Fragments Nº19: Pitti Vacant
Firenze Notes & looks, emerging Menswear Brands, collabs and an appreciation of Macca.
Let’s start with the maddeningly obvious - I’m not at Pitti, even though I’m talking about it.
This was going to be ‘the year,’ especially considering some people I respect were presenting and going IRL, but… life. (Maybe June. Maybe I’ll be working with a brand that’s presenting there? Maybe not? Whatever happens, let’s say it’s more interesting than the Americanised-digitalised-sadland that Cannes has become.
Anyhow, it felt remiss not to at least write about the ideas that emerged from that moment, not just from the point of view of interesting brands but also from the place and space themselves. In the end, the place and the space are valuable; there always seems to be something interesting happening there.
One thing I am very sad to miss is the nexus of Pitti - the WM Brown drinks at Harry’s Bar. When I wrote last month about WM Brown’s Tweed Rally and how it works so well because—of the camaraderie it exudes, the Harry’s Bar event reinforces that point. It’s not just an event - but a summit where the community gathers. The Camp David of Menswear, with Negronis to top it off.
Regarding the ability to refresh, look no further than what Todd Snyder did last year. His tie-up with Woolrich, which debuted at the beginning of the year, gave the erstwhile Snyder a chance to flex into a heritage brand in a way that felt elevated and distinctive while helping to accelerate attention for his brand. Everybody won. With the brand rocketing to $130m in sales in ’24, momentum was set by what, where, and how they leveraged Pitti.
To that end, the same could be said for Rag & Bone. Presenting designer Robert Geller’s fifth collection, including a new POV on denim materials inspired by New Wave, this could well act as a jumping-off point for the brand to regain some of its cultural clout if the product matches up to what is a devastatingly simple idea. (An elevated, louche vision of Downtown New York as a fantasia of past and present). Now, it needs a brand marketing approach to match the promise of Geller’s work.
New York biases aside, here are some brands that look very interesting…
Interesting Ideas & New Brands at Pitti
Cascellini
A tiny capsule brand is launching this week. I love the outerwear's styling and detailing. It reminds me of what Dunhill was doing back in 2021/22. Other interactions with modern outerwear materials shape these classic tailoring ideas, creating an interesting tension.
Re-jàvu Milano x Champion
A fun reworking of vintage garments.
The Tramezza Activation
Ferragamo still takes a lot of heat, but I liked the ‘Tramezza’ activation they’ve rolled out for Pitti.
Tramezza, meaning ‘something in between,’ is constructed with perfect bonding from the lower to the upper, utilizing a soft leather insert between the insole and the sole. This is the highest level of the brand's craftsmanship, and it trickles down into more commercial pieces, such as the hug bag and the ballerina. In a moment when smaller brands are usually the focus, I appreciated the brand's narrowing down.
Looks I Liked
“Imperfections Are Part Of The Hunt”
Writing about Paul McCartney or the Beatles on the surface seems an anachronism, certainly in 2024. But, the longer we’re removed from their individual and collective peaks, the more seems to be revealed about their works. (Get Back being the obvious highlight here.) Ian Leslie, writer of the outstanding The Ruffian, is about to release a rich and perceptive book called 'John & Paul: A Love Story In Songs'. At the more completist end of the spectrum, the monument (and I mean MONUMENT) to the story of Paul McCartney. ‘The McCartney Legacy‘ keeps trundling along.
When I first picked up (okay, listened to) Volume 1 (1969 - 1973) in 2023, I couldn’t believe that there would be a mere 2 years between Volume 1 and Volume 2 (1974 - 1980). These books are SO in-depth, thoroughly researched, and fastidious in their documentation of Paul McCartney, Linda, Wings, and his post-Beatles life that you’d need a few years of rest to recover.
The feat here is frankly not for everyone. This is the type of book that lists specific song changes between a 31-date tour (Wings Over America, 1976). It gleefully reads out specific mastering tracking numbers, production details, instruments used, and the number of takes in each session. It gets lost in the little minutiae of McCartney’s day-to-day life.
As I said, it's not for everyone.
But the book's absolute joy is feeling like you’re in these rooms. You’re in the car with Paul and Linda on the way to Campbelltown, Scotland, or shadowing them as they knock on John and Yoko’s door to have a cup of tea. You feel his frustrations, and you stand next to his evident genius. You’re in the control room at Studio 2. Once you get into the flow, it becomes easy to follow along. But it’s an uncanny experience.
Volume 1 dealt with the post-Beatles fallout and Paul’s fumbling for credibility with Band On The Run (via McCartney, Ram, Wild Life & Red Rose Speedway). Volume 2 is where, metaphorically, the wheels start to fall off from a critical perspective. This is where the ‘in the room’ structure shines. The frustration of band members and McCartney, as the edges of Wings start to fray. The high point, the Wings Over The World 1975-76 tour, presaging their ultimate downfall. A sea change in musical tastes.
There’s undoubtedly an air of change in the air. But McCartney, to his credit, seeks to wade through those changes rather than bury his head in the sand. That meant he took more hits than the others, but he has a more diverse, surprising body of work. The McCartney Legacy’s ultimate triumph is in giving you space to radically reconsider or rediscover works that, in many ways, were years, if not decades, ahead of their time. The sheer volume of the work means there are hidden treasures everywhere you look. There’s a reason why McCartney and Ram are considered modern-day classics and Indie-pop forebears: why McCartney II is like Yellow Magic Orchestra.
Paul McCartney, it turns out, is for the heads.
So, in celebration of that fact and to complete Volume 2, I thought I’d share some of my favorite McCartney/Wings/McCartney tracks. Some are known, others not. As Macca himself said in a session in 1977, the joy is in the hunt.
I still can’t get over this was a B-side from 1992. Madness.
A bit of a Balearic classic - but still slaps.
A Mountain Of One / Beyond The Wizards Sleeve Slo-Mo-Psych Classic
Macca goes Bruton Music.
Macca goes Radiohead. Excellence ensues.
Just Macca fiddling around with fragments into a proto-electronica track. Casual.
Just junk words put together. But it works.
More next week…