File: Liverano & Liverano, Italian tailor for men

If you are interested in the world of clothing, and in particular that of costumes, you have probably already heard of Antonio Liverano.

Its media coverage on the Internet is closely linked to that of the excellent The Armoury team in Hong Kong.

These three entrepreneurs have highlighted, through magnificent photos in particular

Antonio is self-taught. Of course, his brother and sister-in-law taught him a lot, but he didn't have a real master. He never stopped looking at the world around him. Especially when he worked above the Sabatini restaurant , where he saw American celebrities pass by: Gary Cooper, Gregory Peck... He developed a critical eye, especially thanks to the outfits of these Hollywood actors in their films.

This has greatly contributed to his progress. His eye has become sharper. He specifies that, even today, when he sees a well-dressed man, he does not hesitate to stop and observe, always with the idea that he can improve himself and draw inspiration for his own work.

Antonio would be a bit like Bruce Lee, who took the best from each martial art to create his own style: Jet Kundo. There you have it, Antonio Liverano is the Bruce Lee of tailors. Nothing less.

And to top it all off, he has the best-cut pants in the world. Well, in my opinion. Why? Probably because I'm one of those people who prefers it when pants don't "break" on shoes and are worn high enough . The 1930s style, but more modern.

Otherwise, just look at his photos on Google: I almost never catch him out. The way his pants fall is simply miraculous.

And what about their 15-year-old Aldens? 15 years old! Apart from the pleats, they are like new. I also read that the brand also works for disabled people. So we can imagine that they know how to make comfortable shoes.

Antonio Liverano's right-hand man: Takahiro Osaki, aka Taka

Takahiro has lived in Florence for 10 years, having arrived as a student at a language school where he learned Italian.

That's how he met Antonio. He was accompanying a friend who wanted a bespoke suit, Taka was doing the translation. After a few more exchanges, Antonio offered him to come and work for him.

He proposed to her in a rather direct way:

“You have beautiful eyes, why don’t you come work for me?”

True! Ah, those Italians…

After a week at their house seeing how they operated, Taka decided to accept.

So he started from scratch. He knew nothing about the art of tailoring, Antonio gave him a chance... and rightly so! Taka thus develops the crucial idea that being a gentleman is not just about wearing elegant clothes, it is much broader and more vast than that. Know-how and good manners must also reflect a style, a certain beauty.

To develop your sensitivity, you can for example go to museums to see how colors match. Or in nature. Each season has its particular colors, which should inspire you to dress.

Small digression: the importance of color

I recommend you go to Florence, you will understand why it is there that they make some of the best suits in the world. I naturally passed by their shop on Via dei Fossi but it was unfortunately closed due to inventory.

For those living in Paris, the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay await you.

For those who cannot or do not want to go to museums, but are still interested in the history of color, its interactions and perceptions, there are a few books on the subject. I recommend you start with those of Pastoureau.

You will learn things that are not very well explained:

"In a car, the most important thing for me is the body colour. I am not the only one to give it priority: various opinion surveys conducted over the last five decades have shown that colour is not only an important selection criterion when buying a vehicle, but sometimes even the most important criterion after price: more than the brand, more than the model, more than performance or any other quality, what counts for some buyers, more than you might think, is colour."

Color is one of the strong aspects of the film . It is not for nothing that the title of the documentary is "The Colors of Antonio" . The Liverano & Liverano team helps the client choose the colors that suit them (according to their complexion, hair color, general style, etc.), and to associate them in order to create contrasts that are pleasing to the eye.

You'll notice that Taka and Antonio tend to use brightly colored scarves to brighten up their winter outfits.

Qemal Selimi, the last generation

Qemal is part of the new generation of the Liverano & Liverano team. When he started out, he didn't hesitate to travel several hundred kilometers daily to work with Antonio.

The second boy of the new Liverano & Liverano generation is Korean. He went to a fashion school in Milan, but Antonio doesn't trust these establishments. For him, they don't teach anything about the art of tailoring!

This is in line with Patrick Johnson's view. who, in an interview, explains that at the beginning of his studies He thought that "Helmut Lang was the best thing in the world." But that was before he met a London tailor.

This is probably one of the reasons that will push Antonio to create a tailoring school in the years to come. A bit in the spirit of the school of custom shoemaking of the highly respected Stefano Bremer, who unfortunately left us too soon. But these projects take time. Patience, patience…

A lover of sartorial art, director Gianlucca Migliarotti

The director is Gianlucca Migliarotti. He also directed È poi c’è .

To understand his vision of the world and therefore of men's clothing, you can read this excellent interview given as part of the presentation of O'mast in 2011.

An interview full of truth. I feel a bit obliged to comment on it in a few lines. You will find the explanation on the difference between bespoke and made-to-measure.

And to make it short, it is similar to that of Hugo Jacomet : the bespoke suit is made from a blank sheet of paper. The half-measure suit is based on existing patterns that are readjusted to your measurements.

Bespoke tailoring is a real ARTisan work. Gianlucca thinks it is imperfect by definition: it is made from scratch and entirely by hand.

Gianlucca is also a very keen observer. For example, on the difference between the clothing culture in Milan and Naples. Between those who dress in Prada and those who go to a traditional tailor; those who wear black (very common in Milan) and those who prefer more color (in Naples).

“If you have to go to a business meeting, it's considered much more elegant to wear a navy suit and dark brown shoes. »

“If you have to go to a business meeting, it will be considered more elegant to wear a blue suit with dark brown shoes.”

