LIFE - GIORGIO & KAFTANS

KAFTANS

With flower-power and the sexual revolution of the 1960s came the introduction of the kaftan into the west through the Beatles and then USA male fashion wear.  Giorgio embraced the style immediately and wore kaftans in his own premises regularly. If he was not going out or receiving, they were his normal wear and as he was connected with the fashion business he designed them and had them made for him.

Unfortunately there is now but one photograph of him wearing a sort of house coat of a heavy brocade - he had summer and winter kaftans.

He used to tell a story about how one day around 1982 his doorbell rang when he was expecting nobody. At that time he was allowing a young man to stay in the flat when he came to Rome from his village in the country and the man at the door was this person's grandfather, who, suspecting something immoral had decided to travel to Rome to investigate. Giorgio invited the old man up to his 3rd floor Via Giulia flat, gave him coffee, sat down and chatted to him quite normally, but he was wearing one of his smart kaftans.

Giorgio was concerned about the reaction of the young man's family to the news of this surprise visit. He need not have been, for grandfather returned to the village and told everyone that they need worry no longer since young Mario (or whatever) was staying with a most charming and elegant lady from the upper classes, who was very kind to him. Giorgio had a naturally high-pitched voice and had spoken in his normal voice; he was surprised but amused at having been taken for a grande dame.

He would later use this gift of his for being taken as a woman, bald though he was, when he appeared as the Princess Olga in a stage show. But that belongs to another post.  Here is a photograph of Giorgio taken at about the same time as the one above (apologies for the speckling).