UNCONVENTIONAL
BY TRADITION
A TRIBUTE TO WANNY DI FILIPPO
AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE
ROOTS MATTER
This year Il Bisonte turns 55. We have chosen to mark this historical milestone by celebrating the brand’s founder, his archive collections and the strong roots that still support and nurture the company, its style and its values.
Because Wanny did not simply establish brand, he shaped it day after day to the measure of his dreams, his creativity, his sense of humor, and his joyful love for Tuscan craftsmanship.
If Il Bisonte’s products do not follow seasonal trends, it’s because Wanny has always cheerfully disregarded them. If production has always been in Florence, it’s because Wanny set the boundaries of a unique 30Km supply chain there, unlike any other in the world. And if Il Bisonte only uses vegetable-tanned leather, it’s because Wanny made this choice out of love for the planet more than half a century ago, long before sustainability became such an urgent matter.
His choices, often instinctive and always very bold, gave shape and substance to the solid DNA of the brand, and even today Wanny Di Filippo and his archive are magnificent ambassadors of its values. It is a true privilege for us to carry this legacy forward into the future.
Hideo Shiomoto
Managing Director of Il Bisonte S.p.A.
ESCAPE FROM THE ORDINARY
The biography of Il Bisonte’s founder is a hymn to the joy and freedom of being unique. And it has been since day one. Wanny Di Filippo was born in Adria (Northen Italy) in 1945. He arrived on February 14th, but the final bombings of World War II prevented his grandmother from going to the town hall to register his birth. A few days later a farmer friend of the family went instead, but got the date wrong, so in official records, he is listed as being born on the 16th.
Even his name didn’t go as planned: his mother wanted to call him Vanni, but the priest who baptized him objected, saying “there is no saint with that name in the calendar.” So, he was given two names of important saints: Giovanni and Antonio. However, everyone, both in his family and the outside community, would always call him Vanni. The W and Y were added by him later, to distinguish himself from the many Vannis he would encounter upon his arrival in Florence.
From a young age, Wanny had a great love for art, but his father – a pragmatic Carabinieri officer – encouraged him to enroll in a technical school. After abandoning his studies, Wanny got a job with a mechanic and, in the meantime, nurtured his passion for art by taking correspondence painting lessons from a Parisian school. Then he became a representative for spare car parts and traveled extensively, especially in central and southern Italy. On the beaches of Sardinia, during the weekends, Wanny would braid bracelets and belts, and create bags that – in full hippie spirit – he would give away to his friends.
In 1969, that hobby became his work. A family friend asked him to design a line of bags for his leather goods company, but Wanny’s proposals were considered too innovative for the fashion of the time, and were rejected outright. Instead of getting discouraged, Wanny decided to start his own business, and in 1970, he opened his first artisan workshop in the heart of historic Florence. It was there, in a tiny basement still full of the mud left by the devastating flood that struck Florence in November 1966, that the story of Il Bisonte began.
THE VALUE OF CRAFTMANSHIP
WORKING WITH YOUR HANDS
“I’ve always preferred to use my hands rather than words. I would experiment, build, test. I would put together two pieces of leather, with no lining, sewn by hand, utterly outside the rules of leatherworking at the time. Back then, just like today, I constructed whatever came into my mind. It was my way of communicating, of speaking.
I worked with my hands without shutting off my brain. I’ve always needed to see, touch, and smell my work. That’s why, before drawing a design, I would create a prototype, taking up a piece of leather in my hands and folding it. If I ended up with a shape that was both pleasant and functional, I would then sketch it out.
My designs were so essential that they seemed either too innovative or too primitive to everyone. But I’ve always believed that the things that seem absurd to us today will one day be possible. I never paid much attention to those who warned me against it. I’ve always pushed beyond the limits of conventions and techniques that everyone else was using.
And the fact that Il Bisonte still designs its bags today, drawing inspiration from the leather itself, that it’s a company loved all over the world, yet deeply rooted in the craftsmanship of Florentine artisans, and that it has succeeded in promoting an authentically artisanal business model, proves to me that, in the end, I was right.”
