Fashion Districts 101: from New York to Naples

It is that exciting time of year again for the next edition of Uomo Moda, the 1st and only menswear magazine in Egypt. Since the Spring Edition has met with such wide acclaim, I thought I would give you a sneak preview to the Summer Edition. The following article is entitled, Fashion Districts 101: from New York to Naples:

In last year’s summer issue, I briefly described the history of fashion in Istanbul, which dates back to the days of the Ottoman Empire. Today, Istanbul has grown into a shopper’s paradise brimming with bazaars, covered markets, and award-winning shopping malls.

Nevertheless, these types of commercial centers differ radically from the three major fashion districts in Istanbul; namely, Merter, Osmanbey, and Laleli, which team with fashion houses, showrooms, and garment manufacturers.

Hence, the question arises: “Just what is the fundamental difference between fashion districts and fashion or shopping centers?

To most individuals, a fashion district denotes some sort of urban shopping destination, consisting of designer boutiques, prestigious labels, and haut couture. But a fashion district is not merely a major souk or commercial quarter but rather a specific kind of industrial district.

Categorized as such, fashion districts can be defined as a conglomeration of companies specializing in textile and garment production within the same geographic area, wherein there exists a measure of interdependence and competition.

As will be seen, fashion districts come in all shapes and sizes, each presenting a different history, infrastructure, network of interrelationships, and current setting.

New York City
One of the most famed fashion districts in the world is the Garment District of New York City, which is situated between Fifth and Ninth Avenues from 34th to 42nd Streets, occupying nearly one square mile.

Also known as the Garment Center and the Fashion Center, New York’s fashion district has played a central role in US textile manufacturing and fashion design since the late 1800’s, at which time the driving force of the local industry was a diversified immigrant population.

By the turn of the 19th century, New York was already out-producing every urban rival. Moreover, the city’s garment industry had surpassed all other industries, becoming a center of fashion that set new trends and ever-changing styles.

Although fabric and accessory shops still abound in the Big Apple, most clothing manufacturers have abandoned the island, leaving New York one of the top fashion capitals in the world. The fashion industry is the second largest industry, as well as home to the headquarters of nearly 1,000 fashion companies.

Generating approximately $10 billion in wages, New York City has emerged as a worldwide destination for upscale shopping districts with numerous flagship stores, such as Puma, Benetton, and Dolce & Gabbana.

London
London is a city known for fashion streets, particularly menswear streets. While Savile Row is often associated with fine suits, Jermyn Street is synonymous with shirt making and gentleman’s apparel.

Located in Mayfair of Central London, Savile Row is not only renowned for “bespoke tailoring,” but it is also reputed as the birthplace of the term, which denotes ‘custom-made clothing’.

Built between 1731 and 1735, Savile Row began attracting tailors in the 1800’s due to George Bryan “Beau” Brummell, who popularized the modern-day suit and tie into an image called “the dandy.” Beau, the model dandy, was noted for his impeccably fitted apparel.

Located in Westminster of Central London, Jermyn Street dates back to about 1664 and is celebrated for gentleman fashion, particularly fine shirts.

Naples
Contrary to much popular opinion, Naples and its surrounding towns have been a main fashion hub in Italy for generations, boasting a vibrant garment production industry since WWII.
In 1999, local artisans passed the baton to CIS di Nola, which has become one of the largest fashion districts in Europe—a showcase of 300 companies that unites nearly 1,000.

At CIS di Nola, one may not find the classy upscale showrooms of Dolce & Gabbana or Valentino but the eight islands brim with numerous local labels like my all-time favorite—Primo Emporio.

Besides onsite sales and distribution, CIS di Nola organizes international road shows, such as the recent “CIS Business Tour for Lebanon”—a business-to-business event that took place 11-14 April 2010.

Photo top right Francesco in Istanbul Copyright Men's Fashion by Francesco.
Photo top left United Colors of Benetton on 5th Avenue, New York, Copyright Benetton.
Photo bottom right Beau Brummell by Herr uebermann, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Photo bottom left CIS di Nola Copyright CIS.

20th-Century Island Life in the Bay of Naples

The first hundred years of freedom in Naples and its bay were beset with a sea of troubles attributable to the mismanagement of our liberators, who drained the South of its capital funds and transferred industry elsewhere.

