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Patricia Gatto Puglia

Patricia Gatto Puglia is an independent consultant in marketing and communications, drawing on her many years of experience directing Corporate Communications for a Fortune 250 company. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Italian at Queens College (City University of New York), furthering a lifelong passion for Italian language and culture. Her particular interests are Italian fashion, food and wine as well as the fascinating intersections between all things Italian and American.

Etiquette seems negotiable these days, a nice-to-have when the occasion warrants but few people can cite the rules of conduct for any given situation with accuracy. Of course, there are the gaffes that make headlines, most of which could be avoided by consulting guides or just using common sense: Remember when Trump walked in front of, not slightly...

1975

The second world war was in full assault when the Sorelle Fontana, three Italian sister-seamstresses from a small village near Parma, opened their first fashion atelier in Rome. It was an audacious move for 1944, but not hastily conceived. Zoe, Micol and Giovanna, all born at the beginning of the 20th century, in the shadow of the first world war,...

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The story of Salvatore Ferragamo and the eponymous fashion empire this son of Italy’s south built in the first decades of the 20th century shows you where sheer will can take you. In Salvatore’s case, and that of the close-knit clan that has since followed in his footsteps, talent and vision, energy and hard work, and a relentless drive for excelle...

2065

Ermenegildo Zegna is a powerhouse in Italian luxury menswear. Superb textiles, impeccable tailoring, and inspired management have propelled the privately held 108-year-old firm to the head of its league, making it not only a global force with approximately 7,000 employees and 500 retail outposts in more than 60 countries but one of the best express...

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Let’s talk history, ancient and more recent, before getting to the modern-day story of Cangiari, Italy’s first ethical high fashion brand. Cangiari’s creations are currently gracing catwalks from Milan to Paris to Dubai, but the label is so much more than its striking silhouettes and fabrics.

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Fashion is best understood in terms of its broad social, cultural, economic, and aesthetic contexts. That is the core message of the Fabric of Cultures project, a research and pedagogic initiative spearheaded by Eugenia Paulicelli, Director of the Fashion Studies program at City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center and Professor of Italian...

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In the 1930s, Elsa Schiaparelli, the cantankerous, iconoclastic, innovative Italian fashion designer who had adopted Paris as her home, was at the height of her career. She had captured the interest and following of celebrities, the press, and women in Europe and the US. She had tested boundaries, made headlines, and become a vibrant part of Parisi...

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Queens College Professor Eugenia Paulicelli curates a multimedia Made in Italy Festival and Exhibition at Queens College that explores the art of making and craft in a globalized, digital world and why it matters. Made in Italy. The art of making. Local craft. In a globalized, digital world? Happily, the Made in Italy “brand” – with its tradition o...

2933

For Diego Della Valle, the 63-year-old billionaire owner of Italian luxury leather and apparel giant Tod's Group, style has always trumped fashion. Considering the success Tod's has had since its formation in 1978, Della Valle has a point.

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Textiles and art live in harmony in the Bonotto universe. The practiced hands of artisans operate the company's mechanical looms, turning out fabrics for Armani, Prada, Zegna, and Louis Vuitton. Speed takes a backseat to quality; craftsmanship matters more. Contemporary works of art dot the factory floor. Textiles inform art and art informs textile...

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