IL BISONTE MAG #05
CONTEMPORARY
CLASSICS
IL BISONTE’S HISTORICAL ARCHIVE
IL BISONTE’s HISTORICAL ARCHIVE
3000 EXPRESSIONS OF A UNIQUE STYLE
Il Bisonte’s historical archive holds three thousand bags, accessories, and lifestyle objects
that narrate five decades of the brand’s history, reflecting countless variations of its singular style. In this issue of the Magazine, a small yet significant selection of this rich and multifaceted heritage is showcased along an unconventional timeline – one that, paradoxically, could even be read in reverse. After all, for timeless products like those created by Il Bisonte, the passage of time is ultimately irrelevant.
The story told by the archive, in fact, is anything but linear. It is marked by sudden bursts of momentum and constant returns to its origins; by ideas that immediately found commercial success as well as seemingly whimsical creative experiments that took years to become finished products; by everyday bags and accessories along with eccentric prototypes conceived purely for artistic enjoyment.
Featured in Il Bisonte’s timeline are bags that were born perfect — models like the Trappola backpack (1973) and Cosimo (1992), the Lorenzo travel bag (1983), and the iconic crossbody styles Sabrina (1972) and Disco Bag (1986), all of which have remained in continuous production for decades. There are functional experiments that gave rise to beloved convertible bags such as the Maremmana (1974), Vagabonda (1976), and Wanny (1980). There are signature pieces periodically re-imagined in unexpected materials — like the fringe-covered suede Caramella (1981), the Doctor Bag crafted from tapestries (1983), and the saddlebag ingeniously shaped by rolling up a honeycomb beach towel. Distinctive highlights include the inflatable-raft inspired bag designed for an Ai Weiwei exhibition and the picnic basket created for a show on Impressionism. There are also recurring elements such as the signature baccello closures, braided handles, knotted zip pulls, oversized pockets, and rounded flaps. And, whether starring solo or paired with canvas and straw for handles and trim, at the heart of it all is vegetable-tanned leather, Il Bisonte's unmistakable material of choice since 1970.
55 YEARS
MEMORY MATTERS
In 2025, Il Bisonte celebrates its 55th anniversary, marking this important milestone by opening its extraordinary historical archive to the public for the first time.
We’ve curated a special selection of the archive in the magnificent frescoed rooms of Palazzo Corsini, overlooking the courtyard where – back in the Seventies – trucks would
be loaded with products that were destined to find a special place in the hearts of customers all over the world.
The rest of the archive is preserved at the company’s production facility in Pontassieve because that’s where it continues to serve its original purpose: to remind us of the importance of our past, to inspire our present, and to guide us toward the future. We are consistently amazed by the courage that characterized so many unconventional stylistic choices. And we express our deepest gratitude to all the artisans who, with their passion and talent, have transformed ideas that once seemed impossible into beloved products that still hold the power to captivate.
For Il Bisonte, the historical archive is not merely a strategic asset, but a fundamental part of its DNA – a bridge that indelibly links today’s brand with its origins, a multifaceted timeline that flows seamlessly from the 1970’s collection to SS 2026.
Hideo Shiomoto
Managing Director of Il Bisonte S.p.A.
THE MEANING OF AN ARCHIVE
KEEPING THE FIRE ALIVE
Few companies can rely on a reservoir of memory as rich as Il Bisonte’s historical archive.
What makes it special is not so much its size, but the remarkable continuity which has nurtured it since the brand’s earliest days.
The founder’s decision to “set aside” bags that form the archive’s most treasured core today was not driven by a desire to celebrate his own best creations, but rather by the unconscious certainty that – echoing Mahler’s words – “tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.”
This extraordinary collection exists because Wanny Di Filippo, and those who followed, truly used the archive: they studied it for inspiration, and drew on its resources to define, year after year, Il Bisonte’s most authentic identity. In doing so, they kept the fire alive, preserving the hidden stories behind each bag and the collective memory of generations of artisans.
It is this very approach that enables Il Bisonte to continuously reinterpret its past in fresh and innovative ways, finding within it an inexhaustible source of inspiration for imagining and shaping its future.
55 YEARS
MEMORY MATTERS
In 2025, Il Bisonte celebrates its 55th anniversary, marking this important milestone by opening its extraordinary historical archive to the public for the first time.
We’ve curated a special selection of the archive in the magnificent frescoed rooms of Palazzo Corsini, overlooking the courtyard where – back in the Seventies – trucks would
be loaded with products that were destined to find a special place in the hearts of customers all over the world.
The rest of the archive is preserved at the company’s production facility in Pontassieve because that’s where it continues to serve its original purpose: to remind us of the importance of our past, to inspire our present, and to guide us toward the future. We are consistently amazed by the courage that characterized so many unconventional stylistic choices. And we express our deepest gratitude to all the artisans who, with their passion and talent, have transformed ideas that once seemed impossible into beloved products that still hold the power to captivate.
