Florence’s leading men – President’s on Mr Porter

As the Fall Winter 2018 collection is about to launch, one of President’s retailers – renowned online giant Mr Porter – gives a sneak peek to a few pieces in the collection, while President’s CEO and creative director, Guido Biondi, gives a sneak peek into our history, our Crafted in Tuscany philosophy, and some Florence favourites.

“Everything President’s does is made in Italy, and where possible it’s made in Florence. The knitwear is a Scottish yarn produced in Lastra a Signa, which is just a few miles away. The denim comes from Japan. The leather comes from Santa Croce, an area between Florence and Pisa that’s famous for vegetable tanning. I like to bring a blend of well-researched materials from all around the world – but everything is made in Italy.”

Get your first outfit suggestions of the season (the Alpaca wool coat Egg is an Autumn favourite!), and read the full interview here.

 

Mr Guido Biondi for MRPORTER.COM. Photography by Mr Davide Annibale.

 

SS 18 – rooted in the past, designed for the contemporary

Retro Culture is the name guiding President’s through the Spring Summer 2018 season. A collection rooted in the past but designed for the contemporary and inspired by the surfing and skateboarding movements of the 1960s California, carefully Crafted in Tuscany.

In its creations President’s synthesises the quest for top quality fabrics and Tuscan manufacturing traditions and is for SS 18 replaying the elements of surf and skate on the note of essential contemporary luxury.

Retro Culture proposes hand printed and hand painted t-shirts and jackets created by Tuscan artists, shirts in new colour variants and in vintage prints, prints also elegantly used as a silk lining of jackets in ecru selvedge bull denim. Blazers and Bermudas are made from the finest Egyptian Giza cotton nodding to the retro with its stripe variants giving a sense of the American 60s inspiration standing behind the entire collection.

No P’s collection will of course be missing of a great pair of Icarus jeans in selvedge raw denim or a good pair of selvedge gabardine chinos. As previous collections, Spring Summer 2018 looks to the past with the eyes of the future, making every garment an evergreen and not a a piece that simply follows the trends of the moment.

See the full Spring Summer 2018 collection here.

Interview: Cheryl Dunn

President’s in conversation with Cheryl Dunn, our artist-in-residence for AW17-18.
Photos by Alessandro Simonetti.

So, let’s start with the backstory of the image featured in this season’s President’s campaign. 

Well, I had been documenting boxing for about 9 years in the 90’s. Through a boxing manager from New Jersey, I had access to a world that was very inaccessible at the time. I saw the door and ran through it and used this subject to hone my documentary skills. The nature of shooting boxing in hindsight really schooled me on many aspects I used later in street shooting. I had been shooting ringside at fights for many years. You would see the same guys shooting and I was definitely the only girl. It was a pretty aggressive scene—everyone pushing and shoving to get the shot. You were really competing to get the knock out or a good punch. There was a lot of luck involved, being on the right side of the ring at the right time and not being in the middle of loading your camera. It was not a friendly scene—until I shot a fashion story at a real boxing match and showed up to this arena with 5 or so really hot, very tall models and suddenly all these dudes that I knew in the scene suddenly became my best friends wanting to meet my models.

This particular image is in the locker room of Shannon Briggs, who fought for my friend’s gym and who he knew well. The girl to his side is his real girlfriend. In the ring, I loved the juxtaposition of the ring card girls, shooting through their legs to see the exhausted fighters in the corner. So this is a similar vibe of a post match fighter within a scene of sexy elegant women.

Are there any photographers who inspired you in your formative years? Anybody holding your interest these days? 

I was very inspired by Bruce Davidson, Diane Arbus, Gordon Parks… I loved New York of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Today, I am really into some of the men and women that have been around but I did not know of them when I was learning. Like the black and white images of Saul Leiter, Fred Herzog, Meryl Meisler, Arlene Gottfried and also younger shooters; I love Daniel Arnold.