Wanny Di Filippo
AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE
ROOTS MATTER
This year Il Bisonte turns 55. We have chosen to mark this historical milestone by celebrating the brand’s founder, his archive collections and the strong roots that still support and nurture the company, its style and its values.
Because Wanny did not simply establish brand, he shaped it day after day to the measure of his dreams, his creativity, his sense of humor, and his joyful love for Tuscan craftsmanship.
If Il Bisonte’s products do not follow seasonal trends, it’s because Wanny has always cheerfully disregarded them. If production has always been in Florence, it’s because Wanny set the boundaries of a unique 30Km supply chain there, unlike any other in the world. And if Il Bisonte only uses vegetable-tanned leather, it’s because Wanny made this choice out of love for the planet more than half a century ago, long before sustainability became such an urgent matter.
His choices, often instinctive and always very bold, gave shape and substance to the solid DNA of the brand, and even today Wanny Di Filippo and his archive are magnificent ambassadors of its values. It is a true privilege for us to carry this legacy forward into the future.
Hideo Shiomoto
Managing Director of Il Bisonte S.p.A.
ESCAPE FROM THE ORDINARY
This article “May Contain Traces of Forest” is titled the same as a recently concluded exhibition at Circolo del Design in Turin. Its goal was to use contemporary art to close the cultural gap that exists between the almost dreamlike contemplation of a forest environment, and the concrete, everyday, familiar objects that come from it.
Il Bisonte’s products have always done the same: they carry with them – and into the wearers’ daily lives – the forest, its transformative power, its resilience and its scents.
They do this through a powder so fine as to be almost imperceptible, with an intense and persistent color. That powder, used in antiquity, has been called tannin since 1796 and is a completely natural substance with antioxidant properties found throughout the plant world (in wood, rhizomes, roots and fruits) that has been silently accompanying us for centuries, in the fruits we eat, the wines we drink and the clothing we wear.
Tannin, extracted from the bark of European chestnut trees, is the oldest vegetable-tanning secret, a true art form that has been well documented throughout Tuscany dating back to prehistoric times. Heedless of the passage of centuries, that perfect recipe is still unsurpassed today. Nothing has changed because those spells that create wonder aren’t to be changed, and what tannin does to leather is pure magic.
It is tannin that gives the leather its warm colors and unexpected transparency, its unmistakable woodland scent, unsurpassed softness, and uncommon strength.
And it is also tannin that makes vegetable-tanned leather products, such as bags and accessories, absorb the experiences of those who use them, thereby becoming truly unique pieces. All thanks to the one-of-a-kind alchemy generated by the ever-changing combination of leather exposed to sunlight and the daily experiences of each individual. It is based on these unpredictable parameters that tannin-tanned leather bears eloquent witness to the stories each life has to tell.
THE VALUE OF CRAFTMANSHIP
WORKING WITH YOUR HANDS
“I’ve always preferred to use my hands rather than words. I would experiment, build, test. I would put together two pieces of leather, with no lining, sewn by hand, utterly outside the rules of leatherworking at the time. Back then, just like today, I constructed whatever came into my mind. It was my way of communicating, of speaking.
I worked with my hands without shutting off my brain. I’ve always needed to see, touch, and smell my work. That’s why, before drawing a design, I would create a prototype, taking up a piece of leather in my hands and folding it. If I ended up with a shape that was both pleasant and functional, I would then sketch it out.
My designs were so essential that they seemed either too innovative or too primitive to everyone. But I’ve always believed that the things that seem absurd to us today will one day be possible. I never paid much attention to those who warned me against it. I’ve always pushed beyond the limits of conventions and techniques that everyone else was using.
And the fact that Il Bisonte still designs its bags today, drawing inspiration from the leather itself, that it’s a company loved all over the world, yet deeply rooted in the craftsmanship of Florentine artisans, and that it has succeeded in promoting an authentically artisanal business model, proves to me that, in the end, I was right.”
