14 MAY '21 | LIFESTYLE
A TALK WITH MITCHELL MOSS: AN AMERICAN MEN WITH ITALIAN TAILORING PASSION
Today we are going to have some little talks with Mitchell Moss. He’s originally from northeast Indiana, but have lived in Nashville for three years; he write for his blog, Menswear Musing, and he’s one of Fumagalli friend’s and lovers. He works in the creative field for his church organization as an editor, writer, photographer and designer; he’s father of two small boys and husband for 11 years.
"My passion for tailoring and style began sometime during my time at university. I can’t pinpoint any specific cause, but I will say that my dad has always dressed well, and my older brother has, too, My interest in tailoring stems primarily from how flattering tailored clothing is, and in the boost of self-confidence that comes when I wear it."
Photo by Menswearmusing
5 May '21 | lifestyle
REGIMENTAL TIES: THE STRIPED DESIGN FROM THE TIME OF IDEALS TO THE PRESENT DAY
Everything began in 1880 in London, at the exclusive Exeter College of Oxford. At that time, almost by chance, some members of the college’s Regata Club, created the first “School Tie”. They tied a red and black ribbon around their necks, following a trend of identification already existing in the military. In fact, specific colours and stripes were proudly worn by every member of a military brigade, creating an identifiable unit. The same word “regimental” comes from the Latin “regime”, a rule or system of order, referring to military organization. So it was that in the early years of the twentieth century, the use of Regimental ties spread like wildfire. Each member of sports clubs at the prestigious colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, wore a Regimental tie.
19 Mar '21 | lifestyle
"GREEN PEA" & FUMAGALLI 189I FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
On December 8th, 2020, opened “Green Pea”, the new eco-sustainable mall, in Turin. The project was conceived by Oscar Farinetti, inventor of the Italian food chain “Eataly” and “Fico” in Bologna. Part of a colossal requalification of Turin’s ex-industrial Carpano Lingotto zone, “Green Pea” has already reaped enough success to foresee the creation of ten more concept stores abroad, from London to Paris, from the USA to China, from Japan to Canada and to the United Arab Emirates. The entire structure is an expression of architecture in which the protagonists are natural materials, vegetation and light. Every detail of the building is resilient, eco-sustainable and respectful of the environment. The keyword of the whole project is “RESPECT.”
10 Mar '21 | textile art
HISTORY OF SILK-PRINTING IN COMO
Silk-printing in the Como area dates back to the end of the past century (around 1880). At first, it was carried out on some 65-feet-long tables, where pieces of fabric were laid down and printed with incised blocks of pear-wood, sometimes reinforced with engraved brass plates reproducing the motif. At times they were heavier and made of tin or lead. The blocks were duly passed in a colour medium according to the palette of the composition, initially executed on grease-proof paper. The blocks, whose number depended upon the number of shades (up to 20), were patiently and thoroughly pressed one by one against the fabric. Though simple, this hand-printing technique gave remarkable results for colour brightness.
05 Mar '21 | textile art
THE FOUR SENSES OF A SILK TIE: THE CREATIVE ART OF COMO
The success of the Italian tie industry in the world is essentially based on the quality of fabric, achieved by means of an accurate and thorough production process. In this case, "Italian " means primarily from the Como area, the world’s capital of silk fashion, whose reputation goes back to the 1920s, when Lyon, Vienna and London started declining in the market. In those years, the textiles manufactured in the Como area achieved international fame, due to their inventive flair. In particular, qualities such as softness, smoothness, chromatic brightness, a refined touch and consistency rendered the fabric of extremely high quality.
24 Feb '21 | lifestyle
Having taste, elegance and personality: all are innate and perfected qualities. It’s true, but does a man really dress elegantly, only for himself? Have you ever asked yourself if we would use the same care that we take in dressing elegantly, if it weren’t for the remorseless judgement of women? Without a female presence, above all, refined, men let themselves “go:” whether it’s a little or a lot, depends on our class and education, and it doesn’t really matter. However, men definitely have to admit that we dress well primarily for women. There was a time when men dressed themselves in clothes that today could be referred to as “vintage.” A man was considered well-dressed, only if the fabric were expensive ...
photo of Sofia Loren e Marcello Mastroianni
16 Feb '21 | lifestyle
HOW TO MAKE A GIFT: IS IT BETTER TO GIVE A TIE ORA A SCARF?
Choosing a considerate gift is always a unique experience, because it means taking care of a relationship with an important gesture. It can be a caress, or perhaps an act of recognition and appreciation, which enrich the relationship. In primitive societies, giving a present represented an exchange through which relationships were created, not only between individuals, but among entire societies. In this way, new relationships were born and social systems were conserved. The French anthropologist and sociologist Marcell Mauss, in 1923, in his book The Gift, after having studied extensively the meaning of gift-giving in archaic societies, wrote, “A gift has the magical power of stabilizing a relationship with another individual, or others. It is a supernatural force, a spiritual power, a symbolic strength that can be interpreted with vital force.”
04 Feb '21 | Lifestyle
TRAVEL & STYLE : LITTLE TALKS WITH DAVID VENEGAS
This week we are pleased to interview one of Fumagalli friends and lover. His name is David Venegas , born in Seville the capital of Andalusia, he managed an hotel in the beautiful setting of Djerba, Tunisia, and he has a interesting blog. Family, travel, sport and elegance are his passions and he spends his life always searching for happiness, respecting others.
"Since I was little I liked to look at the clothes of those elegant men who appeared in the movies, from the oldest like Humphrey Bogart in "Casablanca", to those of Agent 007, James Bond. Also my parents raised me from a young age on the need to always look good in a neat manner. I remember I really loved seeing my father's collection of ties in his dressing room as he tied his tie every morning in front of the mirror."