For Il Bisonte, the historical archive is not merely a strategic asset, but a fundamental part of its DNA – a bridge that indelibly links today’s brand with its origins, a multifaceted timeline that flows seamlessly from the 1970’s collection to SS 2026.
Hideo Shiomoto
Managing Director of Il Bisonte S.p.A.
3000 EXPRESSIONS OF A UNIQUE STYLE
Il Bisonte’s historical archive holds three thousand bags, accessories, and lifestyle objects
that narrate five decades of the brand’s history, reflecting countless variations of its singular style. In this issue of the Magazine, a small yet significant selection of this rich and multifaceted heritage is showcased along an unconventional timeline – one that, paradoxically, could even be read in reverse. After all, for timeless products like those created by Il Bisonte, the passage of time is ultimately irrelevant.
The story told by the archive, in fact, is anything but linear. It is marked by sudden bursts of momentum and constant returns to its origins; by ideas that immediately found commercial success as well as seemingly whimsical creative experiments that took years to become finished products; by everyday bags and accessories along with eccentric prototypes conceived purely for artistic enjoyment.
Featured in Il Bisonte’s timeline are bags that were born perfect — models like the Trappola backpack (1973) and Cosimo (1992), the Lorenzo travel bag (1983), and the iconic crossbody styles Sabrina (1972) and Disco Bag (1986), all of which have remained in continuous production for decades. There are functional experiments that gave rise to beloved convertible bags such as the Maremmana (1974), Vagabonda (1976), and Wanny (1980). There are signature pieces periodically re-imagined in unexpected materials — like the fringe-covered suede Caramella (1981), the Doctor Bag crafted from tapestries (1983), and the saddlebag ingeniously shaped by rolling up a honeycomb beach towel. Distinctive highlights include the inflatable-raft inspired bag designed for an Ai Weiwei exhibition and the picnic basket created for a show on Impressionism. There are also recurring elements such as the signature baccello closures, braided handles, knotted zip pulls, oversized pockets, and rounded flaps. And, whether starring solo or paired with canvas and straw for handles and trim, at the heart of it all is vegetable-tanned leather, Il Bisonte's unmistakable material of choice since 1970.
THE MEANING OF AN ARCHIVE
KEEPING THE FIRE ALIVE
Few companies can rely on a reservoir of memory as rich as Il Bisonte’s historical archive.
What makes it special is not so much its size, but the remarkable continuity which has nurtured it since the brand’s earliest days.
The founder’s decision to “set aside” bags that form the archive’s most treasured core today was not driven by a desire to celebrate his own best creations, but rather by the unconscious certainty that – echoing Mahler’s words – “tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.”
This extraordinary collection exists because Wanny Di Filippo, and those who followed, truly used the archive: they studied it for inspiration, and drew on its resources to define, year after year, Il Bisonte’s most authentic identity. In doing so, they kept the fire alive, preserving the hidden stories behind each bag and the collective memory of generations of artisans.
It is this very approach that enables Il Bisonte to continuously reinterpret its past in fresh and innovative ways, finding within it an inexhaustible source of inspiration for imagining and shaping its future.
55 YEARS OF CREATIVE EXPERIMENTATION
IN OUR ARCHIVE AND IN OUR STORES, ALWAYS!
55 YEARS OF CREATIVE EXPERIMENTATION
IN OUR ARCHIVE AND IN OUR STORES, ALWAYS!
ARCHIVE 1970
A CAPSULE COLLECTION MANIFESTO
Vegetable-tanned leather and raffia, stripes and unconventional shapes: the Archive 1970 capsule pays tribute to Il Bisonte’s most iconic raw materials and to a design conceived fifty-five years ago that continues to captivate.
Faithfully translating the lines of a bag designed by Wanny Di Filippo in the same year the brand was founded, the new tote bag and crossbody truly honor the timeless beauty of Il Bisonte’s collections. They celebrate the boundless creativity preserved in its historical archive and the talent of the master artisans in Il Bisonte’s 30-Km supply chain.
More than anything, though, they are proof that a bag truly can be loved for a lifetime.
ARCHIVE 1970
A CAPSULE COLLECTION MANIFESTO
Vegetable-tanned leather and raffia, stripes and unconventional shapes: the Archive 1970 capsule pays tribute to Il Bisonte’s most iconic raw materials and to a design conceived fifty-five years ago that continues to captivate.
Faithfully translating the lines of a bag designed by Wanny Di Filippo in the same year the brand was founded, the new tote bag and crossbody truly honor the timeless beauty of Il Bisonte’s collections. They celebrate the boundless creativity preserved in its historical archive and the talent of the master artisans in Il Bisonte’s 30-Km supply chain.
More than anything, though, they are proof that a bag truly can be loved for a lifetime.