New Collection and New Installation of the Historical Archive
On the occasion of the 110th edition of Pitti Uomo, the Florentine luxury leather goods brand Il Bisonte presents its SS27 collection and the latest issue of its magazine, dedicated to the “art bags” created for Palazzo Strozzi, which are now showcased in the brand’s newly redesigned Historical Archive at Palazzo Corsini, in Florence.
SS27 Collection
Perfectly in keeping with the timeless attitude that has always distinguished Il Bisonte, the SS 2027 collection is defined by a responsible approach to design that transcends seasonal trends. The minimalist yet unmistakable aesthetic of the new creations looks toward the future while drawing on the brand’s most authentic stylistic and artisanal heritage.
Echoing the language of the theater, the names of the new lines – Prima, Esordio, and Intreccio – invite us to imagine the SS27 collection as a true staging of Il Bisonte’s core values, while also revealing what normally remains hidden behind the scenes: the exceptional quality of the finest leathers and unparalleled savoir-faire of the artisans who make up the brand’s Florentine supply chain.
The new bags and accessories are crafted from Il Bisonte’s iconic vegetable-tanned leather – its material of choice for the past fifty-six years – now presented in a striking embossed version with a woven-effect texture.
As for color, the SS27 palette revolves around new shades – Baratti Orange and Mediterranean Blue – whose names evoke the Tuscan landscape, the place where Il Bisonte was founded and where it continues to maintain its headquarters and all of its production facilities.
SS27 Collection
Perfectly in keeping with the timeless attitude that has always distinguished Il Bisonte, the SS 2027 collection is defined by a responsible approach to design that transcends seasonal trends. The minimalist yet unmistakable aesthetic of the new creations looks toward the future while drawing on the brand’s most authentic stylistic and artisanal heritage.
Echoing the language of the theater, the names of the new lines – Prima, Esordio, and Intreccio – invite us to imagine the SS27 collection as a true staging of Il Bisonte’s core values, while also revealing what normally remains hidden behind the scenes: the exceptional quality of the finest leathers and unparalleled savoir-faire of the artisans who make up the brand’s Florentine supply chain.
The new bags and accessories are crafted from Il Bisonte’s iconic vegetable-tanned leather – its material of choice for the past fifty-six years – now presented in a striking embossed version with a woven-effect texture.
As for color, the SS27 palette revolves around new shades – Baratti Orange and Mediterranean Blue – whose names evoke the Tuscan landscape, the place where Il Bisonte was founded and where it continues to maintain its headquarters and all of its production facilities.
THE NEW WOMEN’S LINES
With the SS27 collection, Il Bisonte’s offering for women expands with three new lines.
The Esordio line includes two hobo bags (large and small), distinguished by a minimalist design and unmistakable with its long shoulder strap secured to the bag’s side panels with rings that simultaneously define its form and function. By simply adjusting the strap, the Esordio hobo bags can also be worn crossbody or carried by hand.
The Prima line includes two crossbody bags and a shoulder bag which pay tribute to Il Bisonte’s casual-chic style. Their distinctive feature is the wide, exceptionally comfortable shoulder strap, and the punched holes running along its entire length make adjusting it remarkably easy.
In addition to natural or dyed vegetable-tanned leather, both lines are also available in vegetable-tanned metallic leather.
The bags and small leather accessories making up the Intreccio line, instead, come exclusively in an intense, luminous black. They offer a striking interpretation of vegetable-tanned leather, treated with vegetable fats to achieve extraordinary softness, and finished with a refined woven-effect embossing. The result is a contemporary reinterpretation of archival designs originally crafted from embossed leather.
THE NEW WOMEN’S LINES
With the SS27 collection, Il Bisonte’s offering for women expands with three new lines.
The Esordio line includes two hobo bags (large and small), distinguished by a minimalist design and unmistakable with its long shoulder strap secured to the bag’s side panels with rings that simultaneously define its form and function. By simply adjusting the strap, the Esordio hobo bags can also be worn crossbody or carried by hand.
The Prima line includes two crossbody bags and a shoulder bag which pay tribute to Il Bisonte’s casual-chic style. Their distinctive feature is the wide, exceptionally comfortable shoulder strap, and the punched holes running along its entire length make adjusting it remarkably easy.
In addition to natural or dyed vegetable-tanned leather, both lines are also available in vegetable-tanned metallic leather.
The bags and small leather accessories making up the Intreccio line, instead, come exclusively in an intense, luminous black. They offer a striking interpretation of vegetable-tanned leather, treated with vegetable fats to achieve extraordinary softness, and finished with a refined woven-effect embossing. The result is a contemporary reinterpretation of archival designs originally crafted from embossed leather.
NEW ITEMS FOR MEN
The Segno men’s line expands with three new additions, all handcrafted using premium-quality embossed leather that is entirely metal-free. Its exceptionally soft texture and rich, uniform grain lend a distinctly sporty-chic touch to the clean, essential designs of the backpack, shoulder bag (which can also be worn as a crossbody), belt, and key holder.
NEW ITEMS FOR MEN
The Segno men’s line expands with three new additions, all handcrafted using premium-quality embossed leather that is entirely metal-free. Its exceptionally soft texture and rich, uniform grain lend a distinctly sporty-chic touch to the clean, essential designs of the backpack, shoulder bag (which can also be worn as a crossbody), belt, and key holder.
A TRIBUTE TO TUSCANY
The photos for the SS 2027 campaign were shot at Villa di Colonnata, in the hills of Sesto Fiorentino, and at the Pecci Museam in Prato: two places suspended between the past and future that perfectly embody the deep connection between the brand and the region where it was founded 56 years ago. A region that still continues to shape Il Bisonte’s identity and its vision of timeless beauty.