With offices dismantled and public services suspended in Naples, the aristocracy deserted the city, leaving the posterity of squalor, crime, and unemployment.

By the end of WWI, strikes, disorder, and repression were rampant. Multitudes groped for consolation in either “isms” or emigration, which truncated one third of the population. Along with the rest of Italy, Naples and its island-studded bay have survived a Fascist regime, 2 world wars, and a myriad of governments.

Emerging indisputably as a leader of fashion and design, the nation has numerous hot spots of sartorial activity and several major epicenters of apparel production. Although marred by a reputation for counterfeit, the Naples area happens to number among the nation’s primary centers for fashion design and production.

One of the greatest occurrences of the 20th century was the birth of sportswear in the 1920’s, which marks the beginning of contemporary menswear as we know it today. From there on, well, it’s all history, which I have assembled for you in the form a slideshow that will walk you around the island of Ischia, introducing you to the men and their styles throughout the 20th century.

2010 Trends & Takeaways from the period:
The relaxed tailoring of the 20th century prevails in most 2010 spring/summer collections. Similar to the entry of sports clothing into daily dress during the 1920’s, sweat suits have been modified for common attire. Work clothing like jumpsuits and laboratory coats will also enter the wardrobe of everyday.



Photo top left & slideshow Public Domain

Naples, Nations & New Notions

Refused of their demands, the freedom fighters of Naples and its isle-studded bay beat the drum to unification as a last resort. In 1861, the tiny island of Ischia joined the forces of Garibaldi and united with the Republic of Italy.

Nine years later, on September 20, 1870, even my tatà tatà (dialect for ‘great grandfather’) enlisted with the troops of Italy’s first king, Vittorio Immanuele II.

Bombing Rome’s gate, Porta Pia, great grandpa and the partisans liberated central Italy from the domain of the Papal States and rebaptized Rome as the nation’s political capital. Alas, Naples and its surrounding islands have been slowly acculturating to the mainstream of Italian peninsular life ever since.

The 19th century laid the foundation of the modern era for menswear, introducing concepts like lounge wear, formal wear, outdoor wear, sportswear, and the tuxedo—but all based on the 3-piece suit. Changes occurred progressively by the decade.

With the new notions of equality from the French Revolution, menswear became less ostentatious and more uniform. Embroideries and lace went out the window. The length of pants dropped to the ankle. Boots became a mainstay. The dandy was conceived.

Double-breasted waist coats featured long tails and high collars. Overcoats were particularly façonnable. Broad shoulders and a narrow waist portrayed a real gentleman. High collar shirts were worn with wide cravats.

Out went the wigs and in came natural hair, just oiled or waxed. Curly hair was prized, as well as sideburns and—later—goatees. Conical hats evolved into the top hat and, soon wide brim hats, bowler hats, and straw boaters were sported.

Eventually the frock coat replaced the tailcoats, which were reserved for formal occasions, while numerous new styles of coats and jackets appeared on the scene. Collars evolved continually, as well as the shape of ties and bow ties. Shoe heels grew in height.

2010 Trends & Takeaways from the period:
Although the tuxedo will not vanish from formal occasions, the most formal look of spring/summer 2010 entails a relaxed version of the dapper debonair dandy with a double-breasted jacket and fedora hat. Like the popularity of boots in this period, boots will be one of the key accessories that add authentic masculinity to the androgynous trends of spring/summer 2010 collections.



Photo top left Vittorio Immanuele II, Copyright Men's Fashion by Francesco.
Photo middle right French Nobleman, Procession Sant'Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.
Slideshow Public Domain.

Bourbon Anyone?

The last overlords of Naples and its sea-girt holms were the Bourbon kings whose family name and birth site can be traced to French feudal lords who ascended to baronage in the 9th century.

They ruled Spain and the southern half of Italy under the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies from 1734-1860, wherein the economy languished in spite of significant contributions and reform.

Meanwhile, the French Revolution of 1789 had pulled the floor out from the century-old traditions that had regulated European life. French ideas won proselytes in our area, nesting themselves in a secret society whose members were ultimately executed.

Under the protection of the French in 1799, an emancipated Parthenopean Republic was proclaimed in Naples and washed apace to the shores of the isles. Within five months, the Republic was quelled and the patriots were punished by hanging and exile.

So with a short-lived French aperitif, the islanders had to settle for Bourbon!