You shoot Leica primarily, right?I t’s probably the greatest street camera of all time, but why specifically is it your system of choice? 

Yes. The size, the weight, the incredible lenses, sharpness and speed—it’s second nature to me, but it is not automatic so it takes skill to use it well. I guess I don’t like doing easy things.

Where do you stand on the film vs. digital divide these days? 

I don’t think things replace other things. They just become something new. I will always shoot film as long as they continue to make it. The quality, for me, is undeniable. Digital is great for many reasons for many purposes. So you just choose your tools based on the task at hand. I use them both but for my street work, it is film. I know I have my negative, it is tangible and physical and I know where it lives. Digital files are a bit abstract and you spend a lot of time on the computer. I try to get off the computer whenever I can.

Are you working on anything new and exciting this year? 

I am making a documentary feature film about the New York artist Dash Snow and the art scene post 911 in NYC .

So, I’ve read that you got your real start in photography in Milan – you started shooting fashion there, right? Did the city or anyone there leave a lasting impact on your sensibility?

Absolutely. I had studied art history at university with a focus in Italian renaissance painting, at the time never thinking that I would live in Italy. So when I did and saw how art was just everywhere, that people lived amongst such revered works in their everyday lives, how you could walk into a church and see a 12th century fresco right there on the wall, it fascinated me. Also, the style and fashion and of course the food… It was a great thing to do. I was by myself most of the time, did not speak the language and just walked and walked the streets, reading, writing, shooting, looking at art. The isolation at that age was difficult but also really trained my eye to observe.

 

Have you been back lately? If you were a young photographer just starting out today, do you think Milan would be a place you might still gravitate towards? 

I had a show there about 3 years ago. I went to look at the pensione that I stayed at near the castello — still there.

At the time I was there, you could survive by doing test shots for models and it was very inexpensive compared to NY. I don’t know those variables now. But as an American being able to take trains all throughout Europe and cross into countries and cultures with so much history is amazing and very different than the USA. Italy is very beautiful and diverse and my ancestors came from there so it holds a very special place in my heart; it is very intriguing to me. It is my roots, so the short answer is yes: I would recommend Milan to anyone.

How would you describe your personal style? 

I would describe it as utilitarian, tomboy and feminine at the same time. I travel a lot so I also like dresses because they can fold up small. Love a great jacket or coat. I have been wearing this very chic utility belt from Wendy Nichol. I like to have my hands free so i can shoot my camera, so it is cool to carry things around your waist sometimes.

What is the essence of Italian style to you? 

Great quality and materials, impeccable design. A style that is naturally integrated with how you live and move. If you wear one special item, it can take an average look and make it chic and special.

Classical and cutting-edge for Autumn Winter 2017-18

At President’s we’re entering the new season on a continued quest to present garments that combines supreme quality fabrics with fine Tuscan know-how. The AW 17-18 collection proposes must-have contemporary garments with President’s unique twist.

 

 

Key pieces come in Loro Piana and Dugdale & Bros wools, garment-dyed 100% cashmeres, Japanese cottons and denims, Egyptian Giza shirt cottons and super soft checked flannels, many of them reinterpreted on a military note with technical details. The colours ranges from light and creamy whites and blues to deep burgundy and navy, broken off with military greens, autumnal browns and a few dots of red.

 

Always with a view to offering an improved product that is at once classical and cutting-edge, President’s has this season worked in liaison with the Made in Italy company Thindown. Both the Kadavu and Lexter jackets are made with this 100% certified down padding that thanks to it coming in the form of a fabric has a high concentration of down while keeping the volume down, allowing us to create garments that are warmer but at once also less bulky.

President’s constant eye towards the fields of art, photography and travel is reflected in the set surroundings of the AW 17-18 collection, placed at the famous landscape artwork “Cretto di Burri” (also known as “The Great Cretto”) undertaken by Alberto Burri in the old city of Gibellina, Italy.

