MILAN — Headwear brand Superduper and Escapista, the menswear label Leonardo Girombelli launched earlier this year, have joined forces on a collaboration to be unveiled at Pitti Uomo.
A limited edition of blue-hued hats will express the cosmopolitan spirit and understated appeal the two parties share, along with their mutual conscious approach to materials, craftsmanship and emphasis on imperfection, which they both see as an expression of individuality.
Superduper cofounders Veronica Cornacchini and Matteo Gioli pointed to “the same understanding of travel: a continuous balance between exploration and freedom” as a common trait with Escapista, while Girombelli praised “their original vision, free from convention” he feels a deep affinity with.
The Hobo style in raffia from the Superduper x Escapista capsule collection.
Courtesy of Escapista
The joint effort resulted in Superduper’s most iconic travel styles reinterpreted with Escapista’s nonchalant attitude and attention to detail.
Available in two variations, the Hobo design is the most emblematic of the globetrotting nature of both brands. The deconstructed fedora was designed for the road and conceived to be folded or crushed and still retain its original form. A version comes in premium felt treated with a stonewash process that softens the fiber and creates irregular chromatic nuances and a lived-in effect. The other was crafted from natural raffia for extra lightness and ease.
With its wide brim and signature chin strap that allows the hat to rest on the shoulders when not on the head, the Wandermate style will be available in a single version in felt with grosgrain profiles.
The Wandermate style from the Superduper x Escapista capsule collection.
Courtesy of Escapista
Made entirely in Italy, each piece is enriched with symbolic details, including a leather cord with wooden beads inspired by Buddhist mala and the infinity knot — signature elements of Escapista.
In sync with Superduper’s practice, each style also carries an Earthpiece. This is a small certified stone, ethically sourced and collected from some of the world’s most evocative places, that is hand-stitched onto the front left of the crown as a mark of the brand’s authenticity. For this collaboration, the chosen stone was lapis lazuli, in continuity with the color of the collection.
Available in only 100 pieces, the limited edition will launch this week at both brands’ online stores with prices ranging from 320 euros for the Hobo hat in raffia to 360 euros for the version in felt.
Details from the Superduper x Escapista capsule collection.
Courtesy of Escapista
As reported, Escapista operates as a series of concise drops of menswear and accessories rooted in quality wardrobe essentials, conceived with an easy-to-pack mindset and a penchant for all shades of blue, which is Girombelli’s favorite color.
The son of the founders of Genny, Arnaldo and Donatella Girombelli, and a seasoned fashion manager, Leonardo Girombelli poured his passion for traveling and embedded his family DNA, long tied to style, into this start-up project, which adds to a wave of newly launched brands embracing a slower approach to fashion, timed out-of-sync with the traditional cycle in favor of pushing only intentional releases.
The Hobo style in felt from the Superduper x Escapista capsule collection.
Courtesy of Escapista
Gioli and Cornacchini share the attitude even though they launched Superduper in 2011. The brand started to gain recognition two years later, when it won the Who Is on Next? Award, and carved out a niche through the years with its combination of classic styles and contemporary influences in its single-product proposition.
By 2019 Superduper relocated to the historic and fully renovated Manifattura Tabacchi in Florence, further deepening its roots in the city’s artisanal scene while expanding operations. As a result, the brand significantly increased its market share and reach, while accelerating the development of special projects. These span from collaborations with The Beatles and a licensing agreement with Netflix to custom hats created for local and international personalities, such as Ben Harper and popular Italian singer and songwriter Jovanotti, who is a longtime friend of the brand.
