Milan Wants Chic Taxi Drivers
2009-08-20
Milan - Authorities in Italy's style-capital have stirred controversy by indicating they want the city's taxi drivers to jettison T-shirts, vests and other casual wear in favour of elegant uniforms.
The move is part of centre-right mayor Letizia Moratti's plans for sprucing up the city before it hosts the 2015 Universal Exposition, Milan-based daily Corriere della Sera said on Thursday.
"I will summon stylists and designers to create a new image for the Milanese taxi driver," the city's councillor for productive activities, Giovanni Terzi, said.
Town hall plans to have the city's 4 885 drivers decked out in the new uniforms sometime in 2010 after consultations with labour unions in September.
The proposal has met with a mixed response in Milan, home of such fashion brands as Prada, Armani, Versace, and Dolce and Gabbana.
Massimiliano Giornetti, a designer at the Salvatore Ferragamo fashion house, welcomed the town hall's proposal to introduce an image makeover for the taxi drivers - with some reservations.
"I've maintained for years that for anyone arriving in Italy it should be 360 degree trip in aesthetics, beauty, harmony and perfection," he said, adding that, "while it's true that a uniform expresses neatness and cleanliness, it's an outdated concept."
"There should be no imposition, just some suggestions," Giornetti said, indicating he'd like to see taxi drivers wearing "more practical jackets with softer lines."
Source; News24.com
Login
Register
FAQ
