Nativo

Filippo (1913-1987). Italian men’s tailor. He was very well known for his ability to calculate measurements by eye. A mayor of New York wanted a copy made of a double-breasted jacket that was a perfect fit and hung beautifully. For Nativo Filippo, it was enough to see him once in the middle of a crowd. A Sicilian, carrying on a family tradition (his father had a small workshop at Santa Croce in Camerina, near Ragusa), between the two wars he lived in Tunisia working in the building trade. In 1945 he returned to Italy, this time to the north, and went to work in the tailoring atelier of Ristori in Florence. He set up on his own, experimenting with new materials. He attracted clients like Bista Giorgini, who launched the runway shows at Palazzo Pitti, and was one of the most important figures in the new Italian fashion industry. It was for Nativo Filippo that a very young Enrico Coveri appeared on the runway wearing an outfit that could be changed with a system of zips. After his death, his son took over the atelier.

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