Paolo Midolo: the Pride of Orani

Surrounded by hills in a lush green valley of central Sardinia, the inhabitants of Orani cannot boast a large population, which number about 3,100 inhabitants, but they can celebrate a long history of artisans, craftsmen, painters, and designers.

One notable “master of apparel”—mastru 'e pannos—is Paolo Midolo, who not only inherited but also revived the tradition of the 3-piece pastoral suit.

For years, while jeans in the sixties and seventies overcame traditional styles, Paolo worked in the talc mines of Orani; but his boutique was never closed.

Then, something happened in the 1980’s: the new generation of youth started to yearn for the classic fabrics of their grandparents.

The corduroy and coarse woolen material called orbace (pronounced “orbache” in English), which constituted the traditional garb, began once again undergirding the pastoral ethnicity of inland Sardinia.

Paolo swiflty fused contemporary styles with the traditional tailoring of his sartoria into an new “ethno-chic” look.

Photos Copyright Paolo Midolo.

Antonio Marras—the Designer from Alghero

My prime reason in going to Alghero was to visit the showroom of the internationally renowned Sardinian designer, Antonio Marras. Antonio’s showroom is located in the center of historical Alghero.

Born 1961 in Alghero, Antonio grew up in his father’s clothing store where he conceived a passion for fabrics and materials. His first ready-to-wear collection entailed a line of white t-shirts that he produced in 1998; whereas he completed his first menswear collection in 2002.

Far from the fashion meccas of Europe, Antonio remains attached to his roots.

Working in the scenic workshop of his own home, which overlooks the Mediterranean sea, Antonio mixes traditional Sardinian dress with additional styles like Russian constructivism, film noir of the 30’s and 40’s, and illustrators of the early 1900’s.

Antonio’s collections narrate local and global tales of tradition and innovation, nostalgic memories, and exciting things to come, as they are manufactured by the hands of local Sardinian artisans.

Identifying with his roots, Antonio reaches beyond the creative confines of his island, intertwining opposite expressions of vintage and modernity as he experiments with art, music, and literature.



Photo top left & slideshow Copyright Antonio Marras.
Photo bottom right Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.

Mario Cau & the Lost Art of the “Sartoria”

“Sartoria” is the Italian word for atelier in French and can translate as a designer studio, a tailor or seamstress shop, and/or an artist’s workroom.

Traditionally, a sartoria was where men and women went to purchase made-to-measure attire; hence, the English word ‘sartorial’.

My grandmother was a sarta (‘seamstress’), specializing in the lost art of making lace with a tombolo, which consisted of a cushion with a formation of nails that were attached to wooden bobbins with strings. She held about 50 bobbins in her hands and dexterously wove them in and out of her fingers to weave the lace.

In Cagliari, there still exist several sartorie or ateliers, including Mario Cau, who opened his doors to local men and women in 1962. His son, Maurizio, has managed the productions of shirts since 1986.

Mario Cau stands for elegance as he designs for professional men who want to dress diversely in classic sophistication, whether at work or play.

Keeping up with the times, Mario Cau has automated his “made to measure” by providing faraway clients the opportunity to insert their measurements online and receive the same traditional sartorial treatment that the locals have enjoyed for decades.

Photo Copyright Mario Cau.