When Did Italian Cars Become Stylish?

How women changed Italian car culture at Alfa Romeo

Che Belo! Italian culture, by definition, stimulates the senses. The scent of simmering sauces. The tang of fresh pesto culled from garden basil. The swish of fine fabrics against the body. The eye-catching contours of sophisticated couture. The whir of glorious engines. 

You don’t need to travel to Rome, Milan, or Modena to appreciate the allure of the “Made in Italy” label, and its timeless appeal. Since the 12th century, Italy has been a manufacturing center for fineries. When sports car design emerged in the 20th century, Italy was at its center. Italian sports cars were so beautiful that the car was officially gendered as female, and prescribed to the tropes of femininity of the day. 

“An interesting story is that originally “Automobile” was male, but on October 27, 1923 it became female,” said Lorenzo Ardizio, director of the Alfa Romeo Museum. “That day the famous poet Gabriele D’Annunzio published an article on the “Corriere della Sera,” one of the most important Italian newspapers, explaining “The car is female. This has the grace, lightness, liveliness of a seductress. But, on the other hand, women have the easy levity in overcoming any roughness. Inclinata progreditur (it moves by itself).” 

While the portrayal of women has become less stereotypical in modern collections, lustrous Italian fashion and auto brands continue to capture the imagination. Gucci, Versace, Fendi, Bulgari and Prada. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. Today these brands carry weight, but much of this is due to the moment Italian culture was formally exported abroad in the early 1950s.

In a 2004 essay, Elyssa da Cruz wrote for The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art about the origins of the Made In Italy motif. She described how businessman Giovanni Battista Giorgini orchestrated the first fashion show of Made In Italy at his Florence home. “The most successful of such attempts, his February 12, 1951, launch at his own Florentine residence, featured Emilio Schuberth, Sorelle Fontana (the Fontana sisters), Contessa Simonetta Visconti, Roberto Capucci, and Alberto Fabiani from Rome, Jole Veneziani of Milan, and Florentine-born Caprese designer Emilio Pucci. High-end American department stores I. Magnin, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue each sent media representatives to review the collections, and found almost instant retail success with gowns from Simonetta, Fabiani, and the youthful sculptor Roberto Capucci.”

One of the designers who was part of this movement, Jole Veneziani, is lesser known in contemporary circles, but made a significant impact on the direction of Italian fashion in its heyday, and stood out as one of the few women-owned ateliers. She even influenced the appearance of Italian sports cars through her relationship with the iconic sports car maker Alfa Romeo. “The name of the fashion designer is Jole Veneziani,” said Ardizio. “In the ’50s (she) was one of the most important names of Milano’s “moda.” 

Jole Veneziani was at the height of the Milan fashion scene in the mid century.

Veniziani was known for her attention to detail, interesting silhouettes and her inventive use of materials. She even used hemp as early as 1949. She dressed Josephine Baker, Marlene Dietrich, and Maria Callas, and was also commissioned to adorn the eponymous opera house, La Scala, with flowers.

Alfa Romeo collaborated with Veneziani to present the sportscar maker’s newest range of exterior and interior colors. The palette was shown with one of her dress collections. The colors became official paint in 1957 including Rosso Corallo, Aurora, Giallo Cina, Biancospino, Acqua di Fonte and Bleu Helvetia.

The connection to Italian fashion design was a natural fit for Alfa Romeo as it introduced the chic Giuletta, and later the spider, Duetto. Alfa Romeo’s history illustrates the cross-pollination of classic Italian industries.The distinct Italian brand’s appeal resonated with the tastemakers of the day as Italy enchanted Hollywood in the 1960s.

Alfa Romeo’s reputation as a chic glamorous brand paired well with cinematic style. Alfa Romeo was featured in the classic Fellini film La Dolce Vita. Rita Hayworth is pictured with her Giulietta, in a photo owned by the museum collection. The Journal of Classic Cars described how Alfa endeared itself to the jet set crowd. “Alfa Romeo wanted something massive. So, for the US launch, it organized a transatlantic luxury cruise, inviting the most exclusive celebrities from show business, sport and fashion to come on board. There were 1,300 VIPs on board, including actor Vittorio Gassman, actress Rossella Falk and the soprano Anna Moffo. The Italian ship sailed from Genoa to New York, with a stopover in Cannes for the Film Festival.” 

In the fleeting world of fashion, trends come and go that don’t always acknowledge the work of those that come before. Failure to keep up with changing culture can equal irrelevance in the cyclical seasons. Veniziani’s moment ended in 1968, when eggs were tossed at the designers who presented their collection at La Scala. Veneziani wasn’t keen on the modern woman, and held onto the more classic definition of women’s wear -- and unlike brands that pushed through, hers faded into obscurity.  But as trends come and go, inevitably the past is reinterpreted, and takes on a new cultural context, much like cars of the day. 

While the Alfa Romeo brand continued to be available in Europe, the brand ceased importing cars to the US in 1995, but in recent years has been reintroduced to US consumers. Older rare Alfa Romeos are highly collectible and make the elite auction rounds.

Today Alfa Romeo is 110 years old. Alfa is part of the newly formed Stellantis group, which also owns Fiat, Maserati and the American brands Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram, as well as Peugeot. While it's an international company, Alfa is still designed and manufactured in Italy. Meanwhile, in recent years, Jole Veneziani’s work has been recognized in exhibitions at the V&A Museum, and will be explored in the newly opened Alfa Romeo Museum.