Italian Style

Italian Style: Renaissance, Raphael

Giorgio Armani, the renowned Italian designer, once said of style: "The essence of style is a simple way of saying something complex."

Armani has certainly distilled the essence of Italian style into his clothing, but Italy in itself is a country where style reigned supreme long before the advent of today's mega-designers. Since medieval times and even before, Italians have made it a point to dress with elegance, as is evident from the paintings of the Italian Renaissance period.

Italian Style: Sophia Loren

In the last century, Italian movies, which have had a great influence on Hollywood, showed what sensual style meant to Italians through famous images of Sophia Loren in Ieri, Oggi, Domani and later, Monica Belluci in movies like Malena. The look was well-tailored, respectable, and sensual at the same time.

To these iconic images have been added the style statements of the likes of Gianni Versace and Roberto Cavalli, who have taken Italian style in an entirely different, over-the-top direction.

Italian style today is an amalgam of various streams of fashion, of the Italian love for quality and durabilty, the desire to look alla moda, and a continuous search for newness and fresh images.

In the articles in this section, Life in Italy examines Italian style, charisma, and chutzpah, and how it has affected the world of Italian fashion.

Italian Style: Roberto Cavalli

Introduction By: Damyanti Ghosh