See the full Autumn Winter 2017-18 collection here. 

Tactile delights for SS17

The Spring Summer 2017 collection continues on the path of creating a durable and expertly-crafted wardrobe for the contemporary man, bringing streetwear and Italian sartorial tradition together. 

The collection draws on the adventure and romance of travel in the pre-Jet Age. The color palate of military greens, tans, blues, and rich reds evoke exotic exploration, from the great outdoors to the sumptuous interiors of classic hotels. As ever, President’s cuts no corners when it comes to materials – among the season’s tactile delights are top-shelf denims and chambrays from Japan, luxurious Tuscan leather, and premiere cottons and wools from Loro Piana and Sabotini, respectively.

All-new pieces include fresh swimwear and a versatile Travel Pant in super light poplin, while the outerwear is marked by key pieces such as a novel Field Jacket with a hand-painted camouflage poplin exterior, a must-have biker jacket,  a Nappa suede bomber and over all light fabrics and interesting colour combinations. 

Signature pieces, such as the classic pocket-T are seen in new cuts, fabrics, and colorways while evergreen classics such as P’s crewneck sweater in Japanese fabrics return to make you crave it again.

See the full Spring Summer 2017 collection here.

Mismo for President’s

Every season, we join forces with fellow brands with a common vision to make something new and special. This season, we collaborated with MISMO, the Danish luxury accessories house for an exclusive capsule collection. MISMO for PRESIDENT’s celebrates Nordic functionality and fuses it with contemporary Italian elegance. Two qualities we are proud to share with MISMO are a sharp eye for detail and a long-running and uncompromising search for superlative materials. We combined these strengths to make for limited-edition accessories that express the essence of both brands.

The MISMO for PRESIDENT’s collection elegantly captures the unique identities of both brands. Together, they forge a strong bond between product and wearer. Each sophisticated design is created to accommodate the agile explorer: a sturdy backpack, a sleek tote, a functional pouch and an expressive card holder. Each piece is constructed by Mismo to be hard-wearing and durable, just like every PRESIDENT’s garment.

Exteriors feature MISMO’s classic cotton-nylon canvas, developed exclusively with the Limonta atelier, which is paired with locally sourced, vegetable tanned Tuscan leathers from PRESIDENT’S. MISMO is known for its solid brass finishes, and in the new pieces allude to versatile interiors, with flexible pockets and compartments lined with  PRESIDENT’S iconic crisply striped cotton.

The collection is rich in both tactility and composure, and each piece celebrates traditional craftsmanship through the lens of sartorial modernity.

Shop the collection at MISMO.

In the Details

They say the clothes make the man, but it is the details that make the clothes. If the generations of Italian saper-fare that goes into each and every President’s garment has taught us one thing, it is that quality and excellence come from doing the small, subtle things very the best way possible.

We always start with the finest fabrics: Egyptian cottons, quality cashmeres, and selections from esteemed Italian textile houses Larusmiani and Loro Piana. Each is chosen according to its performance, its feel, its drape, and the way it wears over time. And because no fine fabric performs on its own, the way in which we put them together is equally important. We break a few tried-and-true rules of apparel design when it means making a better garment. For example, unlike any industrial apparel brand, and unlike even the vast majority of luxury brands, we make use of the strongest, most durable stitching methods, even if that means more time and cost.

Denim
All of our denim is fine Japanese selvedge, and sewn together with antique machines with double and triple stitches for natural wear and the maximum longevity. Our tags are made of Santa Croce leather.

Linings
The inner layer of your clothes are rarely seen by others, so it is quite common to pass them over or pay little attention to them in order to cut costs. But we know that linings are critical: you are in intimate contact with them and feel them every minute you wear the garment. For that reason, President’s takes special pride in its linings, from the reclaimed Indian wallpaper print in the Kadavu Jacket to the wind-resistant parachute lining in the Freddy Jacket.

