The Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur Massimo Calestrini, the author of the fashionable “Shiro” trademark, was born in Asmara, Eritrea. Cooperating with such international giants as “Roberto Cavalli”, “The Burani Group”, “Calvin Klein”, and “Donna Karan” endowed him with indispensable experience in fashion owing to his love for beauty and ties with Africa revealed in his each and every work.
His “Shiro” brand created in 2003 was presented as a concept collection of clothes and accessories. His elegant Milan-based show-room is situated in Gesu Street right in front of the “Four Seasons” hotel so much favored by the Russians coming not only on business but also for shopping in the famous Montenapoleone block. Naturally, they can’t but drop in at the “Shiro’s” to custom an exclusive piece of clothing. It can be either a male jacket of Nile crocodile leather styled like suede, or a hand-made handbag of African ostrich leather, a light leather coat decorated with expensive furs and embroidered with pearls or crocodile-leather trousers turning into shoes or boots of the same stuff rendering the absolute harmony of the silhouette. Strikingly original is the tippet of white ostrich and shorn mink used as a recherche detail. Many articles of clothing have chain fastenings with Svarowsky jewels that make them look very smart, especially, if your mini-bag is fastened to your wrist with a similar chain as a bracelet.
Though the trademark is only 1 year old, Massimo Calestrini has already made himself known via his collection at the Haute Couture Week in Rome where the “Shiro” handbags hung among dazzling orchids; the models walked about wearing bright hand-made costumes and footwear of crocodile and ostrich leather of perfect make. These materials are usually meant for classical models, but Massimo’s lent them fashion and eroticism due to special processing and cut emphasizing the advantages of the figure.
The “Shiro” goods are sold worldwide including Moscow (“Mercury”). They also take orders from indulged clients willing to once again strike their friends or rivals with the works of fashion art. Some months ago even Leny Krawitz couldn’t resist the temptation of Calestrini works buying for his beloved Nicole Kidman an ostrich accordion-pleated handbag as a token of his faithfulness.
The technique of the handbag brand was extremely complicated: the effect was achieved thanks to the artistic folding of the ostrich leather, as light as silk. Since the handbag got the name “Nicole” the news became world-known and soon Massimo will have a whole collection of things named after his clients or, rather, their beloved.
Pink dominates in his spring-summer-2004 collection. The color of pink flamingoes form the African Abyata Lake is amazingly unusual. The new algebra of Calestrini’s color perception emerged from the turquoise of the volcanic lakes, the sand color of the desert savanna, and the green magic of oases.
The real “stars” are his travel bags of the finest yellow ostrich and malachite crocodile leather each having a “baby” inside – a tiny bag of the same stuff. Each detail is thoroughly thought over making them a true victory of neo-couture.
- Massimo, what made you take up fashion design?
- I’m first of all an entrepreneur. I’ve always wanted the world to have as many beautiful and tasteful things as possible. That’s why I decided to be a fashion designer too. Besides, I always strive for novelty in using different stuffs and having a tannery I’m not restricted in this activity.
- What’s the meaning of accessories in modern fashion?
- It’s the fundamental basis making the difference between the presence and absence of class. Accessories are very important as a type of objects; they should be original but not gaudy.
Recently Massimo presented his new autumn-winter-2004/05 collection having turned it into a real feast of elegance and high class. “Shiro”, the symbol of his firm, is a two-tail lizard, which is a very lucky talisman in Africa. He presents everybody with his silver lizard that can be found on any work by Massimo as part of his own talisman that’s already shown its power.

to contents