But the lines are moving and, with the help of blogging, I think we're going to get there in France too. In ten years, black will no longer be reserved for very formal evenings.

McDonald's also takes a hit, even if Neapolitan culture resists globalism rather well. Indeed, it's hard to imagine a boy dressed from top to bottom in Liverano & Liverano and who's going to eat at the local McDonald's. Impossible. But at the local trattoria , yes.

Sartorial culture could not have developed on any other terrain, that of beauty and patience. And once this sensitivity to beauty is developed, it applies everywhere and all the time.

This vision of life and clothing is shared by the Liverano clan. The same profession, the same practice, often leads to a similar conception of the world.

The style of Liverano & Liverano suits

What makes Liverano different from other tailors?

As Antonio says, the jacket must exude the passion transmitted by the tailor. And this is achieved through a set of details that make a Liverano suit unlike any other.

Liverano & Liverano Costume Features

• The shoulder is slightly overflowing to give more build. Visually, it is close to the Roman shoulder. Classic and "clean" therefore. No superfluous decorations, nor Spalla Camicia in sight;

• There is very little padding (shoulder padding). This is still a fairly rare feature in France, but here too, with blogging, the trend should reverse in the coming years. Yes, yes, you will see;

• The rather generous setbacks ;

• A rather low chest pocket to highlight the collar and the lapel;

• Three-button jackets in general, but worn like two-button jackets by "rolling" the lower part of the lapels. This is called a "fake three-button" jacket.

A Liverano costume remains lighter in its construction than a Roman costume, but nevertheless more structured than a Neapolitan costume.

Of course, to achieve a certain harmony, each detail is studied as part of a whole: it is a clever mix of proportions between the shoulders, the lapels or even the collar. For example, the wide lapels counterbalance the overflowing shoulders, yes indeed!

Liverano materials, each one more beautiful than the last

The materials come from Zegna, Draper's or even from the French Dormeuil. You will notice that the fabrics used are more colorful, lighter in fact, than those found in the North of Italy where dark gray is the majority.

Beyond the technical details, what are the characteristics of the Florentine House?

You have to know that Antonio always has the last word. He lets the client express himself and suggest what he likes. Antonio pretends to agree but, in the end, he is always the one who will choose. Always. Of course, Antonio is clever: he does not impose his vision of things, he manages to convince the client gently.

And as mentioned above, you cannot choose your fabric in open bar mode. This choice will rather be made according to your own characteristics. and your desires, a tweed suit for example.

They will then offer you three or four fabrics that suit you.

The delicate question of price

It remains very expensive for most ordinary mortals, but within the average price range found in most cases. Also note that the word "expensive" is relative, especially when you consider that building a jacket by hand can take over 80 hours. But that's another debate.

Also note that the shirts are not made on site but in a workshop in Naples.

Creating beauty, the profession of a men's tailor

Antonio tells an anecdote about a client who, already having several tailors, wanted to hire his services because he found his work more classic (as opposed to that of others, which was more modern).

Antonio answers that there are no modern or classic costumes: they create beauty and everyone loves beauty.

Noi facciamo il bello (…) il bello piace a tutti

"Ugliness sells poorly," said Raymond Loewy. But we still need to know what beauty is and how we define it.

What is beauty?

I don't want to engage in barroom philosophy, but beauty can be understood, in the classical sense of Greek philosophy, as a harmony of proportions. It is a quasi-scientific judgment.

If I ask you "what is a beautiful garment?", I already know what you will answer: the material, the cut, the details. In short, there are rules to follow. I tend to agree, but I don't know if the answer is that simple.

We can consider that it is a bit reductive and like the transgression of these principles, as with the dark style, which also has its own rules. Antonio also specifies that "everyone likes beauty". Including those who are not aware of the rules a priori .

He thus takes up part of the apparent contradiction formulated by Kant (antinomy of taste) - yes, yes, you are indeed on a fashion media - namely that there exists a common sense of beauty.

Beauty is universal: almost everyone finds Beethoven's ninth symphony beautiful, or more simply a sunset. No need to explain it or make a mathematical demonstration... But at the same time, beauty passes through the filter of our own subjectivity .

This allows us to put an end to the "to each his own taste"; "tastes and colors are not debatable"; "the idea of ​​beauty is only subjective". By coming to distinguish the beautiful from the ugly, men will always choose the beautiful.

To conclude this anecdote about modern and classic suits, it is important to know that the cuts of Liverano suits have been updated . They are narrower to keep up with the times. So yes, their suits are beautiful, but they are not timeless.

It makes sense, who would want to wear the suits of 50 years ago? Body shapes have changed and so has the idea of ​​a suit.

I Colori di Antonio, the film in summary

The film/documentary is very beautiful and allows us to go further in the general reflection around clothing.

As In O'mast , you will learn little about the art of making a costume. It is more of a film about Antonio's life.

It is aimed at enthusiasts AND others too.

• Languages: original version in Italian and subtitled in several languages: English / Japanese / Italian / Chinese

• Director: Gianlucca MIGLARIOTTI

• Soundtrack: Jazz, jazz and jazz

As a bonus to the DVD, you will receive a booklet with some photos, as well as remarks from the director and producers.

You can get the DVD from The Armoury or Drake's . I bought it from the former, based in Hong Kong, and had no problems receiving the order. There was no tracking, however.

If you have any problems, it's a bit on your own... So I recommend you buy it from Drake's website, located in England. And if you're passing through London, it's even better.

Also available on iTunes.

Good movie!