Wanny Di Filippo
STRICTLY ANARCHIC
FREE STYLE
Long beard, generous gaze, hair tucked under his ever-present felt hat. A brightly colored jacket, open over a vintage velour vest. His hand-painted trousers are held up by large buckles, crafted for him by silversmith friends. Peeking out of his pocket is a coin purse made from vegetable-tanned leather, which five decades of use has aged until it is nearly black. The ingredients of Wanny’s joyfully anarchic style are a pinwheel of colors that dance on classic materials: leather, cotton, linen, Casentino wool, velvet, straw. Frequently photographed at fashion events, Wanny, with his free-spirited style, has been, and continues to be an ambassador for authentic Made in Italy products. Every piece of his clothing tells a story of creativity paired with an infinite love for quality materials and artisanal craftsmanship that transforms them into unique objects. Unique and true, just like him.
WANNY TESTIMONIAL
AN AMAZING TRANSFORMER
Despite the unwavering consistency of his style, whenever the right opportunity arose to promote his brand, Wanny always surprised everyone by proving to be remarkably innovative, exhibiting a completely unconventional and irreverent vision of fashion communication.
With a playful irony that sets him apart, over the years he has transformed into a Playmobil figurine wearing the iconic Caramella bag, a USB flash drive (inevitably sold out) created as a gadget in his own image and likeness, and even starred—quite literally—in two animated films, where he takes on the role of superhero.
In the first, he becomes Mazinger, a robot from the Seventies that marked the global breakthrough of Japanese cartoons. His mission? To save Bison City from a terrible enemy who has come from space to turn all the bison into steaks. Wanny-Mazinger accomplishes this thanks to a completely unexpected secret weapon: a maxi Doctor Bag by Il Bisonte.
WANNY TESTIMONIAL
AN AMAZING TRANSFORMER
Despite the unwavering consistency of his style, whenever the right opportunity arose to promote his brand, Wanny always surprised everyone by proving to be remarkably innovative, exhibiting a completely unconventional and irreverent vision of fashion communication.
With a playful irony that sets him apart, over the years he has transformed into a Playmobil figurine wearing the iconic Caramella bag, a USB flash drive (inevitably sold out) created as a gadget in his own image and likeness, and even starred—quite literally—in two animated films, where he takes on the role of superhero.
In the first, he becomes Mazinger, a robot from the Seventies that marked the global breakthrough of Japanese cartoons. His mission? To save Bison City from a terrible enemy who has come from space to turn all the bison into steaks. Wanny-Mazinger accomplishes this thanks to a completely unexpected secret weapon: a maxi Doctor Bag by Il Bisonte.
WANNY DESIGNER
JOYFUL CREATIVITY
In 1973, on a beach in Forte dei Marmi, Wanny took the striped canvas from a deckchair and decided to turn it into a bag. From that gesture – both carefree and wise – Caramella was born, the first and most iconic of Il Bisonte’s unmistakable style, and which has been in production continuously for over fifty years. Like Vagabonda (1976), Caramella is a transformable bag, changing shape and function depending on the needs of its user: an everyday handbag can turn into a travel bag for the weekend or shrink down to fit into the bottom of a suitcase. All by simply attaching or detaching a few simple leather straps.
Shortly after, other timeless pieces followed: the Trappola backpack (1973), the iconic Doctor Bag (1980), and Disco Bag (1982), along with the 48-hour briefcase that now bears his name. Wanny also experimented with myriad shapes, colors, and materials, all of which are preserved in Il Bisonte’s extraordinary historical archive that continues to serve as an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the brand’s designers.
