Midori 2013 Diary from Miscellaneous Shop | Amsterdam
This year I have decide to change definitely the Diary set that I ever had from long time, I mean the minimal and simple MUJI "agenda" that is nice and very useful... but I was looking for something more "poetic" and exclusive made.
In my last trip to Japan I have seen the Midori Traveller concept at Tokyu Hands Dept. Store but for some reason I have not decide to buy, of course as usual when I'm coming back to home I regret not having done it.
So I was very happy to discover that not far from here, in Netherlands, the Miscellaneous shop stock the complete Midori concept for the traveller's book.
I have ordered a little bit advanced set that will include few very useful "gadgets" to better use the diary, like a plain note pad, some stickers to attach items on the pages (like the nice envelopes you will see in my pictures below) a transparent envelope with zipper to store receipts and small items and of course 2013 diary.
The cover is made in leather, a really nice tanned vegetable leather that is soft but in the same time "firm", with a easy and simple system you can set up the elements like books, notepads and diary and built your favorite set.
Miscellaneous also offer a series of interesting add-on for the set and you'll enjoy to see the so many options available.
Together with the set I have ordered a nice combo made by Kaweco: a Sport Fountain Pen and Pencil with their pouch.
I have choose to try the fountain pen even if my last usage of those instrument was very very far!
I have to say that the design and the quality of Kaweco set is outstanding, I really appreciate the fact that they manufacture the same model without changing design from 1935 and this is remarkable.
The Miscellaneous shop also send me a gift: a 2012 diary set... Thank You so much!
Everything is arrived very fast and the packaging was really nice, I would really recommend Miscellaneous shop.
If you want to know more about Midori and other rare stationery brands and other intelligent and nice stuff not easy to find in Europe, please, take a look at: http://www.misc-store.com
One of the most interesting shop in Tokyo: Wild Life Tailor
Don't miss it, if you are in Tokyo.
I had the honor to meet the buyer staff of WLT during the trade show of my collection www.1stpat-rn in the past august.
It was a great opportunity to learn about fabric knowledge and good taste.
http://wildlifetailor.adametrope.com
GRP | Realizzato ad arte in Toscana
This a new piece that I have recently purchase for the next fall-winter.
As usual and as this is my philosophy from lot of time , I only buy things (of any kind) that got a soul and give me emotion, I don't buy by brand or by trend.
I love to buy items made with care and quality, items that show how much attention and passion was spent to create them.
Yesterday I've spend a day in what I think is one of the best concept store in Italy: PROTEC in Bologna.
Fabrizio, always kind and always spreading knowledge to friends and customers and that select and introduce in the shop only high quality brands, introduce me this vest.
GRP is a brand that I have admired from his born, but I didn't expect to find here easily in Italy before to meet it in PROTEC.
GRP knitwear it's a product "Fatto ad Arte in Toscana" that is absolutely more to say "Made in Italy" as they explain in their hangtag (and it's nice that in 1ST PAT-RN my own brand I have decide two years ago to use a similar philosophy to tell to the customer that the product, in fact, is "more" than a Made in Italy product, as we have choose "Fabbricazione Italiana" to explain our manufacturing) and It's made with the best yarn you can find all around the world: Australian Supergeelong, Merino, Lambswool, Pima and so on.
All this yarns will be worked in the best way you'll ever seen in a series of pieces that are not seeing often in the knitwear panorama.
In fact what I like of GRP is that they made lot of items that bring inspiration form others fields of fashion, I means jackets and coats, as well as vest and capes: all of them are classic work, tailored and outdoor inspired items, realized in knitting technology and this make the difference from other manufacturers.
Take this vest I have purchase for myself.
It is cut like a woven fabric vest: little bit shorter that the usual, like those tailored vest you will wear with a suit jacket.
It is made with a very nice workmanship in a selection of ribs one different from each other and this ribs create borders and details you can discover only if you spend time to study the vest.
Take the back for example, it show some very nice details made with ribs: you'll be sure you didn't find a similar workmanship in any other knitwear!
Details in some kind of light melton are used on the side and to profile the vest to add more strengthness where you have to close the vest.
