Men’s luxury fashion - shades and shoes

September 2007

SHADES AND SHOES
Two Profiles To Watch
In Men’s Luxury
By Leah Jayasanker

It’s one thing to be able to wear Dolce & Gabbana shades off the rack, yet it’s another to wear a hand molded pair suited to the contour of your face. Test your fashion knowledge and see if you’re hip to two very-in-the-now symbols of unique elegance for men’s luxury style.

Sunglasses
Lapo Elkann is known not only for being the heir to the Fiat empire, responsible for resurrecting the allure of the Fiat brand, he is also referred to as ‘one of the best dressed men in the world’. Elkann’s latest project, the launch of Italia Independent (I-I), serves as a path to redefine the concept of personal belongings. The basis for the I-I concept is an ‘eye’ for detail and the continuous search for quality with a distinctive style—aka, sunglasses made one hundred percent ‘the Italian way’. Using the, I-I philosophy, “Independent” refers to the mind set that champions, ‘free minds not obsessed with brands’. One distinct model by I-I is their Carbon Sever, or the all carbon sunglasses.

The process to create and complete the Carbon Sever takes plenty of time. A skilled craftsman hand molds and hand sands each pair, repeatedly. Another part of achieving the final product is to store the carbon ‘skins’ in temps set to minus 15 degrees. Try sunglasses that run roughly 1007 euros, produced entirely in Italy, offered at italiaindependent.com.

* Pictured: Italia Independent Sever in Green and Black (307 euros) and Carbon Sever.

Shoes
Pascual Blanco, President of Magnanni, offers his opinion on fall trends and explains the unique qualities behind the Magnanni brand.

LJ: What are the trends for men’s fashion this fall?
PB: I believe that the classical English feel is back. A major trend is the wingtip shoe embellished with perforated details. I also believe boots will be a staple in every man’s wardrobe this season.

LJ: What is special about the Magnanni brand?
PB: The Blanco family designs and constructs all of Magnanni’s shoes. The family influence allows us to maintain our own identity. Our shoes are made of the best leather that is coated in an antique finish, an application which gives each shoe a unique look. Two of the most important features of Magnanni shoes are construction and fit. All of our shoes are made by Bologna construction, a method that adds comfort and flexibility to the shoe. This unique construction allows the shoe to have an almost glove-like fit on your foot. The Blanco family is proud to offer a product with the knowledge, craftsmanship and style that has been perfected for three generations.

LJ: What lies ahead for 2008?
PB: I predict a lot of color for Spring 2008 collections. Customers will also see the application of different materials and leather treatments in the men’s shoe market. These materials will include perforations in leather, weaved leather, untreated leather, hand finished leathers, and the use of canvas and cloth materials. Sophisticated appearances and styles that provide comfort will also dominate the Spring 2008 trends.

Constructing the ideal fit is certainly nothing out of the ordinary for the Blanco family. The Magnanni shoe is manufactured with leather uppers and a full leather lining, all of which come via Italian, French and Spanish Tanneries. The last (a mold devised to form the shoe) and fit of each shoe is designed special for international retailers. Europeans have wider feet than North Americans so Magnanni adapts accordingly sculpting different lasts and widths for each market.

* Pictured: Magnanni Artesano Boot ($395) and Rubber Bottom ($265), at Nordstrom, Fall 2007.