Photo by David Venegas
27 Gen '21 | the origins
THE HISTORY OF FUMAGALLI FOUNDATION
History is a great present, and never just a past.Fumagalli & Pianca weaving mill started its operational in Milan, under the leadership of Germano Fumagalli.In Milan, during the industrious Belle Epoque, Attilio Fumagalli, driven by the desire to create a high quality product and with a great family textile tradition, started the production of ties in gauze and dressing gowns in silk. The factory workrooms is located at Via Sirtori 22 - Milano. During those years, at the end of 1800's, it was normal practice to go into the old headquarter in via Sirtori to get a tie made from Fumagalli gauze. After choosing a design from the archive, you could watch your tie woven ...
22 Gen '21 | the origins
THE MYSTERIOUS OBJECT AROUND ONE'S NECK : THE TIE
Whether striped, wide, solid-coloured or printed, today, the tie is known for its elegance.
Photo by MingShine - MS bespoke, Master of style- Taipei,Taiwan
20 Gen '21 | textile art
More than seven centuries have passed and we talk about Marco Polo, a very young boy who started one of the most famous journeys in history. His life is then told in his famous book "Il Milione". Those were the years around the end of the 1200s and in his journey between time and space, our history begin between past and present.Marco Polo's father and uncle had already traveled the mythical Silk road many years ago: The long commercial route that connected Europe to Asia. Marco Polo, still a teenager, instead participated in the second trip of 1271 which brought him for the first time to China, after a long and tiring journey of two and a half years, through seas & mountains...
19 mar '20 | textile art
THE STORY OF TUSSAH, SHANTUNG & DONEGAL
Now let’s fly to Ireland, considered, in combination with Scotland, the home of tweed. Tweed emerged is Scotland and Ireland as a work suit, as a way for the farmers to battle the chilly climate that characterizes those lands. Only during the nineteenth century the wearing of tweed become a gentleman’s way of dressing.The homeland of Irish tweed is the county of Donegal, where even today it weaves on wooden looms. Donegal is a fabric with carded and buttoned weft yarn and semi-combed in the warp.
Weft and warp in donegal are dyed in various tints, in fact donegal provides for the insertion of threads with bold colours.The characteristics of Donegal are the rough surface and the sandblasted appearance, mottled in different colors, with many wool particles, called "buttons" coloured on the surface and the sweet hand.
Its colours in ancient times also indicated the social status of its wearer: kings could use up to seven colours, poets and bards six, warriors three and servants one. The colours had different origins: green came from heather, brown from peat, dark red from lichen scratched off rocks, purple from myrtle.In antiquity considered a winter fabric it was mostly used for jackets and sports suits
01 Apr '20 | tailoring
“In an elegant world, an irreproachable tie knot is an essencial part of one’s toilette; it doesn’t metter whether the knot is simple or complicated, because the art is what counts ..."
Doctor A.Debray- Hygiène vestimentarie-1857
Photo by Fabio Attanasio @fabioattanasio
26 Mar '20 | tailoring
HAND MADE TIES: BEHIND THE SCENES
Blade, collar, tail, lining, tip, self-loop, bar-tack and thread.
All the stages of creation must be done with extreme care and precision Every single accessory is full of love and attention to detail, and every single detail makes the product special and unique.
The hand made tie is composed of three parts which are obtained by cutting along the outline drawn on the cloth.
16 Sept '20 | tailoring
Behind the production of a handmade scarf there is a long process that is based on a love for detail, creativity and style. In this way Fumagalli makes each of his scarves a unique piece. The combination of the work of several skilled craftsmen and the maniacal attention to detail make Fumagalli’s scarves so special,being able to meet the needs and demands of each customer. Every year, for each season Fumagalli offers different designs combined with as many variations to satisfy customers and the style of the moment.
18 mar '20 | textile art
THE CREATIVITY OF COULURED MIXURED: THE MELANGE YARN
Melange yarn seems to have French origins, probably related to embroidery and needles. The embroidery art is now mostly widespread among women but is well known that in the past was a man occupation.The melange yarn is usually composed by 2,3 or 4 threads and every yarn is paired with other two twisted. In silk we usually couple two yarns. Different fibers proportion in the blend modify the melange yarn uniqueness. Being a different colours blend, the beauty of these yarns is that they crate different and never regular nuances in the final fabric. The best features and the uniqueness of this fabric are expressed through spotted games and effects.Melange is a chromatic effect that is created mixing different colour fibres during the wick formation process. On the texture surface is defined a chromatic effect whereby different colour blend to each other.
18 Mar '20 | textile art
THE MAGIC OF ENGLISH GAUZE AND GERMANO FUMAGALLI'S ADVENTURES
It's a long story coming from the period of the English Industrialization. It was in fact in 1809, in England, that an English creative called John Heathcoat built the first loom suited to produce the woven one in gauze. It seems that it was built in Loughborough a mill expressly to store the ingenious machine, ready to weave the new fabric.Some years later,in 1816, a "Luddites group" invaded the mill and burned it. There was the risk to loose the traces of a so genious creation. The Luddites was a popular movement developed in England at the beginning of XIX century, marked from the fight against the introduction of machinery.
18 Mar '20 | textile art
THE INVENTION OF MESSIEUR JACQUARD
Jacquard fabric takes its name from Joseph Marie Jacquard, its inventor. In Lyon he invented a loom thanks to which you could create fabrics with incredible weaving possibilities. At the Exposition des Produits de Industrie National of Paris in 1801, he presented a mechanism that applied to the manual loom made mechanical the selection of wires for weave the design onto the fabric.
18 Mar '20 | textile art
Printed fabrics are assumed to be originating in a small town: Macclesfield, situated in Cheshire country in England.