‘I believe that I wear a pinstripe suit maybe three days throughout the year today, while back then, that was the usual look for people working in the banking industry or in law firms.’ Stefano Canali, CEO of the Italian fashion firm co-founded by his grandfather is talking about the shift in his personal dressing habits since he was employed on Wall Street in the ’90s. Later, he would join the family firm, in 1998, to work his way up to the top job in 2017. But some 30 years ago, he was a young suit-wearing professional.

‘It was a uniform,’ he explains of the business suit, shirt and tie, and Canali was known for precisely that sort of style. The Italian label was launched by textile specialist Giovanni Canali and his tailor brother Giacomo in 1934 and made its reputation manufacturing traditional sartorial Italian suits and coats. The look was of course the foundation of what many men wore daily throughout the past century.

‘If you look at what Michael Douglas wears in the film Wall Street you can certainly perceive the difference between that and today’s suits,’ says Canali. Today, his firm has relaxed even its most formal creations, thinning out the shoulder pads and working with lighter weight fabrics. 

This development, explains Canali, reflects the changing dressing habits of men. Its response to this shift has been to not only soften its core offer, but also to launch more casual styles. The latest initiative, the Nuvola collection, sees this taken to its logical conclusion. 

‘Nuvola is something very lightweight,’ explains Canali. ‘At the same time, it’s very well crafted. It’s made of high-quality materials, whether we’re talking about lightweight suede or light woollen fabric. But it’s really more about the construction than the fabrics. Creating items that are so light but maintain the perfect fit and silhouette is extremely difficult and requires highly skilled artisans.’

But it’s not just about physical comfort, he says. ‘If you put on something that is deconstructed or unconstructed… you do feel much more comfortable, but also to some extent it is a statement. It’s a way of being. It’s maybe even an expression of a state of mind… as in “today I want to feel light”.’

Canali says the entire initiative was created to make things simple for the wearer. ‘You can dress with Nuvola pieces quite easily,’ explains Canali. ‘There’s a mix and match opportunity that is embedded in this collection.’ An example of this is how the Nuvola sneakers in ultra-light suede work with the entire offer.

‘You know, it’s like with the suits for me,’ says Canali. ‘These days I wear formal shoes maybe a few times a year. Today, its either trainers or sporty shoes. The Nuvola sneakers are very lightweight, very comfortable. When you look at them in the lightweight suede, even without touching them… you know mentally that the trainer is going to be the right thing because of the lightness you can perceive.’

gb.canali.com