A TRIBUTE TO TUSCANY
The photos for the SS 2027 campaign were shot at Villa di Colonnata, in the hills of Sesto Fiorentino, and at the Pecci Museam in Prato: two places suspended between the past and future that perfectly embody the deep connection between the brand and the region where it was founded 56 years ago. A region that still continues to shape Il Bisonte’s identity and its vision of timeless beauty.
Il Bisonte for Palazzo Strozzi
On the occasion of Pitti Uomo 110, Il Bisonte presents the latest issue of its magazine, entirely dedicated to its collaboration with the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, as well as a new installation of its Historical Archive, enriched by a special display devoted to the “Art Bags” created between 2008 and 2019 for the exhibits held at Palazzo Strozzi.
THE “ART BAGS”
The collaboration between Il Bisonte and Florence’s most important exhibition venue dedicated to modern and contemporary art began in 2008 from the friendship between Wanny Di Filippo, the brand’s founder and ambassador, and James Bradburne, then Director of the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi. From that moment until the beginning of the pandemic, Il Bisonte created a “bag of wonders” for every exhibition.
Far from being a piece of refined merchandising, each bag designed for Palazzo Strozzi is a true “museum in a suitcase,” guiding children and families as they explore the artworks on display. Inside are maps to help them navigate, drawing materials, magnifying glasses, games, and quizzes – all conceived together with the Foundation’s Education Department to make even independent visits unique and unforgettable experiences.
Imagined as an implicit invitation to slow down, these “art bags” encourage participants to take the time to look and think, to imitate and reinterpret. They offer a fresh starting point for a lively and authentic dialogue between the artwork and its viewer. They are also a declaration of intent, reminding us that art is for everyone, that there is no single way to interpret it, and that each of us has the right to see it through our own eyes.
Some of Il Bisonte’s special editions for Palazzo Strozzi were invented entirely from scratch, such as the “Illusionist’s Hatbox” created for the trompe-l’œil exhibition; the cube designed for Picasso (2011); and the life-raft bag conceived for the major Ai Weiwei retrospective (2016). Others are iconic brand creations that – inspired by the exhibition’s overarching theme or by one of its signature works – change shape, color, and function with chameleonic skill.
THE “ART BAGS”
The collaboration between Il Bisonte and Florence’s most important exhibition venue dedicated to modern and contemporary art began in 2008 from the friendship between Wanny Di Filippo, the brand’s founder and ambassador, and James Bradburne, then Director of the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi. From that moment until the beginning of the pandemic, Il Bisonte created a “bag of wonders” for every exhibition.
Far from being a piece of refined merchandising, each bag designed for Palazzo Strozzi is a true “museum in a suitcase,” guiding children and families as they explore the artworks on display. Inside are maps to help them navigate, drawing materials, magnifying glasses, games, and quizzes – all conceived together with the Foundation’s Education Department to make even independent visits unique and unforgettable experiences.
Imagined as an implicit invitation to slow down, these “art bags” encourage participants to take the time to look and think, to imitate and reinterpret. They offer a fresh starting point for a lively and authentic dialogue between the artwork and its viewer. They are also a declaration of intent, reminding us that art is for everyone, that there is no single way to interpret it, and that each of us has the right to see it through our own eyes.
Some of Il Bisonte’s special editions for Palazzo Strozzi were invented entirely from scratch, such as the “Illusionist’s Hatbox” created for the trompe-l’œil exhibition; the cube designed for Picasso (2011); and the life-raft bag conceived for the major Ai Weiwei retrospective (2016). Others are iconic brand creations that – inspired by the exhibition’s overarching theme or by one of its signature works – change shape, color, and function with chameleonic skill.
A NEW CHAPTER
Il Bisonte presents a new chapter in its collaboration with Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, once again fostering an appreciation for beauty. On the occasion of the major exhibit “Rothko in Florence,” Il Bisonte returns to the palace galleries with a special-edition creation: a lightweight, versatile, and spacious crossbody bag crafted from vegetable-tanned leather and fabric, designed exclusively for the Palazzo Strozzi guides.
A NEW CHAPTER
Il Bisonte presents a new chapter in its collaboration with Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, once again fostering an appreciation for beauty. On the occasion of the major exhibit “Rothko in Florence,” Il Bisonte returns to the palace galleries with a special-edition creation: a lightweight, versatile, and spacious crossbody bag crafted from vegetable-tanned leather and fabric, designed exclusively for the Palazzo Strozzi guides.
THE NEW INSTALLATION OF THE HISTORICAL ARCHIVE
Coinciding with Pitti 110, the magnificent frescoed rooms overlooking the courtyard of Palazzo Corsini – the very rooms where the brand’s story began – host a selection of prototypes and examples of bags and accessories that testify to Il Bisonte’s inexhaustible capacity for innovation and experimentation. Special attention is given to those models that inspired the SS27 collection.
In the center of the installation is a section dedicated to the Art Bags created for Palazzo Strozzi, and is open to the public for the first time.
“I like to think of our partnership with Palazzo Strozzi,” explains Hideo Shiomoto, CEO of Il Bisonte, “as an extraordinary creative laboratory, where our brand has found countless opportunities to experiment with shapes and materials and to engage with the genius and talent of some of history’s greatest artists. These whimsical limited-edition creations are an important part of our story and deserve to be told, just like the best-selling bags and accessories that have contributed most to our success around the world.”
The entire collection of Art Bags is preserved in the Historical Archive in Pontassieve, alongside more than three thousand bags and accessories produced since 1970, the year Il Bisonte was founded.