The fitting also it's so nice, I'm not a thin man and my body is not what you can tell as "athletic" you know, and usually I was always force myself buy a size up to wear items that fit me, but this was not a good options because you'll always feel that you are not in you correct size: it's also matter of feeling well in your mind inside a garment, not only in your body!
I try this medium size and it looks great on me, not too slim, not too large, it just works very good on my body, so I think it will fit great on other guys!
So, I'm very happy to introduce you this brand, and very happy to be a customer of GRP.
Thanks Fabrizio of PROTEC to show me this vest and congrats to Maglificio GRP Staff for his great job on knitwear!
take a look also at PROTEC concept store:
www.clotheswithadestiny.com/
www.protecbologna.com
A very important trip
The end of August see me moving for a very important trade show in Tokyo, where I will meet the new distributor (I will update the contacts ASAP!) for 1ST PAT-RN for the very important Japanese market, that have shown a very deep knowledge and interest on the collection, and where we try to show to top customers the job I've done with my brother Alessio trying to translate tailoring cut and tailored construction to a very difficult to work material: the knitted Cavalry.
Knitted Cavalry, and his brother the Knitted Oxford are some of the most new fabrics I ever seen and they are very innovative in the way they can let you worn a very casual, but elegant and tailored suit jacket, I have call this style: soft-tailored.
Those materials are "live": they fit your body exactly how the denim does, when you wear them, they bring the forms of your body, they "moves" with you with the incredible relaxed comfort that only the knitting material can give, but without the loose look of the sweatshirt material, so you can wear 1ST PAT-RN jacket like your favorite tailored blazer... with shirt and tie... or with a t-shirt in a casual and easy way.
But the feature that bring them in a new perspective is that aside from the denim, when you wash them they have the property to come back to initial status, this let you wear the jacket in a very easy and comfortable wear.
We are working day by day to improve this feature and also we are trying new solutions for the fall and winter collection, where we will try lined and dry clean only new models made with wool blend yarn, to have the most and perfect tailored experience for some styles: 1ST PAT-RN is an amazing work in progress and we are very happy to make this steps in a new direction of knitted fabrics.
New Catalogs for SS-2013 are just arrived, and you will see some personal styles I have create to show my concepts of wearing of my jackets... the catalog will be available from the start of the SS-1013 delivery season through the most important customer and I will release on the 1ST PAT-RN website the list.
More news from japan will be updated via my Twitter and Facebook profile... so, keep in touch ;)
And... Tokyo, we are coming!
"La Britola": an handmade knife made in Valdobbiadene
A few nights ago I spent some hours in the streets of my small village where he holds an annual craft fair, very famous, not only in this area, but with visits from all over Italy and neighboring countries.
One of the artisans that struck me most was the creator of the so-called "Britola" a small knife in use above all among the farmers of the area, making it the instrument of all days, both at work (which may be the pruning of the vines sparkling wine) than in normal daily activities like peeling an apple, cut a piece of bread or cheese.
The production is totally handmade, the blade is hand forged and during the exhibition can also see the craftsman who works directly on a Britola then you can buy directly.
Anyone who knows me knows very well how much I adore things that come from the hands of artisans, of this passion I made my way to work everyday, so I have already secured one of these "britole" (I have choose a special type with a different kind of blade shape) to be placed in the small handcrafted items collection that occasionally remind me of the great value of the area in which I live and where every day there are people who create and disseminate great knowledge.
You can follow the Facebook profile of "Britola" or visit the website:
2ND Magazine Snap | Pitti Uomo
As every month I have receive my copy of 2ND magazine and it was nice to see me and my bro, "the tailor" (www.thetailorsupport.com) pictured in the Pitti Uomo 82 reportage.
Please enjoy my 1ST PAT-RN New Editor jacket in Yarn Dyed Cavalry that actually is one of the best seller of the 1ST PAT-RN collection.
More info on 1ST PAT-RN here: www.1stpat-rn.it and if you want to be updated on 1ST PAT-RN project follow the Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/pages/1ST-PAT-RN/173020639425812
I don't know what the guys of 2ND Magazine say about us... but I thanks them very much for the pic!!
Tanner Goods Belt and Cards Holder Review
After having seen a video on Selectism.com where a craftsmen at Tanner Goods made a belt, from a rough piece of leather I have decide to purchase, with the fine effort of the Tanner staff in Portland, Ore. where the Tanner Goods belts and accessories are manufacturing, a couple of belts and a very useful Cards holder, handcrafted at the factory by expert craftsmen.