Menswear during this period was dominated by French styles, regardless of ruler, and featured the prototype of what we would consider the 3-piece suit. Unbuttoned, high-collared red coats were sported with short vests, velvet knickers, and silk stockings.

Instead of large collars, men donned an assortment of cravats around the neck. Combinations of colors were fearless! Men wore wigs with curls that were often tied back with a ribbon. Wide brimmed hats were turned up on three sides in this era.

2010 Trends & Takeaways from the period:
Just as this period marks the end of an era for adventure and exploration, 2010 spring/summer collections are geared up for contemporary explorers, globe trotters, and journeymen of the millennium, all of whom require tasteful but handy bags and backpacks as accessories. Expect nautical themes and a chic twist on the safari look, as well.



Photo top left Ferdinando II of Bourbon, King of Two Sicilies & Maria Teresa, Procession Sant’Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.
Photo middle right, typical 18th-century clothing on Ischia, Bourbon Period, Procession Sant’Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.
Slideshow Public Domain.

Of Kings and KUKs

The sixteenth century hoisted the banner of a brand-new era—the dominance of nation states. In 1503, Spain deposed from Naples the Aragonese monarch, who fled to Ischia for refuge and concealed himself in its castle (see photo below).

The two-century colonization by apathetic Spanish viceroys, or what I term “KUKs”—kings under kings—gestated an irreversible process of stagnation in the Bay of Naples that was reflected in the imports of obscenities, abusive language, and falsehood, the art of which continues to develop even today.

The despotic Spanish reign of apathy and indifference injected the populace with an all-absorbing dose of anguish. Their misery turned into a pressure cooker of desperation.

Patriots vented their steam in foredoomed moves towards independence, while secret guilds like the Camorra—the Neapolitan-styled Mafia—labeled out revenge. Banditry and delinquency incubated.

Although the Inquisition in Naples was blocked by the masses, their best effort could not turn the Spanish tide of corruption, bribes, taxation, and tyranny. The growth of culture was stunted by the censure of the press, which rooted out what was considered the “heretical ideas” of the Reformation.

From 1707 to 1734, the rod of command fell into the lap of the Austrian Hapsburgs, the crowned heads of the Holy Roman Empire, who furnished Hungary, Bohemia, and Spain with kings. Their domains embraced Austria, Hungary, Poland, northern Italy, Sardinia, and the Netherlands, where they diffused Catholicism and conservatism.

Their curtailed regency in Naples was so destructive, partly because of inept and greedy leadership, that the gentry reminisced for the Spanish days of yore!

Menswear during these centuries continued to develop rapidly, culminating in the coat, vest, and loose-fitting breeches. Starched collars rose high with lots of ruffles.

The square look of the previous periods was replaced by a long slender silhouette. The long white ruffled shirt was soon accompanied by the appearance of the cravat, which was tied with a bow.

2010 Trends & Takeaways from the period:
Probably the most significant trend of this period is the elongated silhouette. You will notice that 2010 spring/summer collections include an assortment of long slim shirts, particularly tee-like tops, which create a long, thin look.

While in Naples, I went on a shopping spree and picked up all sorts of jackets and shirts, pants, and jeans, which are tight-fitting, creating a lean, slender silhouette.


Photo top left Guevara, Duke of Bovino, Procession Sant’Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.
Photo middle right Nobleman, Ferrante D'Avalos , Procession Sant’Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.
Photo bottom left Giulio Iasolino, medic, Ischia, Procession Sant’Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.
Photo bottom center, Aragonese Castle, Ischia, Copyright Men's Fashion by Francesco.

From Feudalism to Family Feuds

From the Swabian rule of the southern Italian peninsula, the baton soon passed on to the pro-papal party, the Angevins (from the House of Anjou, a northeastern French province that gave kings to Hungary, Poland, and Naples), who, with whip and spur, dispatched four hundred soldiers to ravage Ischia with fire and sword.

During their reign, Naples was second only to Paris. From the raising of this dynasty’s flag in 1266 until the unification of the Italian peninsula in 1860, Naples was hailed as the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily, an empire that encompassed the entire South of the boot.

In 1442, however, Naples kissed Anjou “adieu” and bid “hola” to Aragon, a Christianized kingdom in northeast Spain whose reign endured from the 11th to 15th centuries and, having united with Castile, formed Spain in 1479.