Elevated Basics
Even the most casual garments deserve some love. From our classic T’s to our minimal Crewnecks in Japanese cotton or fine cashmere, we find that basics made well out of the best materials last longer, wear better, and they’ll become beloved staples in your wardrobe.

Hardware
Whether it’s the brass zips on a bag, the real bone buttons on the Giza shirt, or the reinforced button enclosures on the indigo selvedge Blazer, we pay special attention to the parts of the garment that go through the most stress. Solid hardware makes your garment look brand new for longer.

 

See the SS16 Lookbook. 

 

President’s in Port Magazine

One of our very favorite titles on the newsstand, London style and culture magazine Port Magazine, got a little presidential in their SS16 release. This 18th issue marks their 5th anniversary–we’re always impressed at how well this independent magazine has established itself as a strong point of reference in such a short time–and features dual covers with Pritzker Prize-winner Tadao Ando and influential novelist Will Self.

President’s makes a few strong showings this time out, first up in a story on British actor Edward Holcroft, seen below decked out in P’s SS16 Legend horse hide bomber and Made in Japan crew sweatshirt. The piece is also accompanied by the debut video for the new Ways of Seeing column, in which Holcroft speaks about his craft and shows the Legend off nicely.

There’s also an ace writeup (above right) on our long-running Private Collection, through which we work with one artist-in-residence photographer each season to embody the campaign through photography.

Earlier this season, Port also interviewed our SS16 artist-in-residence, Alessandro Simonetti, shot in his New York City home studio by South African photographer Kent Andreasen.

The new issue of Port is currently on newsstands around the world, and be sure to check out the video here.

Big congratulations to Port on the 5th anniversary!

Inventory Magazine interviews Guido Biondi

We were saddened to learn recently that one of our favorite menswear titles, Inventory Magazine, has printed its last issue. Nevertheless, one of the very last online features the magazine published is an excellent longform interview with President’s creative director, Guido Biondi.

As a bit of a silver lining, we hear from a good source that Ryan Willms, Inventory‘s creative director and editor – who interviewed and photographed Guido for the piece – is working on a brand new editorial project.

Guido on President’s and surf culture:

“Surfing is one of my biggest passions. I’m not a good surfer, but I really like the atmosphere of the West Coast and Los Angeles. When I design collections for the summer, I take a lot of inspiration from the West Coast. It influences the fabrics I choose – nice feeling jersey or cotton – and also the different print applications. For the T-shirts that we make, we get the feeling and style from California, but try to be more sophisticated. I like to use like Japanese application T-shirts and maybe Bermuda shorts with the best cotton and linen from Japan or Italy. My idea is to use street wear and often basic inspirations, but elevate them in a unique way through my own perspective and the best construction possible.”

On textiles and construction:

“What I want to do with President’s is to create a sort of melting pot of fabric and selection, to create difference, but find a natural balance it in. Between Loro Piana yarns, Japanese ripstop and the best Italian poplin, alongside Egyptian cotton and rough denim, striking the right balance between all of these textures and shapes is important to me, and hopefully the customer can see that too.” – Guido Biondi

Read the interview here.

Farewell, Inventory. You were the coolest.

Spring Summer 2016

President’s Spring Summer 2016 collection is inspired by pre-war adventure and exploration. This season marks the introduction of a distinctive Indian print, inspired by wallpapers from The Roaring 20s, and a color palette of blue, military fatigue green, red brick, and shades of sand. As always, exceptional textiles are front and center, and among the tactile pleasures of the season are various high-quality Japanese textiles, organic Egyptian cottons, and Italian fabrics from Larusmiani.
This season’s offering includes semi-sartorial jackets in a Japanese selvedge texture, field jackets in Larusmiani cotton, hand-painted bush jackets in gabardine, sleek knitwear in cashmere and silk, refined T-shirts with graphic appliqués – heat-sealed together to create a specific pattern – and checked shirts in Japanese fabrics with bone buttons.