The “quinternetto delle taglie” (literally a “small, five-page list of sizes”) dates to 1663, and amounts to a particularly significant historical document for the Barberis Canonico family. It describes Ajmo Barbero’s sale of a “saia grisa” to the Duke of Savoia, and is essentially the first official document testifying to the company’s wool mill activities. But that’s not all: the document also describes a mastery of the dyeing process (something not everyone possessed) that was jealously guarded and passed down from father to son.

The partnership between Oreste and Vitale, on which production was founded, came to an end during a difficult historical period: a global economic crisis had shaken the markets, and in Italy (and elsewhere) Fascism was hindering entrepreneurial liberty for wool merchants. Despite these difficulties – and even as World War Two siphoned away workers, reduced electricity and made it difficult to find replacement parts for the machines and wool dyes – in 1936 Vitale Barberis Canonico® was born.

CLASSICS RANGE

Classic style is essentially a way of life, based on a sound balance of material, aesthetic and moral qualities. The classic man loves beautiful, long-lasting things; he loves garments and fabrics that enhance the figure; but without confidence in oneself and one’s values, all this looses meaning. Having fixed points of reference does not mean being static, just as following the motionless stars did not prevent sailors from choosing different routes and discovering new continents. Classic style evolves constantly, to the point that, on examining the details and design of clothing, it is possible to establish the decade and even the exact year of production of a film of the past. Fashions may change, but the deeper contents remain the same. Perhaps due to its long history, or possibly to an instinctive approach, Vitale Barberis Canonico® has always shown a special and universally recognized ability to grasp the male archetypes and translate them into textiles. While relying on ancient skills that truly make the difference, every season, if not every day, the company reinvents its classic fabrics and adjusts them in terms of weight, light, fibre, feel, colour and design. It searches the world for signs of new trends, and encompasses them in its fabrics.

VINTAGE RANGE

While the Classic Range injects tradition with modernity, the Vintage Range works in the opposite direction. The fabrics are fully contemporary in terms of hand and colour, but their freshness and strength lies in their being inspired by models that have left a lasting mark on the imagination. This would not be possible without companies such as Vitale Barberis Canonico, with a long-standing history in the business and the technical ability to understand the fundamental characteristics of past fabrics and reproduce the effect in modern ones.

EARTH, WIND & FIRE RANGE

Earth, Wind and Fire is marked by functional textiles, in which top-rate raw materials coexist harmoniously with qualities such as comfort, performance and technological innovation. The woollen mill has chosen materials and processes with low environmental impact. This exclusive line combines classic fabrics such as flannels, fine worsteds and wool and mohairs with high-performing technical materials, without ever forsaking the former’s natural features.

Split into different families, Earth, Wind & Fire has been designed for outdoor garments flaunting an unmistakable style and elegance, regardless of the weather.