Peter Howarth

Today

Peter Howarth

Berluti’s shoes have been worn by icons from Cardin to Warhol. Now, it’s created a sneaker for the 21st century

The story goes that, in 1962, Andy Warhol went into the Berluti store in Paris asking for some shoes to be made for him. The place, a family-run business founded in 1895, was well-known for its elegant footwear, and the young Olga Berluti was given the task of dealing with this new customer. Warhol’s sketch of what he was looking for was a guide, and Olga made a pair of leather loafers. But when the artist came to collect them, she confessed that one had a scar on it where the hide had been marked, possibly by the cow catching on some barbed wire. According to the brand legend, Olga apparently said that the blemish was the result of a “subversive cow,” and Warhol stated: “From now on, I only want shoes made from the hides of subversive cows.

Peter Howarth

For its latest Masters of Art series, Montblanc channels the vibrant and expressive works of Henri Matisse

Think of Henri Matisse and what comes to mind? “The Snail”, a square of geometric brightly colored shapes made from cut-out paper. Or “Dance (I)”, a circle of pink figures on a blue and green background moving freely. Or how about “Interior with a Goldfish Bowl”, with its cool, dreamlike atmosphere. All speak of a love of form and vibrant color, and it is his use of color that is most noticeable in Montblanc’s new homage to Matisse. With its Masters of Art range, the maker of luxury writing instruments produces dedicated series of limited-edition pens that channel the spirit of great artists, interpreting their works through intricate and skillful craftsmanship. Now is the turn of Henri Matisse, giving us a collection based on five of his masterpieces.

Thursday

Peter Howarth

Giorgio Armani: coming to America

After being put on the “worst dressed” list for the 1989 Oscars at which she won Best Actress for The Accused, Jodie Foster decided that she needed professional fashion help. Giorgio Armani answered the call. “For the next Oscars, I wore a beautiful and striking cream-colored tuxedo chosen for me by Mr. Armani, and guess what… I was on the ‘best dressed’ list!” recalled the actor. “From then, Armani has been my go-to designer, and he has done many of my costumes on screen as well. In 1991, I finally met him – I had the honor of having Mr. Armani personally fit me for the Oscars. We spoke in French, and it was like being directed by Visconti, or painted by Picasso – in other words, it was a moment with a master... a treasure in time.

Peter Howarth

This luxury Italian menswear house has a new not-so-fancy man

The decision by Italian clothing brand Corneliani to use American psychedelic folk musician and artist Devendra Banhart as its “face” for this season is a telling one. This firm from Mantua, which has been making sartorial Italian menswear for nearly a century now, made its name creating traditional style for professionals. But times change, and style with it. So, wisely, Corneliani has been developing modern menswear that uses its traditional tailoring and fabric knowledge but applies it to more casual designs. Style director Stefano Gaudioso Tramonte says, “Today’s Corneliani man is no less interested in quality, but the life he lives is less constrained by formal conventions. He still wants elegance, but not in an uptight way.

Peter Howarth

These Italian-American jackets’ signature hardware will have you hooked

Firefighters are universally loved, right? Of course they are – heroic lifesavers rushing into danger in those big red engines… what’s not to like? Back in the 1980s Andrea Della Valle, a young Italian, was certainly fascinated when he encountered a bunch of ex firefighters who were wearing the garments of their former trade. “I met these guys when I was living in New York and they were all in these amazing jackets,” remembers Della Valle. “They looked so cool, I thought this could really work back in Italy.” At the time, the Italian casual wardrobe was still pretty formal, he says. What if he could introduce something that was really different. A jacket with hook-and-eye fastenings, for example?