LIGHT MODE
DARK MODE
If you are terribly rich and bursting with ideas for holiday presents, skip this article. If you’re not, read on and relax. I’m going to suggest gifts that are both Italian and affordable. Are your card-playing friends losing patience with paper-thin cards that
Complemented by the elegant domed rooms of Palazzo Strozzi, the futuristic exhibition is true to its title: ControModa is a collection of clothing from the world’s most revolutionary designers who have strived to challenge and question every accepted aspect of fashion and style. From the silhouette to the
Wallflowers beware. This spring and summer’s styles aren’t made forbashful fashionistas. Ruffles, spandex, neon colors, sheen and sequins aboundin current collections that embody the vibrant spirit of the belle donne who sport these looks. Think back to the 1980s.Remember those multi-colored tracksuits and spandex
The Ferragamo flagship on Santa Trinita, in the heart of Florence, houses more than designer shoes and bags. It is also home to the newly renovated design museum, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo. And it’s not solely a shoe museum, as many would think. It is a museum which celebrates
The Jet Setter: Catch her if you can: skiing in Aspen, being seen at Fashion Week in Milan, sailing in Southampton. With things to do and people to see, this cosmopolitan babe is always jetting off to an exotic and fabulous destination. She’s used to the finest life
Trying on a pair of buttery soft stiletto Gucci boots can reduce even the most sane and poised woman to a giddy mess. There are few experiences in life that can rival the sheer pleasure and excitement women feel when shopping for shoes at Fendi or Prada in Italy. Glancing
Known for their style and taste around the world, Italian men have a distinctive sense of dress and aesthetic. Not afraid of bright colours and innovative styles, they are experts on materials and the cut of cloth. Attention to detail, a body-conscious silhouette and an enjoyment of colour
Looking back on summer’s biggest fashion ‘must-haves,’—huge sunglasses, chunky jewelry, and over-sized clothes were at the top of the list. Sunglasses weren’t fashion-ready unless they took up half your face and an extra large shirt with a belt around
As one of the fashion industry’s leading photographers, Aldo Fallai has had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest names in the fashion world. His story begins 25 years ago, when he was at a party and happened to meet a young stylist. The stylist was
It was a beautiful day. Actually, it was a ‘become beautiful’ day. Cathy had won herself The Florentine’s makeover and I was going to be her accompanying journalist. We were both a bit nervous. If some women make beauty treatments their daily bread, then Cathy
Maybe it’s the feel of crisp white sheets on a bed. Maybe it’s an exquisite jewel or a designer wardrobe. Perhaps it’s a fast car, or a sleek yacht, or a five-star hotel. The concept of luxury can be defined in so many
Although we are still clinging firmly to our coats and scarves to beat off the freezing Florence temperatures, the shops are already filling up with tantalising hints of Spring and Summer. For this coming season we are transported to a bygone era of femininity, losing some of the harsher
It is perhaps fitting that Florence, the city that was once the home of legendary artists, powerful merchants, and skilled artisans, has given us a Master of Scents. Like all great stories, the foundation of The House of Lorenzo Villoresi started in an unusual way. Having graduated from Florence University
Fashion is a non-verbal language that speaks loudly, especially here in Italy. So it’s important to try and translate this complex non-verbal language to make sure that when you speak fashion, it sounds as good as you think it looks. As a fashion designer and the
Vivia Ferragamo was born into Florence’s fashion royalty, the Ferragamo family. As the granddaughter of the legendary Salvatore Ferragamo, she has fashion in her blood. She has recently started her own collection, “Vivia.” The obvious question is why not work for the family
In the fashion business, time is money, money is time – and both have become a problem. Email and instant messaging, MTV broadcasting around the globe, and cell phone texting means that people around the world know the latest fashion trends before they’ve even hit the stores.&
Have you ever complimented a friend on a killer hat or a stunning scarf only for them to reply, bragging, “Cute, huh? I got it at the market on Sunday for ONLY two euros!” Have you ever noticed that the most gorgeous garment gems are either Via Tornabuoni
I know the perfect person in need of a make-over Italian style. My sister, Kim Landry, is 29 and has never had a make-over in her life. She is from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and is in Florence studying at the Angel Academy of Art. She arrived a month
Florence is full of fashion schools: Polimoda, L’Accademia Italiana, Fashion Design Lab, Universita’ di Firenze (Architettura, progettazione Moda), to only name a few, and Lorenzo de Medici school’s fashion department has merged with the Atelier school to enlarge their fashion program. Thousands of students from
In the summer of 1949, a Marchese, a scion of an aristocratic Tuscan family, created his very first clothing line, all in black and white. By the time his house of fashion was born in 1951, he’d found his pale turquoise, his sea green, his lemon yellow,
First off, I have to confess that I’ve always been fascinated with Extreme Makeover, What Not to Wear, and other physical transformation shows. Of course, I know that beauty is not only skin deep and Gabrio Staff was the first to tell me so when I visited