AN ICONIC BAG
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A WANNY
In 2003, Wanny demonstrated that he had not lost his ability to surprise people when he launched a line of bags sold disassembled, together with an assembly kit that included bolts, a bison-shaped wrench, and instructions for putting it all together. This collection – which, as one might expect, did not become a bestseller – reflects much of Wanny’s playful approach to everything he does, even in projects that may appear to be quite serious, like the 24-hour bag. With a stroke of genius, this bag reveals a secret central compartment
hidden beneath a clever arrangement of zippers that expands to become a small suitcase, transforming the 24-hour bag into a 48-hour one and turning a workday into a business trip.
That particular briefcase, now made only to order, is the single piece among the thousands of bags designed by Wanny that bears his name, and it is the precursor of a large family of smart work bags that are beloved all over the world. Early enthusiasts include Ralph Lauren, who has carried it with him now for nearly 50 years
AN ICONIC BAG
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A WANNY
In 2003, Wanny demonstrated that he had not lost his ability to surprise people when he launched a line of bags sold disassembled, together with an assembly kit that included bolts, a bison-shaped wrench, and instructions for putting it all together. This collection – which, as one might expect, did not become a bestseller – reflects much of Wanny’s playful approach to everything he does, even in projects that may appear to be quite serious, like the 24-hour bag. With a stroke of genius, this bag reveals a secret central compartment
hidden beneath a clever arrangement of zippers that expands to become a small suitcase, transforming the 24-hour bag into a 48-hour one and turning a workday into a business trip.
That particular briefcase, now made only to order, is the single piece among the thousands of bags designed by Wanny that bears his name, and it is the precursor of a large family of smart work bags that are beloved all over the world. Early enthusiasts include Ralph Lauren, who has carried it with him now for nearly 50 years
MUSEUM BAGS
ART INCURSIONS
In 2008, together with his friend James Bradburne, then director of the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Wanny began designing the Family Kit bags for Florence’s most prestigious exhibition venue dedicated to modern and contemporary art. For each exhibition he created a small masterpiece of inventiveness and refined craftsmanship, inspired by the works on display.
For the Impressionists who were the first to paint in the open air, he designed a wicker picnic basket containing a palette inside; for Ai Wei Wei, a rubber raft bag highlighting the drama of migration; for the masters of trompe-l’oeil, a hatbox covered with a hologram; for Lucio Fontana, a raw-cut bag; for Catherine de’ Medici a special edition of the Doctor Bag made from a carpet which was inspired by the magnificent tapestries created for the future Queen of France; and for Picasso a yellow, red and blue cubic handbag.
WANNY THE FAN
ADVENTURES IN VOLLEYBALL
“It makes no sense to be the richest person in the cemetery”: this is Wanny Di Filippo’s simple, blunt, and clear response when asked why, since 2003, he has invested a significant portion of his business (and later personal) wealth to support a small provincial women’s volleyball team and transform it into one that now competes in the Italian A Series.
Yet another challenge won, then immediately followed by a broader solidarity program that, over twenty years, has allowed thousands of young girls from the Florence area to practice sports without burdening their family finances, and to do so in a magnificent sports hall that Wanny donated to the City of Florence. In the stands, as colorful as the deckchair fabric he used to create his first Caramella bag, Wanny is always there, wearing his mismatched lucky socks and believing that determination and courage, whether it be in fashion or life, always make the difference.
WANNY THE FAN
ADVENTURES IN VOLLEYBALL
“It makes no sense to be the richest person in the cemetery”: this is Wanny Di Filippo’s simple, blunt, and clear response when asked why, since 2003, he has invested a significant portion of his business (and later personal) wealth to support a small provincial women’s volleyball team and transform it into one that now competes in the Italian A Series.
Yet another challenge won, then immediately followed by a broader solidarity program that, over twenty years, has allowed thousands of young girls from the Florence area to practice sports without burdening their family finances, and to do so in a magnificent sports hall that Wanny donated to the City of Florence. In the stands, as colorful as the deckchair fabric he used to create his first Caramella bag, Wanny is always there, wearing his mismatched lucky socks and believing that determination and courage, whether it be in fashion or life, always make the difference.