior quality artisan products over the ocean from Italy.

G.B. Giorgini and the Origins of Made in Italy tells the story of the 'father of Italian fashion'. Few, however, know the long journey that this man had to travel to achieve the results 

This large volume of over 230 pages – in English and Italian – opens with contributions from those who knew Giorgini, such as the designer Roberto Capucci, and great fashion personalities such as Ferruccio Ferragamo, Laudomia Pucci, Bruce Pask - Men's Fashion Director of Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, and Antonella Mansi - president of the Florence Center for Italian Fashion.

The book is edited by Neri Fadigati, Giorgini's nephew, also the custodian of the Giorgini archive, who includes in the book historical photos, but also letters, invitations, programs, articles and other materials of the time. The archive was put together with in collaboration with Polimoda. It features the garments behind the global notoriety of Italian fashion and the models – some now more than 70 years old – which are still very current today.

 Giorgini noticed the great social transformations and changes in style underway the United States. Paris had great foreign appeal, but its fashion was elaborate, and above all expensive

The designers include Simonetta, Schuberth, Fontana, Marucelli, Veneziani, Fabiani, Galitzine, Emilio Pucci, Roberto Capucci, Valentino and many others. These fascinating images are combined with the tales of great Italian and international names, such as Gian Luca Bauzano, Daniela Calanca, Grazia d'Annunzio, Eva Desiderio and Sonnet Stanfill. Their words trace the life of Giovanni Battista Giorgini, starting from his first trips to America in the 1920s, where he offered buyers samples of the best handcrafted Italian products.

After the war, Giorgini noticed the great social transformations and changes in style underway the United States. Paris had great foreign appeal, but its fashion was elaborate, pompous and above all expensive. The buyers couldn't wait to find simple and wearable clothes with which to fill the windows of their department stores, frequented by young women busy with work and family. These women were equally eager to spend the money earned to look pretty and elegant like the movie stars. Hence the idea of organizing a large fashion show of Italian clothes for the Italy at Work exhibition. The idea went up in smoke when it was rejected by the B. Altman & Co. department store. However, Giorgini wasn't about to give up and decided instead to take his fashion show home to Florence. And thus, this rejection in the US that led to Italian fashion being born in Florence and not in New York.