"MADE IN ITALY" - ITALIAN FASHION - GUIDES TO DESIGNER FASHION SERIES

Written by Suze Montgomery and Paul G Roberts Narrated by Paul G Roberts Edited by Ian Babb One time skilled artisans and humble shopkeepers have exploded into globalised corporate powerhouses equipped with formidable engines of growth. Sophisticated multinational conglomerates who have mastered the arts of manufacturing desire with their use of marketing and image in addition to that of design and craftsmanship. The global rise of Italian fashion can be traced back to the 1960’s when scores of international Jet-set dress buyers and status seekers flocked to Rome, as much for the couture designs of Valentino and Roberto Carpucci as for the search of La Dolce Vita. The jewelled island of Capri was their playground. Florence was famous for leathergoods and gold, and it didn’t hurt Florentine fortunes that Pucci and Ferragamo were Jet set must haves. In the 1970’s fashion heralded the arrival of ready-to-wear and the demand for practical masculine styled clothing that women could wear to work and Milan rose to power as Italy’s fashion epi-center. From this background rose the Italian fashion dynasties such as Armani, Gucci, Prada, Fendi and many more.