FASHION

Open Season at Pitti Uomo


Kart

This season, the talk of the town at Pitti Uomo was Open, a new section within the fair dedicated to genderless collections from all over the world. Here, seven highlights.

1

Casamadre After winning the Who Is On next prize with their debut men’s shoe brand in 2013, the brand’s design duo, Alessia Crea and David Parisi, were eager to expand into clothes with the help of Italy’s storied textile maker Lanificio F.lli Cerutti Dal 1881. Casamadre’s slogan “we are family,” inspired the duo to imagine a wardrobe for a family of sailors just arrived in port after a long journey. The light, voluminous pieces, many of them unisex , feature elongated shapes and tailoring with erased detailing.

Photo courtesy of the author.

2

Edithmarcel A-sex is the term designers Andrea Masato and Gianluca Ferracin use for their new brand Edithmarcel, which aims to transcend the physical differences between male and female. Inspired by the androgynous elegance of magazine covers from the 1920s, the Venice-based designers have found a common denominator for men and women in square tailored, boyish shapes with color blocking, piping and box pleats.

Photo courtesy of the author.

3

N3M N3M, an acronym for Noi Tre Milano (We Three from Milan), is a unisex shoe brand designed by an anonymous trio of friends. The rounded toes and mix of metallic leathers recall the flashy, unisex style of mid-‘70s rockers like Elton John. And each shoe, from brogues to loafers and clogs is offered in plain and patchwork versions.

Photo courtesy of the author.

4

Mii France’s Lucie Bourreau and India’s Bapan Dutta met when they were students at Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. An acronym for made in India, Mii combines designs from Paris with embroidery and prints in cotton, khadi, silk, linen, wool and cashmere from Kolkata, India.

Photo courtesy of the author.

5

Kart France’s Vincent Forget spent a decade in finance before he decided to pursue his passion for design. His shoe and bag brand Kart is inspired by the graphic and chromatic codes of the 1950s Kinetic art movement, with layered geometric patterns in a mix of bright print and solid colored leather.

Photo by @Kart_Edition on Instagram

6

Nathalie Elharrar It wasn’t until French designer Nathalie Elharrar grew tired of teetering around in stilettos that she decided to create shoes that are “as light as a glove”—and fit for all to wear. Elharrar went to Portugal where she developed a unique cushioned sole and bright, unisex designs for a collection of flats called Jour Ferié (Day off) now in its third season.

Photo courtesy of the author.

7

In Bed With You Claudio Lai’s In Bed With You is so laid back it hardly looks designed. Based in Florence, Lai makes the most of Italy’s soft cashmere as well as blends of viscose, linen, cotton and silk in reversible prints for the simplest unisex T-shirts, cardigans and caps.