Spaccanapoli's Artisans

Kiton's master, Ciro, works at Kiton while also helping out at Sartoria Cuomo, which is run by his son.

Kiton is closed on weekends, so I decided to work at this store on my days off.

Sartoria Cuomo is located in Spaccanapoli .

Spaccanapoli is a street that separates the old town of Naples from the new town. It is a shopping street lined with various shops and is a popular tourist destination, but if you go too deep into the area, it can be a bit unsafe.

Apparently there are actually many skilled craftsmen in this area, but they are difficult to find because they run their tailor shops quietly and without signs...

One of the talented hidden craftsmen at Spaccanapoli is Ciro's son, Vincenzo.

However, his brilliant tailoring skills cannot be hidden, and he is a popular tailor who holds trunk shows in London and makes suits for famous fashionistas.

Sartoria Cuomo

The shop is quietly located inside a historic building called "Palazzo Serra di Cassano," which was once an aristocratic palace.

Sartoria Cuomo is located in one of the rooms in this building. The inside of the store is designed like a cave and is very stylish.

At Kiton, I learned luxurious Neapolitan tailoring techniques, and what I learned here at Sartoria Cuomo was what it means to be a Neapolitan tailor.

What is "Neapolitan Salto"?

When making a jacket or pants, Vincenzo does not use a pattern, but draws the pattern directly on the fabric. He has a pattern in his mind and reproduces it by hand.

Neapolitan tailoring is an art .

If you look closely at the tailoring itself, it is hard to call it beautiful. However, that is precisely what makes it beautiful. No matter how many times the same piece is made, each one is unique, which is what makes it a Neapolitan tailor.

He doesn't use a tape measure, he draws straight lines by hand without a ruler, and even draws the armholes freehand. I wonder if his body already remembers the lines.

It seems as though people born in Naples are artists from the moment they are born; their sense is so transcendent that they create an atmosphere and feeling that is difficult to put into words.

I was so impressed by the craftsmanship that I felt this was the lineage that had created the wonderful culture of Naples.

Despite the excitement, Arakawa would struggle with his Neapolitan bloodline. It was not easy for Arakawa to master the "Neapolitan salto."

Will the day come when Arakawa is able to grasp the tricks of Neapolitan tailoring?

First experience

One day, Ciro, unable to bear the sight of Arakawa's growing hair, took him to his favorite barber.

It seems to be a popular restaurant in Naples, and customers keep coming in one after another.

And then everyone leaves the store feeling cool...

This style, with the sides shaved and the ends of the hair on the top of the head slicked back, is called the Neapolitan cut (named by Arakawa).

This seems to be the basic style for men in Naples, and everyone has this hairstyle.

Since this is a good opportunity, Arakawa will also aim to become one of the men of Naples and get a Neapolitan cut...!

The hairdresser probably felt something was a bit off when he saw the finished result, but he praised me, saying, "It looks great!" and forcefully set the spiked ends with wax before finishing.

Unfortunately, the hair quality is completely different so the results are not the same.

On Monday, wondering what to do, I went to Kiton...

What an unexpected reaction! Everyone praised me and said "Bello."

I don't know if it's true or not, but I'm relieved to see everyone's positive reactions.

That was my first experience at a barber shop in Naples.

Continue.