CANALI AND THE DOLCE VITA STYLE OF MODERN ITALIAN TAILORING
From high-flying architecture to classical cuisine, fashion’s master of quiet elegance takes its cue from two pillars of Italian culture to inspire a sublime contribution to the third.
From
high-flying architecture to classical cuisine, fashion’s master of quiet
elegance takes its cue from two pillars of Italian culture to inspire a sublime
contribution to the third.
Italy
has always been famous for food and architecture, and according to Elisabetta
Canali these two things influence both her family’s tailoring business and
Italian style in general.
Thanks
to the ubiquity of pasta and pizza, you might not immediately think of Italian
food as modern, but it underpins much of what we know today as contemporary
cuisine. And not only in Italy itself, thanks to chefs and restaurants such as
Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in California and Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers
at The River Café in London, who espoused the Italian philosophy of
taking the nest ingredients and cooking them as simply as possible. It’s a
philosophy Canali herself shares.
“As
an Italian,” she says, “I think that to create a marvellous meal you have to
start with the best and the freshest ingredients in the market. Even a simple
pasta course served with chopped fresh ripe tomatoes, basil and good olive oil
can be sublime. The ingredients of great tailoring are equally simple –
craftsmanship, t and beautiful fabrics.” Like a classic risotto Milanese, the
recipe isn’t complicated but everything is carefully considered.
Canali was
founded in 1934 in Triuggio, a small town around 15 miles north of Milan,
by brothers Giacomo and Giovanni Canali. Today it is run by the third
generation and has grown to be one of the biggest names in Italian fashion,
employing well over 1,000 tailors in factories across the country. Canali’s
proud heritage does not mean that it’s not forward looking. “Every year we work
closely with the mills in Biella [the heart of the Italian textiles industry]
to produce amazing new blends of fabrics,” she explains. She is firmly of the
opinion that even the classics can be improved – much like Milan’s favourite
cocktail, the Negroni Sbagliato, which came about when a Milanese barman
was making a Negroni (the drink invented in Florence) and mistakenly added prosecco
instead of gin.
After
nine years of holding fashion shows during Milan menswear weeks, this January
Canali decided to hold a presentation instead, believing that to understand the
brand you have to get up close. “It is more difficult to hold a presentation
than a show,” she claims. “You have to be much more substantial. With a runway
show the music and the spectacle itself can create a mood and deliver a
message, but with a presentation you have to involve people so much more. The
experience is much more cerebral.”
Canali’s
point about the beauty that surrounds Italians in stunning architecture is not
necessarily concerned only with heritage. When you think of Milan it’s not only
the dramatic Gothic cathedral but also the Fifties Pirelli Tower by Gio Ponti,
widely considered as one of the most beautiful skyscrapers ever built. Canali’s
headquarters, in the newly redeveloped Porto Nuova district, is strikingly
modern. Its roof terrace overlooks the dramatically curved new Unicredit Tower
– the tallest in Italy – and the Bosco Verticale (“Vertical
Forest”), a pair of residential towers opened in 2014 that boast nearly
1,000 trees on their façades and have had an extraordinary influence on
theories of architecture (and ecology) worldwide.
The
secret to Canali’s success is also down to its relationship with its customers.
One of its proudest moments came in November 2008 when Barack Obama was
photographed waving to supporters in his home town of Chicago. His suit jacket
fell open and there was the label proclaiming Canali. It’s publicity most brand
owners would sell their grandmothers for, but not Canali, who treated the
incident with admirable discretion.
“We treat all our customers the same,” she says, “whether presidents or play- boys. Each one is equally important to us and the consumer is central to our strategy – and to our universe – whether he is buying ready-to-wear or made- to-measure. Every man is looking for something special, so if they are going to choose Canali we have to ensure we are unique. So, while our values remain the same, the way we make pieces changes. We are determined to succeed and have a passion for quality, beauty and excellence – it is a dedication to ‘doing’ and a passion for ‘doing well’.”
Source: GQ Magazine UK
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