Florence, Italy–Among the exhibitors at Pitti Uomo, we found some unexpected surprises in the worlds of sports and racing, at the trade show that ran here between Jun 16 and 19.
COCKPIT USA
Cockpit USA‘s founder Jeff Clyman is a military historian and pilot, who has a passion for WWII aircrafts. The son of a Army Air Corps aviator, Clyman decided to start his own brand when people started asking him where they could find his vintage aviator jackets. Since then he has seen his aviator and navy jackets worn by two US Presidents, Beyonce, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis… just to name a few.
Based in New York City, Cockpit USA has contracts with the U.S. government for special pilot, navy and USA submarine jackets. Cockpit USA also churns out ready-to-wear collections crafted with tech and waterproof materials for inclement weather.
“I like to say all our products are pilot approved,” Clyman said in Florence.
Clyman, who runs the company with his wife Jacky, also has a museum in Long Island, where he keeps his most precious items.
FH GULF ITALIA
FH Gulf Italia’s owner Massimo Lonigro is an avid motorcyclist. After working in fashion for decades, he decided to make a career out of his passion. Just steps away from Milan’s Duomo, Lonigro has a shop that sells hand made, hand painted helmets that can be personalized by request.
FRESCOBOL CARIOCA
They aren’t rackets, they are beach bats, and that is what you do if you are lucky enough to play on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Handcrafted in a Brazilian workshop, Frescobol Carioca’s beach bats are made by artisans with Brazilian wood. Each bat is individual in terms of the type of wood used – they guarantee that no bat is the same. After they are sanded down they are finished with the same resin used on surfboards and fastened with a colorful neoprene grip.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: BACO STYLE: Erica Pelosini and Louis Leeman, White Milan: Where Trends Don’t Apply , Unexpected Finds at Pitti, BACO STYLE: Mickael Francois Loir of Le Loir en Papillon, Decoding Pitti Style, Men’s Collections Explore New Horizons
