Altagamma narrates Made in Italy in New York

Almost 80 years have passed since that April 1947 when the House of Italian Handicrafts was inaugurated at 217 East 49th Street in New York, a centre for the display of Italian handicrafts, designed by Gustavo Pulitzer with decorations by Costantino Nivola, where those products that encompassed territory, techniques and history in the 'Made in Italy' formula were exhibited to make them known to the United States. In the following years, between 1950 and 1953, the travelling exhibition 'Italy at Work: Her Renaissance in Design Today' took them to 12 US museums, in a sort of showcase that codified and laid the foundations for the future of Italian manufacturing excellence.

The project "Icons of Italy", with which Fondazione Altagamma brings 56 of its 124 members to a widespread exhibition in the heart of New York, is inspired by that pioneering and highly successful, but in some ways still unexplored and rarely remembered, experiment. From 9 to 11 April, in the days leading up to the Made in Italy Day on the 15th of the same month, from Midtown to the West Village, passing through the Upper East Side, SoHo and the Financial District, in 43 boutiques it will be possible to take part in various initiatives, which can be consulted on the website iconsofitaly.altagamma.it. These range from visits to master craftsmen at work and workshops on textile and jewellery making, to talks with designers, wine tastings and show-cooking, and exhibitions of historical artefacts from the brands' archives. At Dolce&Gabbana, for example, personalised experiences dedicated to fragrances and make-up will be offered; Kiton will organise a "Tailoring Show", Santoni's master craftsmen will demonstrate the peculiar "veiling" technique that characterises the footwear of the Marche-based company. An exhibition of haute couture creations will be set up in the Valentino boutique, and interesting intersections will be created with Illy coffee pop-ups in the Dainese and Canali shops, and with Calvisius caviar tastings in the Poltrona Frau flagship shop.

"Icons of Italy celebrates the cultural dialogue between Italia and the United States that has enriched both countries for generations," commented Matteo Lunelli, President of Altagamma. "With this initiative we want to highlight the cultural richness and diversity of our creative industries, offering visitors an authentic journey into the culture, traditions and territories that shape Italian excellence.

A journey that for some will not be only virtual: visitors to Icons of Italy, in fact, have a competition reserved for them, in which they can participate by sharing a photograph or video of their experience. Up for grabs are 18 two-night stays in 18 luxury Italian hotels, members of Altagamma. Because in these 80 years, Made in Italy has also taken, and is increasingly developing, the form of experiences.