Made in Italy

“Fashion is anthropology, the sociology of the imaginary. The past guides the future.” 

With these words, Massimiliano Giornetti defines fashion as something larger than just clothing - more a cultural expression that evolves through history and imagination. As Director of Polimoda - the city’s flagship fashion school - and former Creative Director of Salvatore Ferragamo, the Italian fashion leader stands at the intersection of heritage and innovation.  And Florence -  long celebrated as the birthplace of the Renaissance - is also a cradle of modern fashion, giving rise to international luxury powerhouse brands like Gucci, Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli and Pucci.

“The relationship between Florence and fashion dates back a long time. Since the Middle Ages, Florence and Prato have been renowned for their production of excellent textiles and goldsmithing,” Massimiliano explains. During the Renaissance, these skills reached extraordinary heights. The painter Agnolo Bronzino, court artist to the Medici, captured noble families in portraits now housed in the Uffizi - their shimmering brocades and brightly coloured velvet symbols of a city whose taste conquered Europe.

Among them is one of Massimiliano’s own style icons: Eleonora di Toledo, Duchess of Florence, whose opulent gowns of Spanish silk and refined Florentine tailoring made her the epitome of sophistication and one of history’s first fashion leaders.

Fast forward a few centuries, and in 1951 Giovanni Battista Giorgini gathered Italy’s finest designers at his family’s Villa Torrigiani in Florence, presenting their creations to international buyers. Until then, Paris had dominated the fashion world - but Giorgini’s showcase revealed Italy’s unique blend of artisanal craft and modern vision. That moment marked the birth of Made in Italy and transformed it from a simple indication of origin into a global symbol of style, quality and prestige.

That spirit of artistry is still very much alive today: “Florence is the Italian capital of craftsmanship. From leather goods to jewelry, to the art of embroidery, everything here is perfection,” Massimiliano notes. He highlights Loretta Caponi, just a short walk from Hotel Savoy, where silk nightgowns are crafted with such refinement they can be worn as evening gowns - proof that “lightness of construction is the true essence of Italianness.”

In a city with a legacy like Florence, it is only natural for inspiration to take root. And alongside the bigger, global brands, small artisans flourish through their innate ability to tailor their ideas to an individual’s taste and dreams. “We are what we wear,”  notes Massimiliano, pointing out a handful of his favourite designers in the city.  “This is why a shoe handmade by Stefano Bemer will be different from one created at Il Micio or by Saskia Wittmer. A jacket tailored by Liverano will be uniquely yours, while a fragrance composed at Profumoir or Aquaflor tells others who you are. This is the privilege of small artisans.” All within walking distance of the hotel, these ateliers in the historic centre are “an antidote to homogenisation.” 

When he’s not browsing Florence’s ateliers, Massimiliano can be found at the Museo della Moda e del Costume, admiring the silk satin mantle made by Maison Worth in Paris for Donna Franca Florio, the celebrated “queen of Palermo.” Indeed, the Belle Époque icon was so widely admired that her legacy endures not only in the museum but also at Villa Igiea in Palermo, where she is honoured in the opulent Donna Franca Suite.

“The greatest lesson I have learned is that there is no limit to creativity. Fashion is the most contemporary human expression because it lives and evolves with people.” And where better to simultaneously explore the past and future of fashion than Florence, a city of artistic evolution for centuries. Much like in the Renaissance, it remains a laboratory of ideas - a place where artisans, ateliers and emerging designers work with passion, keeping the city’s fashion story alive while continually rewriting its chapters.

From its setting on Piazza della Repubblica, Hotel Savoy places you at the heart of Florence’s world of ateliers, icons and luxury fashion heritage.