When he House of Aragon harnessed the southern empire, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was inaugurated, embracing the sourthern half of the Italian peninsula.

This period, the dawn of the Renaissance, marks a time of new dress, which was characterized by stylish excessiveness, complexity, and flamboyance.

Basically, the natural silhouette was distorted through padded sleeves and doublets, ruffles, and stuffed stockings.

The basic elements consisted of the wide, low-neck shirt and tight-fitting doublet, which had with puffy sleeves. Belted at the waist, the doublet gave the appearance of a pleated skirt.

A technique called “slashing” started on the Italian peninsula and spread throughout Europe, whereby slits were “slashed” into the doublet so that the shirt could be pulled through.

Colors were dark but bold, often found in combinations like black and gold, black and red, and so on. Menswear abounded in new accessories.

Feathers were placed anywhere from wide-brimmed hats down to the legs. A bowl cut was a popular hairdo and, at times, a frizz or a lovelock down over the shoulder.

2010 Trends & Takeaways from the period:
Be prepared for some outlandish but playful patterns and prints in the spring/summer 2010 collections! You can expect lots of collage patchwork and kaleidoscope patterning with nature and floral themes, all the while mixing it up in all sorts of ways. Larger sleeves to the elbow and extremely low-cut neck lines will accompany bold surfacing and sequins.

Photo top left Ascanio Colonna & Giovanna of Aragon, Procession Sant’Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.
Photo middle right Fabrizio Colonna & Agnesina of Moltefeltro, Procession Sant’Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.
Photo middle left Holy Roman Emperor Carlo V & Isabella of Portugal, Procession Sant’Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.
Photo bottom right Prospero Colonna & Isabella of Aragon, Procession Sant’Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.

Naples, Normans & Nabbings

By the twilight of the first millennium, the isles in the Bay of Naples had become demonstrably Greek at heart and passed over to the jurisdiction of Naples, which at long last had declared independence from Byzantium.

Naples’ autocratic rule, however, was short lived on account of the expansionism of the Normans (short for ‘Northmen’), a Scandinavian tribe and descendents of the Vikings, who had settled northern France.

The first exposure that I had to a true-to-life Norman was in my senior year of college, during which time I roomed with a brilliant exchange student from Normandy. His ancestors were valiant warriors, who, in the 12th century, gained a foothold in all of southern Italy through the mediation of the duke of Naples, who had solicited the Normans to exact revenge on an enemy and drive out the Arabs from Sicily.

But the duke’s scheme backfired. In 1139, Naples was annexed to the Norman monarchy whose capital was conveniently set up in Sicily on the remains of an eroding society, which the Normans imbued with new economic vigor. The Kingdom of Sicily, which comprised the southern half of the Italian peninsula, was born.

Every component of civil life, including customs and language, had long been fused to the religious life that the Greek Byzantine Church had propagated in Naples and its island-specked bay.

Thus, when Naples pledged allegiance to its new landlords, who were the land tenants of the Roman papacy, a vibrant campaign to Latinize the Church and religious life was set on foot. Clashes on doctrine and debates over the theology rocked the established order, spinning off liturgical and monastic reforms.

With the disembarkation of every intruder, a renewed wave of decimation, punishment, and torture (retribution for our ancestors’ loyalty to the previous regime) crashed on the shores of the islands.

Such was the case in 1194 when the scepter was then conferred to the Swabian emperors, better known as the Hohenstaufens of southwest Germany. The Italian peninsula was torn from the top to toe over the issue of authority as the Pope and the “Germanized” Holy Roman Empire competed for power.

Under both the Normans and the reign of Germanic kings, the Kingdom of Sicily, Naples, and the isles were imbued with various Gothic influences. Gothic men wore tunic-like “cotes” with tight sleeves. Knee-length and party-colored, these garments sported belts with elaborate buckles. Hats consisted of hoods or conical caps.

Eventually the tunic gave way to the doublet, a snug-fitting buttoned jacket. A shorter version of the tunic also developed, the cotehardie, which was buttoned down the front and covered the buttocks.

A square male silhouette was introduced through cloaks and mantles of the times. Tights were worn on the legs, while shoes were low cut. Hair was cut in a jaw-length bob with bangs.

