Made in Italy: A Shopper's Guide to the Best of Italian Tradition

A sincere tribute to the world renowned phenomenon of Made in Italy on the occasion of two memorable dates: the fiftieth anniversary of the first Italian fashion show (Florence, 1951) and the fortieth anniversary of the International Furniture Show (Milan, 1961).

The book, devoted to fifty years of Italian fashion and design, examines the complex mosaic of Made in Italy divided into different aspects and themes:Belvedere: an overview of the cultural and emotional relationship that exists between certain great foreign artists (including Luciano Fabro, Nam June Paik, Anish Kapoor, Joseph Kosuth, Panamarenko, Julian Schnabel) and Italy.

Memory: a spectacular and historic interpretation of forty years of Italian life divided into four decades. Protagonists of the design and fashion worlds have been chosen for each decade: from Gio Ponti and Roberto Capucci (1951- 1961) to Ettore Sottsass and Gianni Versace (1981-1991).

Brokenhaus : an original mass of clothes and objects of fashion and design of the last 50 years, including Brionvega TV, Olivetti typewriters and Bialetti coffee-makers.

Taste : another major "Italian- made" reality, gastronomy, is unconventionally interpreted by the designer Gaetano Pesce and by Andrea Pezzi, icon of teen- age pop culture.

Allegory : a metaphor of the triumph of "Italian- made" goods to represent the decade 1991-2001, dedicated to all the leading figures in Italian design and fashion today, from Philippe Starck and Vico Magistretti to Gaetano Pesce, from Armani and Gucci to Dolce e Gabbana.

Laura Morelli is the author of six illustrated hardcover travel and architecture books. She earned a Ph.D. in art history from Yale University and has a decade of experience living in Europe. Most recently, she spent three years living in a small village outside of Milan.