FIRENZE

Italian Furniture scholar and art consultant Fausto Calderai is the most elegant man I know! He loves fabrics and these are the starting point or inspiration when he goes to his tailors. Yes, tailors, plural, because Fausto has more than one. His favorite is Florentine, Armando Di Preta. Whereas in London he patronizes 'bespoke Saville Row couturier' Ozwald Boateng - who's client list also includes Samuel L. Jackson, Keanu Reeves and Mick Jagger. Though Fausto's style is rather classic and traditional it doesn't lack for sense of humor. The linings of his suits and coats are made from Emilio Pucci's tie silk. He was an avid cuff link collector and his collection boast hundreds of pieces. A bit bored now, friends who go over for dinner are invited to "take their pick" and go home with a small "souvenir bag" of cuff links. Photographed above are a silicon pair of dolphins by Spanish sculpture Joaquin Blanco. "Men, unlike women can only wear silicon on their cuff." Fausto jokes. And, the Swatch watch is a collectors piece made for the Athens Olympic Games. Other unusual cuff links in his collection are Vivien Westwood's penis and pussy set a gift from the designer herself or Milanese artist, Giorgio Vigna's gold nugget set. His favorites are a pair of gold coins that belonged to the last Czar and were found in Aleppo, Syria. I am surprised that fellow Florentine and New York Times Style magazine editor, Stefano Tonchi hasn't snapped him up yet for the ongoing series "The Orignals"- portraits of interesting men.

FIRENZE
Look out for the "enfant terrible" of Indian fashion!

I'm sooooooooo excited. In a little corner of one of the most appreciated fashion boutiques in the world, Luisa Via Roma in Florence I found a new and exciting Indian fashion designer, called Manish Arora. It's not everyday that this happens and I have to "take off my hat" to the owner Andrea Panconesi as yet again, he has discovered and selected another authentic product from the collections of the leading stylists of the world. Delhi-based Manish Arora clothes are in the stores in Europe now after his first fashion show in London last Autumn as the special guest of the British Fashion Council. His clothes scream funk and attitude and loads of fun. "My clothes are all about colour. I don't believe in greys, and black and whites." "Fashion should be free, without boundaries, unfettered," he gesticulates. "At the same time, fashion should be rooted in the culture you come from. That's why pinks and purples and sea greens find such a huge place in my work". He designs clothes for pop star Daler Mehndi, VJs like Meghana Reddy, Sophiya Haque and Javed Jafrey. That's where they get their weird style from. It's Bollywood translated into Western fashion without "loosing it" along the way...... Fantastic!!!!

www.luisaviaroma.com

FIRENZE

GEE Italian Toy Tour
These designer, one of a kind, 16 inch Qee (pronounced KEY) are "marching off" to Ebay to be auctioned one per week for the TeleThon Foundation. The artist, Felice Limosani organized the Italian Toy Tour (until 14th June, 2006) creating a union between toy-art and fashion. This 15 limited edition designed exclusively for Toys on Stage.com by the some of the best fashion designers like Dolce e Gabbana, Missoni, Roberto Cavalli and Anne Demeulemeester will be exposed in the most prestigous fashion locations of Italy during important events. Starting in Florence at Luisa Via Roma Boutique during Pitti Uomo, moving on to Turin during the Winter Olympics, and then to Milan during the Salone Internazionale del Mobile.
But what exactly are Qees? They are a popular series of 2.5 inch key-chain collectible mini figures from Hong Kong that condense multiple concepts into a tiny, irresistible package that has taken the world by storm. Designer Toy/Lifestyles company Toy2r introduced Qees in 2001. They are usually sold in 'blind' boxes so that their identities are concealed. You don't know what figure you will get! This just adds to the excitement and the fun and if you get a duplicate the idea is to trade it. The Art-Qee phenomenon also caught the imagination of art lovers and collectors and it has already hit many immensely successful gallery tours world-wide. How many Qees do you have?
http://www.toysonstage.com/ http://www.ebay.it/ http://www.toys2r.com/ http://www.luisaviaroma.com/

VENEZIA
Let's start this 2006 blog edition of Contessanally with this heavenly "firework display" of unusual sculpture-jewelry from Gualti's tiny boutique/atelier just off the trendy Campo Santa Margherita. "My creations are unique, with fluid movements like an organic poem. The reflections and the vibrations of the resins mixed with a central piece of glass give light and a taste of eternity, where time vanishes....." Gualti explains. These bijoux evoke intense emotions and a brooch or an Elizabethan inspired ruffled collar/necklace will dress up any little black dress or jacket. They are extremely chic as the grand dames who wear them, like Dodi Rosekrans, who is famous for her masked balls in Palazzo Brandolini. In fact it is by "word of mouth" in a palazzo or a salotto that one discovers these divine surreal pieces. I suggest that if you are not bold or confident enough to wear one of these pieces, that you go and also look at the cloth wrap-around-wraps mounted on steel wires that recall the waves of the lagoon or the felt "octopus" inspired "scarves". For sure, Peggy Guggenheim would have taken Gualti under her wing, bought out the whole collection and dedicated a show to this talented artist.

Rio Tera' Canal 3111 - Tel +39041 5201731 - www.gualti.it