2010 Trends & Takeaways from the period:
Several designers have looked to the medieval knight for their 2010 inspiration, creating tops that resemble a coat of mail—the cumbersome armor that was formed into a mesh with thousands of tiny metal rings. Adapted versions for 2010 include chunky-knit sweaters, mesh shirts and tees, and perforated garments.

Eventually the mail was replaced by the coat of armor, which consisted of full-body plates of metal. For more reading on these influences in 2010, please refer to my articles Tonight is the Knight I and II with Ontrfont and Knights in Armor by Asger Juel Larsen.

Although developed in later periods, hose were worn by men in this period, just like the leggings that are gaining popularity for 2010! It so turns out that, what we consider feminine today, was not feminine at all in the past!


Photo top left, Ruggiero II the Norman, Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.
Photo middle right, Knights in Armor, Copyright Asger Juel Larsen.
Photo middle left, Frederick II Hohenstaufen Duke of Swabia, Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.
Photo bottom center, Castel Nuovo or Maschio Angioino, port of Naples, Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.

Roman Blockbusters, Byzantium & Barbarians

Ninety years before the birth of Christ, Naples aligned with Italic tribes in a defensive front called Italia, which was doomed to failure against the indestructible war machine, Rome. Italia’s defeat swept Naples and the entire bay under the domain of Rome in 82 BC.

Although the islands were transferred back into Naples’ hands in 29 BC, Rome retained use of them as resorts. Despite the diffusion of the Roman culture and the Latin tongue, Greek language and culture persisted in Naples and on the islands until the 6th century of our era. Cities like Pompeii and Herculeum, however, were entirely Roman cities.

Five hundred years later, the collapse of the Roman Empire created a vacuum in southern Italy and paved the way for the Byzantine Empire to impose its rule in AD 553, governing its possessions through the nomination of local noblemen. From 661-1137, these dukes, as they were fitly called, progressively forged a sphere of autonomy.

The Roman dress code was complex, reflecting the individual’s social status, gender, and language. Talk about “in your face”!

Stately and dignified, Roman dress was a bit more cumbersome than that of the Greeks. The actual garments, however, were similar to Greek clothing, except for the toga.

Made of wool, this flowing garment was draped carefully around the body to create graceful folds, leaving the right arm exposed and the left arm covered to the wrist. Colors varied according to age and social rank.

Underneath, Roman men wore a tunic, often striped, which was rectangle in shape with openings at the shoulders. Footwear consisted of sandals with leather soles and long laces that were tied up the leg. Clean-shaven, Roman men sported short hair.

As for Byzantium, Roman dress was developed by adding ornamental embellishments, headdresses, and length to the toga. Skull caps were popular, as well as the colors gold and violet; in essence, less earthy than the Romans in the West.

2010 Trends & Takeaways from the period:
In addition to more recent “nomadic” influences, the Roman art of draping has guided many spring/summer 2010 collections.

Inspired by the long voluminous layering effect of this period, designers have employed sheer, lightweight—almost airy fabrics—in their 2010 creations, adding a stylish flow and revealing the skin.

Photo top left Ceasar's Murder, Public Domain.
Photos middle right & bottom left Copyright Men's Fashion by Franesco.

Grottoes, Grapes & Greeks

In 1684 BC, nearly 3 thousand years ago, the Phoenicians sailed the coast of Italy and, discovering their new treasure, extracted metals from the island of Ischia. It is a good possibility that the shores also hosted waves of ancient Philistines.

The first recorded settlers were the Osci (also known as the Opici or Ausoni). Labeled Tyrrhenians by the Greeks, they were a branch of the Etruscans who migrated from the Aegean region in the 10th century BC and first introduced the arch and vault in Italy. These aborigines had migrated from Lydia (Greece) under a leader of the same appellation.

Consequent to the destruction of Troy, in 770 BC Greek refugees disembarked onto the shores of the island and set up the first Greek colony in the West—on Ischia! For the next 6 centuries, southern Italy belonged to Greater Greece, otherwise known as Magna Graecia.

Soon, they planted a colony across the bay on the mainland, in Cuma, just down the block from where Sofia Loren was born. They called the city Parthenope, and it was not long before the Greeks grew tired of their old city and established a “new city”—Neopolis—a name that mutated to Napoli, or Naples in English.

The clothing of Greek men was loose fitting, as opposed to the tight-fitting attire of the Barbarians. Greek men wore a tunic of linen or wool called the chiton, which was tied at the waist and—shorter than the women’s, just above the knee—usually covered one shoulder.

