It’s with nice pleasure that we introduce Italy’s oldest and most storied hat-maker. Learn to put on a hat with Borsalino
Whereas newness and novelty drive a lot of the luxurious vogue and attire world, the worth of custom and expert experience can’t be overstated, and Borsalino has practically two centuries of information about haute headwear, uncooked supplies, and designs that defy passing tendencies.
Browse the label’s picks for ladies and males.
The hat is a cultural image, an indication of belonging. It’s the right accent to specific character and authentic aptitude—maybe in contrast to another merchandise of clothes or accent.
How you can put on a hat
Q: Earlier than we get into the historical past of Borsalino…what’s the only most vital issue to contemplate in put on a hat? Is it the climate, or sizing of the hat, or matching the type to your outfit…?
A: An important consider choosing a hat is that it communicates particular person type. The hat is a cultural image, a illustration of particular person aesthetics and style, an indication of belonging. It’s the right accent to specific character and authentic aptitude—maybe in contrast to another merchandise of clothes or accent.
Q: Borsalino makes many kinds of hats. May you give us a quick overview of the kinds of hats and a quick description or background on every?
A: Borsalino is understood for its basic, medium-brim felt hat, created by founder Giuseppe Borsalino and given its iconic standing by the world of cinema. Everybody is aware of it.
However in latest collections, greatest sellers are literally types that talk to a extra modern viewers particularly youthful and largely female markets. Borsalino shouldn’t be solely about legendary felt in all its varieties, but additionally each sort of headgear created with the identical degree of stylish craftsmanship and artisan savoir-faire from the hand-woven summer season Panamas to the modern mastery of sequined material caps.
Discovering your hat measurement is straightforward: you could measure the circumference of your head, one centimeter above your ears. Use a versatile tape measure (or swing by your native tailor to have them measure). That quantity corresponds to your European measurement, which is able to vary from about 57 to 61.
Borsalino historical past
Q: Only a few manufacturers that also exist in the present day have 164 years of historical past—and at that, solely making hats! What’s it prefer to have such a legacy? How has the enterprise modified over that point, and extra lately with the shift to e-commerce?
A: Since 1857 Borsalino has been dedicated to a manufacturing course of handed down from era to era, which represents the maison’s final cultural worth and DNA. It’s the corporate’s heritage and successful ingredient. However Borsalino’s ongoing mission by no means loses sight of the significance of dialogue with the modern-day world.
At the moment, hats are not practical equipment used to easily shield oneself from weathering parts just like the chilly or the solar. They’ve change into objects of want, emotionally chosen by the wearer.
This evolving and modern dialog additionally signifies that utilizing modern instruments like e-commerce and social media has helped strengthen a kindred sense of neighborhood and belonging, in addition to talking on to new youthful generations.
Q: I’ve been to the Borsalino store inside Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. It’s tiny however very environment friendly and well-organized. What’s the worth of a bodily retailer to in the present day’s hat shopper?
A: Our shops are magical locations the place model lovers can encounter the world of Borsalino, whether or not one tries on a brand new mannequin, receives type suggestions, or just wishes to expertise hat experience.
The Milanese boutique in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II has been lively since 1883 and deserves a separate point out. Inside this valuable house, one can truly breathe within the historical past of the Maison towards the backdrop of one of the vital well-known metropolis views.
Iconic hat types and supplies
Q: What’s your favourite approach to put on a hat? Inform us put on a hat by Borsalino.
A: The world of cinema is an enormous supply of private inspiration, so my favourite go-to items would come with the basic medium brim felt hat worn barely lowered on the brow. However generally, there are a lot of alternative ways to put on a hat, and nobody ought to be afraid to experiment with individuality and private type.
Q: Borsalino makes actually lovely hats. Inform us about a few of the particular design parts or supplies which are distinctive to the Borsalino model.
A: Borsalino collections are created beneath the creative path of Inventive Curator Giacomo Santucci who has reconstructed a brand new idea of magnificence primarily based on a correlating dialogue between artwork and craftsmanship.
Inspiration originates from the corporate’s DNA and the second half of the nineteenth century, an period characterised by religion in progress, optimism and democratization of artwork. All these vital parts are translated into the hats and enhanced by sturdy nuances of joie de vivre, range, and the liberty of private expression.
Q: What are the first supplies you employ, and what are the professionals and cons of every one?
A: Felt is the principle materials for the winter season. It’s a mushy, resistant, and richly-hued materials obtained with out spinning, weaving, or knitting. Originating from pure uncooked supplies, it follows a course of that has been handed down by generations since 1857. Greater than 50 handbook steps and seven weeks of processing are required to create only one hat.
Straw is the selection materials for Spring/Summer season. It’s garnered from leaves of the dwarf palm (Carludovica Palmata)—in any other case often called the Panama palm—which Borsalino selects within the most interesting and most valuable high quality. Making a hand-woven Panama can take as much as 6 months to create only one piece.
Q: What’s the quintessential piece from Borsalino? An excellent starter merchandise for the trendy tastemaker?
A: Quintessentially means iconic so unquestionably regardless that it’s been talked about earlier than, one has to go along with the basic medium brim felt mannequin launched by founder Giuseppe Borsalino. It’s a hat that has transpired quite a few eras and types.
To this present day it nonetheless holds a novel and inimitable appeal.
Q: Although the final 12 months has been extremely difficult—what’s one optimistic factor that has come out of the pandemic, for you personally or for the enterprise?
A: The pandemic was sudden, unpredictable and a digital unknown, so it has pressured the whole world to decelerate. Borsalino has taken this second to rethink its inner dynamics and higher exterior communication, which has led to an accelerated firm’s digitization course of. This profound cultural methodology has most definitely remodeled the way in which individuals work.
Via leveraging and exploring new tech options has in the end helped simplify obtain goals. On this method, the corporate’s actions have in essence change into extra agile, closing distanced gaps between companions, customers and suppliers.
Q: Vacationers have come to Italy for years to find new (and previous) names in luxurious vogue equipment. Why do you suppose Italians are so good at design and craftsmanship?
A: Being surrounded by historic and creative heritage is definitely an vital consider why Italians are so good at design and craftsmanship. Magnificence is an intrinsic a part of each Italian’s training rising up. Moreover, Italians have been capable of protect nationwide centurion know-how with ardour, enthusiasm, and talent whereas evolving and pushing it into the longer term.
Q: As an insider, what are your favourite spots in Milan to eat, take aperitivo, and store? Favourite bars? Finest historic/touristic spots to see? Are there any locations you’d recommend our readers not miss in the event that they go to (after we can journey extra freely once more)?
A: For me, Milan represents a sentimental internet. Each nook is linked to a sequence of cherished reminiscences. Other than the extra conventional vacationer locations just like the Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Teatro alla Scala and Castello Sforzesco, I’d suggest a go to to the Triennale Museum, which all the time affords stimulating exhibitions.
One other favourite place is the Guastalla Gardens, certainly one of Milan’s oldest and smallest parks filled with colour and quaintness. Exterior the town heart, a go to to the Isola, a historic district that contrasts with the modernity of the Porta Nuova skyscrapers, is unquestionably value a go to. It’s additionally the world the place one can discover the Ratanà restaurant (certainly one of my favorites) that options basic but modern Milanese delicacies.
Uncover extra designer Q&As: Antonella Rizza, Le Sur, and FPM.
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