Berluti’s “Champ-Contrechamp”: A masterclass in philosophy, craft, and civilization

I speak of "Champ-Contrechamp" - a meditation on the profound philosophy underlying every stitch.

The Metaphysics of Marche

There is something providential about parallels. Torello Berluti and Cino Del Duca - both sons of Italy's Marche region, both seekers of Parisian excellence - remind us that greatness often springs from similar soil.

One sees it not only in the historic townhouse overlooking Parc Monceau, but in the deeper understanding that luxury, true luxury, serves a higher purpose than mere possession. It elevates. It ennobles. It connects us to something larger than ourselves.

The foundation's mission - promoting arts, literature, and sciences - mirrors Berluti's own century-long devotion to serving discerning clients. Artists, statesmen, writers, captains of industry - all united by their appreciation for remarkable style from head to toe.

The Cathedral of the Foot

Upon entering the grand salon, one encounters a monumental sculpture of the human foot - Michelangelesque in its nobility, profound in its implications.

Here lies the fundamental truth that separates the gentleman from the merely well-shod: understanding that elegance begins with reverence for form itself.

Twenty-eight bones. Twenty-seven joints. Twenty-three muscles. One hundred ligaments. The foot is nature's own architectural marvel, and to craft footwear worthy of such complexity requires not merely skill, but something approaching devotion.

As I studied those measurement sheets scattered like illuminated manuscripts, I was reminded of Ruskin's observation that "quality is never an accident." At Berluti, excellence has been habitual for over a century.

The Alchemy of Cordovan

The leather room transported me to contemplations deeper than commerce. Each hide tells a story - Venezia destined for shoes, full-grain calfskin awaiting its signature patina, "saddle soft" leather for jackets.

This is curation of the highest order, reminiscent of those medieval cordwainers whose creations were so treasured they passed from father to son in wills.

The very word "cordwainer" speaks to an age when shoemakers belonged to the fifth citizen's guild - a status that acknowledged the sacred nature of their craft. They were not mere tradesmen, but custodians of comfort, architects of elegance.

The Poetry of Scritto

In the library, one rediscovers Scritto leather, that signature pattern inspired by an 18th-century notarized deed.

Here is poetry made tangible, calligraphy etched by laser onto leather's surface grain. Whether adorning an Oxford lace-up or an overcoat, Scritto represents that marriage of tradition and innovation that marks true luxury.

It is not innovation for its own sake, but innovation in service of beauty - a distinction our ancestors understood intuitively.

Modern Paradoxes, Timeless Truths

The Shadow sneaker - weighing merely 450 grams - presents us with delicious contradiction. "Ceci n'est pas une charentaise," they declare with Magrittian wit, challenging our assumptions about what constitutes proper footwear.

Here is technology wedded to tradition, performance married to aesthetics. The cooling engineered fibres, the shock-absorbing memory foam - all hidden beneath the classical architecture of three eyelets and lace-up styling.

This is progress without abandonment of principle, modernity without vulgarity.

The Complete Gentleman

On the second floor, overlooking Parc Monceau's manicured gardens, one encounters Berluti's complete vision of masculine elegance.

The Forestière jacket - magnificent whether rendered in midnight blue linen or lime-green serge wool - represents more than clothing. It embodies a philosophy that values permanence over fashion, substance over show.

The summery tweed, woven from cashmere, wool, cotton, silk, and linen, speaks to an understanding that true luxury lies in that symphony of textures known only to the wearer.

Final Reflections from the Terrace

As I departed via the terrace - Armagnac in hand, garden views before me - I reflected on what Berluti truly offers.

Not merely products, but participation in a tradition that stretches back through generations of craftsmen who understood that their work was, in its way, sacred.

In our age of disposable everything, Berluti stands as testament to the enduring power of things made properly, with patience, with reverence for both material and wearer.

That, dear readers, is not merely commerce. It is civilization itself, preserved in leather and lace, sole and spirit.

And from my study in the Cotswolds - fire crackling, rain against Georgian windows - I find myself grateful that such sanctuaries of excellence endure.