During cold periods, a rectangular cloak known as the himation could be draped over the body. Footwear consisted of leather sandals, if anything. The key word during this period? Functionality. Ancient Greek men were practical.

2010 Trends & Takeaways from the period:
There are many elements of ancient Greek menswear that will appear in 2010 spring/summer collections, such as white linens, elaborate designs, marked borders, and sleeveless garments.

Like the chiton, unisex styles will prevail, blending the boundaries of masculinity and femininity. As with the chiton, you can expect to sport outer belts around the waist of your jackets and coats.

Probably the greatest source of inspiration for s/s 2010, however, is the free-flowing and loose-fitting style of draping, which the Romans developed with the toga.

Photos Procession Sant'Alessandro, Ischia, Public Domain.

Ischia: Roots on a Rim

What most people fail to realize is that Italy is a relatively new country—before unification in 1861, the peninsula and its surrounding islands had been carved up by a host of empires, republics, and foreign dominations from the fall of the Roman Empire.

Since the Southern half of the peninsula and its islands share slightly more history in common, we are going to explore these similarities by focusing on the place I know best—Ischia.

Dating back to prehistoric times, this isle rejoices in the byname, the Emerald Island—Isola Verde in Italian. With its crater submerged beneath the sky-blue ripples of the Mediterranean Sea, what exists today is merely a rim—the remnants of an extinct volcano, which has been dormant only since the 14th century, constituting the largest island in the Bay of Naples.

Because of its strategic position, the green island has sustained a troublesome history. Recurrently colonized, punished, dominated, and sacked by a succession of ruthless invaders, the island has been infused with unique features that greatly distinguish it from areas on the mainland north of Naples whose language, culture, and social customs have only recently converged with those of Ischia. To that effect, islanders are a peculiar breed.

A simple glance at the Neapolitan language and its insular dialects reveals the lengthy history in a nutshell: paccaro ('slap') comes from ancient Greek; pretrusino ('parsley)', from Latin; spasso ('fun'), from German; buatta ('barrel') originates from French; semmana ('week'), from Spanish; tavuto ('coffin'), Arabic; and maccaturo ('hanky'), Catalan.

Like the language, the Neapolitan variety of music is enriched by its turbulent past and equally diverges from other regions of the peninsula. Folk songs, which date back as far as the 1200’s, are sung in an oriental, arabesque melody. Musical contributions include the romantic guitar, the mandolin, and several forms of opera. O Sole Mio and Enrico Caruso both originate from Naples.

With roots in the Greek and Roman periods, gastronomy is out of this world! Naples is the birthplace of pizza, which is about 200 years old. The Neapolitan coffee pot (‘a cuccumella) was the forerunner of the modern-day espresso pot, which, when the water boiled, was turned upside down.

In the next several articles, we are going to take a walk through approximately 3,000 years of history, as well as the evolution of menswear in the Bay of Naples, focusing on the island of Ischia.



View of Forio, Ischia, from the the Soccorso
(Turn off the playlist below before clicking to start.)


Photo top left, Naples.
Photo middle right, 'o pizzaiuolo.
Photos, slideshow & video Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.

From the Ashes of Pompeii

What comes to mind at the mention of Pompeii? Ruins? A city buried by volcanic ash? A movie entitled, "the Last Days of...?" But how about a fashion designer?!

Indeed, the city of Pompeii has become birthplace to one of the youngest emerging designers in the Italian fashion industry, Francesco Scognamiglio. He's 33 years old.

Having collaborated briefly with Versace in the 90's, in 2001 Francesco made his first debut in Milan with a angelically fashioned women's line that accentuated sensuality and the bare back. However, it was not until last year that Francesco rose to fame when he was contacted to outfit the fashion angel, Madonna, for her new video "Give it to Me."

Inspired by the mystique of his hometown, Naples, Italy, Francesco recently presented a 15-piece menswear collection for the fashion house Allegri at Pitti Uomo 75 in Florence.

Francesco Scognamiglio reveals that the secret to elegance in menswear lies in the accessories.

I must have been about 8 years old the first time I went to Pompeii, and a movie was being filmed with actors dressed in full Roman garb and all! Here's what I remember!



Photo from Fashion Times.