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.
