Deep in the recesses of Nicole Kidman's wardrobe, engulfed between swathes of Chanel and a private collection of Bottega Veneta, there lie remnants of her favourite mistake; gifts from an ex-lover. No, not from him, but a certain rocker who saw a vivid, ostrich-accordion-pleated handbag, with an emblematic, twin-tailed golden gecko hanging off the side, and he thought it perfect for the Australian screen-siren.
The lover was Lenny Kravitz, and the bag was unmistakably, a Shiro.
A baby in the world of fashion, the brand and it's maker, Massimo Calestrini, went from the crawling stage to a full-throttle run, taking off while newcomers struggle to get into Vogue.
African-born, Italian designer Calestrini's collection of reversible, dual-fabric, interchangeable, twin-hued jackets, bags and accessories, are as much a reflection of the creator as they are of the diverse cultures that his pan-global travels and residence have borne him.
Born and brought up Asmara, Eritrea, Calestrini moved to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) with his family and then Yemen, Rome and Modena. A personal history that the Lonely Planet would like to pick his brains on, Calestrini's peculiar gift of noticing beauty in everyday objects, nature and his surroundings has served him well. His clothes and accessories are a hybrid of the familiar with a novel presentation. His design emblem is in fact a Shiro, the rare dual-tailed lizard that old African tribes consider a very lucky talisman. According to legend, if you can find a two-tailed lizard, you will be lucky for the rest of your life and luck certainly has favoured this fashion freshman.
The stars in style have grabbed many of his exotic creations from his line launched just three years ego. From the lapels of jackets to the bags and belts, the embellishment on suits to entire overcoats, crocodile skin and motifs loom large in the Shiro collection. It's even peeping out of fur-lined trench coats and shoes.
"I am inspired by nature, by all that I saw in Africa," says Calestrini while seated at a popular restaurant in IFC mall.
A visual festival of his colourful, impeccably tailored collection is shown to a select few, already aware of his brand.
"I've been to Hong Kong before many times and it's such an exciting city," he says with that unmistakable Italian accent. "For me, it is such an interesting market. China and India are places that are very exciting for the fashion world. I have seen beautiful ladies in their cheongsams carry my bags in contrasting colours. And I have seen women in saris with my bags with the long, thin straps that fall down to the waist, in the same colours as their saris. It's so wonderful to see my designs within such diverse cultures."
That final expression crops up repeatedly in conversation as the aesthete finds marvel in everything from the mundane to the marketable, from the rich colour palette of Africa to the symmetry of the table setting in a restaurant. "All the cities in the world that I go to inspire me in their own way," says Calestrini, dressed in his own creations. "Africa is obviously a big part of my theme in my collection but even in Hong Kong, I see that people like clean lines, not too fussy, there's symmetry. See that row of glasses on the table - see how perfectly aligned they are? And the row of lights hanging above the bar, the rectangles are aligned so finely?"
For all the joy he finds in the simplicity that he sees, the highly embellished, often colourful and textured items that churn out of Shiro seem a bit extreme, pieces that might possibly seem incongruous when placed next to the muted shades of Hong Kong's teeming business masses.
"My clothes are for people with passion, who aren't afraid of a little colour. You know if I don't like a person, then I don't sell to them."
Stretching back,he elaborates, "There is this woman in Italy, who owns and runs one of the largest boutiques. She wanted my collection but I wouldn't give it to her. I thought she was very vulgar and had no style. You know she went crazy! But that is me. Then, there was this couple I met in Four Seasons hotel, these beautiful Indian people and they were so elegant, so I invited them to my show. Then weeks later, they wanted to have dinner with me on their 25th Anniversary, and I said, 'Why me?' Their son was in Washington, their daughter in India, and their other son in Hong Kong, but they were in Milan with me. We had such a wonderful time. Later they sent me a gift; a classic Mercedes. I was shocked. But I always believed, you do good and good things happen to you."
The response to his collection shown in Hong Kong has bordered on great, not just good. The Shiro Collection, now available exclusively via On Pedder, include clothing, bags and accessories fashioned from exotic materials such as crocodile, ostrich, python, lizard, mink and sable. The crocodile and ostrich skins are hand-treated in Africa, following traditions that maintain the natural aspect of the skins. What sets this collection apart from the cookie-cutter cluster of fashionable trinkets is that they are all unique; each piece has an individual serial number and is made by Italian artisans.
The crocodile and ostrich jackets and bags are Shiro's most famous items. The jackets are made of incredibly soft, hand-treated crocodile leather, dyed in fancy hues (fuchsia, turquoise, red, green)or simpler colours (dark brown, black). The furs include light and glamorous sable, sheared mink trimmed with crocodile and cashmere coats.
Truth be told, it takes a woman of some chutzpah to pull off the bold look. So who is the woman who can best represent the brand?
"There are many beautiful women that I would love to dress, like Cameron Diaz," says the designer. "So many. I don't have one particular celebrity muse or model, but there's going to be a well-known person, not American, of mixed origin that I think will represent my vision well."
He pauses before continuing. "You know, in fact, I do have a muse. She is an African princess. She's from a royal family, Mary Haile Selassie, the Emperor's daughter, the person that received me in Ethiopia and that made me realise that there was a lot that I could do. Years later I found out that she had helped me without me even realising it. Her intelligence, modesty and elegance have left a mark on me. I have always admired her style. She had a dark complexion and long curly hair. See this brooch?" he asks, pointing to a cluster of diamonds studded on his shirt collar. "It's a 1910 Cartier. She gave it to me as a gift. I've designed some outfits for her and when I see a model in comparison, wearing the same thing, it's nothing. Style is an attitude, it's about how you carry yourself. Some people just have it, and others can only imitate it."
As the interview draws to a close, Calestrini makes sure he is keeping himself, and those around him, in stitches. "When I was little, I used to have cheeks of crocodile for breakfast. When I was younger, you know I was bitten by a crocodile, so when I grew up, I have crocodile in all my collections. Revenge." As the words are met with bewilderment, he bursts out laughing. "No, no, I'm kidding of course but it's fun to shock the media here you know?"
Indeed.
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