105 FLORENCE. SMART ART
Craftsmanship’s renaissance, contemporary art in hidden gardens and chefs up on the roof. And the famous Florentine steak? A mouth-watering feast in a factory by candlelight. A leap into the present
CRAFT 3.0 How do you reinvent a temple practically made of artisan excellence? You open it to the public. And that’s exactly what the historic Pampaloni silver factory, founded in Florence in 1902, did. In the evening, In Fabbrica, the company canteen, changes to transform into a restaurant for refined aesthetes. Soft lighting, eight-armed candelabras, silver wine glasses and flatware, wait staff in white gloves - and a Japanese chef coming from the Tokyo Four Seasons. It’s an address to mark down in the agenda, In Fabbrica, but also a symbol of the vivacity of Florentine craftsmanship. That the city of trades never rests is a given: from expertise in luxury, tradition has become the cornerstone to build the future. Events such as Artigianato e Palazzo provide further confirmation of this fact. The twentythird edition, (from 18 to 21 May), will include a relaunch of the Blogs&crafts competition, dedicated to young maestros, those that have the know-how but also excel at communicating it. Manufacturers 3.0. Who ever said that the craft trade is for old people? Those behind SuperDuper Hats, Matteo Gioli and sisters Veronica and Ilaria Cornacchini, are all under 35. And their handmade hats, for both men and women, have won over pop stars, from Skin to Jovanotti, who wore the brand on stage during his last tour. Winners of the 2013 ‘Who’s Next’ contest (a launch pad for promising talent in the fashion world), the three designers, who also work as “ghost designers” for well-known fashion brands, are atypical in Florence’s scene: the studio and trade weren’t handed down from the family. They created it from the ground up, taking risks. «If we’re still here”, Gioli explained, «it’s thanks to Japanese buyers. They were the first to believe in us». The winning intuition? Create something that didn’t exist before. Meaning: high quality plus contemporary design. Another standard bearer of the new craftsmanship is Berlin-transplant Vivian Saskia Wittmer. The waitlist for her handmade footwear is six, even up to eight months. Her customers? They come from all around the world. «My shoes combine
mise en place