He was and remains the most important, powerful, and wealthy Italian industrialist of all time, his wealth at one point accounting for over one percent of the country’s GDP. He was nicknamed “L’Avvocato” (“The Lawyer,”) though he never practised law, despite having a law degree. His mother was literally Italian royalty, but also had and American mother. He was wounded twice in World War II, once while getting into a barfight with a German officer. Over a girl. During the biggest armed conflict the planet has ever seen. He was also a world-renowned playboy who could could none other than the former Jackie Kennedy as one of his mistresses. Oh, and he also happened to be the head of the automaker Fiat, whose cinquecentos are now driven everywhere by college students and people who don’t wanna shell out the money for a Mini Cooper.

More than maybe all of these accolades, he was known for his fantastic taste and offbeat fashion sense, essentially inventing the art of Sprezzatura, or being impeccably dressed while, at the same time, making it look easy and like you effortlessly threw your outfit on and then didn’t give it a second thought. Agnelli embodied what it meant to be a well-dressed, well-coiffed, well-education man of the twentieth century, and may go down as the most stylish man to ever live. At least, tat is, if we have anything to do with.

To illustrate how deep this sense of style runs and that, while fashion sense may not be genetic but may help, Agnelli’s grandson, one Lapo Elkann, is a style icon in his own right and would be on the short list for “Most Stylish Man on Earth,” with a few other choice nominees. So in an attempt to salute the man who, on his own, would be the singular face on the Mount Rushmore of fashion, and a man who, for some reason, doesn’t have the name recognition here in the States that he does in Europe, we give you some of our favorite looks from the man who made it look easy, Gianni Agnelli, The Last King of Italy. Enjoy, amici.



















































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