After having worn and use for a while the items I'd like to write here my feelings about it.
Actually I'm wearing the STANDARD BELT, HAVANA COLOR with S.STEEL BUKLE and in my tote bags is sit the card holder, full of business card ready to use, I can say that they are part of my daily wardrobe and essential items to carry with me in the work tote bag.
Both are ade with probably one of the best leather I've try in the last few items I have purchase, the Tanner goods belts and accessories, are cut from "vegetable tanned English Bridle American leather renowned for it’s ability to age beautifully and gain character over years of use. Traditionally used in saddlery and heritage leather goods, English Bridle leather gains color and marks of distinction like no other leather".
The finish is smooth and very nice at the touch, but the weight and the feeling when around the waist is of rugged item and give a sensation of reliability and high quality, I have use the belt for more than one month, every single day and the belt is like new... you feel the leather is like "live" and sit around the waist like is "cut" on you: I never feel this kind of sensation before.
The manufacturing is supreme: the idea of the two press buttons that allow to change the buckle too, add a simple but interesting function to the belt: You can change the position of the button and gain a size if you want.
Each single detail is made with care, as you will see in the video, the manufacturing process is not simple and when you have the item in your hand you can understand why.
The color I prefer is the Havana, but in the website (where they are able to sell all over the world and assist you in every single step) lot of colors are available, I have choose to purchase also a a skinny type belt for my girlfriend in "natural" color with "brass buckle" and I think than my next purchase will be for sure a color like this, that is so useful and very nice especially to match a pair of military green fatigue trousers.
I am a 36 inch waist size and I was advised by the staff to purchase a 38 size belt, and I have to say that is correct to buy a upper size if you decide to buy a Tanner Goods belt, the latest hole is the correct size, so I have to see that the measures are perfectly intende, so if you gain a little bit of weight you have another four holes... this way the bel will serve you forever!
Even if you loose weight, you can ad a hole in a simple way.
The card holder is designed very weel and contains all your business card or credit cards while you are travelling and give fast access to your items, it is made with the same quality and attention of the belts, I love this small card holder and at recently Pitti Uomo fair in Florence, while exchanging business cards with customers, everybody like it and ask me where I have bought!
Finally, a couple of words about the shipment.
I've received the items in a very short time via the FedEx courier, they arrived here in a very nice box, carefully packed: as I love stationery, packaging, type of papers... I was very pleased to open the parcel and see all this natural style papers and cardboards, to see the care they have put to wrap the belts in a raw natural paper.
The touch of craftsmanship is enhanced by the ink stamp on the cardboard and the envelope...
Definitely I have to say that Tanner Goods, not only take care seriously at the product, put great care in communication and assistance for the customer, but they care all the small details and this is what I like from a company, it's the same care I put in every aspect of my job, every day, for my customer: actually I think there's no way to do serious and professional business in a world full of low priced/higher markup items, made without any care for the customer and without any soul, create just to make faster money.
You can buy the top quality items fromTanner Goods in some of the best shops of the world, or directly via their website.
Original Video of the manufacturing process:
A great visit at 1ST PAT-RN booth during Pitti Uomo 82
With my great surprise and thanks to the friendship with my brother Alessio owner of The Tailor Pattern Support Office, Sir Timothy Everest, the Supreme Master of modern tailoring and one of most respected tailors-designer in the actual scene of men's fashion, take a visit at the 1ST PAT-RN booth during Pitti Uomo 2012.
We had great moments talkin about the new perspective of tailoring, new fabrics and fit styles for men's and Sir Timothy Everest show to me some amazing videos of a numbers of new project he's managing in the latest season, and I was astonished for the great care he have put, not only in the manufacturing, in the design and in the communication... but also in the great knowledge he put in every aspect of his work.
It was a great honor for me to see the appreciation of Sir Everest for my 1ST PAT-RN soft-tailored jackets project.
Thank you so much again!
Today is dedicated to Indigo color.
Library at the office
Aldilà di ogni moda o tendenza, lo stile Ivy League, in primavera, rimane sempre il mio preferito e adoro rileggere i miei libri preferiti!
