A long time ago, before fashion weeks became the norm, there was one not-to-miss appointment in Italy that usually fell in February, where it was possible to spot the latest trends, Carnival.
Many decades ago, before even Carnival costumes started being cheaply mass produced and the market became full of cartoon character costumes and other rather banal masks, people would indeed make their own costumes at home, often following the current fashion trends. Those ones who could afford it, would go to a skilled tailor or hire their costumes from tailoring houses working for the theatre, the opera or the ballet.
Tomorrow is Carnival in Italy and, though we are in the middle of London Fashion Week, I want to dedicate a brief post to a special Carnival, that of 1927. People usually think about Venice as soon as they hear the word Carnival, but today I want to take you back to other Italian towns with the help of an issue of an old Italian magazine from April 1927, La Donna, that featured plenty of images from various parties organised in Rome and Naples.
The most popular event that year was a charity ball in Rome for the Red Cross where, according to the journalist reporting about it, the invited ladies wore the most beautiful costumes of the season: Baroness Elena Campagna and Jolanda Saint Just came dressed like Spanish dancers, the former opting for a dress in a peculiar shade of green; Countess Pavoncelli was dressed like Columbine, Prince Ottoboni like Pierrot, Marchioness Paola Medici and Princess Ruffo like characters from the Commedia dell’Arte.
Madame de Azeredo, wife of the Ambassador of Brazil in Rome, gave a party in honour of a vital accessory, the fan. The ladies invited arrived dressed in costumes from different eras, accessorised with fans in the most disparate materials, from ivory to tortoiseshell, decorated with feathers, gems and mirrors.
The journalist writing about a party at the Teatro Adriano wrote about being mesmerised by a mysterious and sensual woman dressed like a snake. As the woman - clad in black veils covered in golden scales - moved the metallic plates that decorated her dress clashed together producing enticing noises. Maybe the costume was a tribute to Poiret who had presented that Spring in Paris a dress called “Cobra” that featured a scale-like trail.
In those years Italian tailors took their inspirations from Poiret's creations for Carnival costumes rather than for proper womenswear designs. Baroness Cappelleri organised for example a party in her villa in via Donizetti where many of the people invited dressed up like historical characters, such as Napoleon or Marie Antoinette, but there were also ladies who opted for costumes inspired by the Oriental trend launched by the French couturier. Beatrice Gregoraci Pollio was one of them and she was photographed in a magnificent outfit covered in jewels, looking like a crossover between a lady at Poiret's "The Thousand and Second Night" party and a dancer from Diaghilev's production for “Schéhérazade”.
The Poiret/Ballets Russes trend was strong also in Naples: at a local party Ada Palombo arrived dressed like an odalisque with long strings of pearls that, coming out of her headdress, framed her face; Anna Maria Di Giorgio impersonated an Ukrainian bride; Laura Marigliano del Monte turned into a glamorous Tsarina.
These first examples of Carnival costumes were particularly striking as they featured pearls, feathers, beads, precious jewels and luxurious fabrics, and some of them were so fashionable that they could have been worn again also at other balls and events that took place during the rest of the year.
Nowadays Carnival is still celebrated all over Italy with various parties. The best events are organised in Venice where the Carnival tradition has always been very strong.
If you happen to be in Venice and want to join the celebrations but don’t have a costume yet, you can try and buy or hire one from Nicolao Atelier (already mentioned in a previous post). If you can't afford a whole costume, the atelier also offers the chance to buy small accessories such as Venetian hats, shoes and shirts (available also from its e-store) and if you're looking for an investment piece that - like those first Carnival high-quality costumes mentioned in this post - could be worn also during the rest of the year, go for the Venetian XIX century men's shirt. Paired with the proper trousers and jacket, the shirt has indeed the potential of becoming a faithful wardrobe staple.
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