Why it belongs in ORBIS
Cagliari tailoring house founded in 1850 by Giovanni Castangia, Sardinia's first bespoke tailor; still cuts and sews everything in its own Cagliari workshop, and has produced for Battistoni and Bergdorf Goodman's Jay Kos label.
Castangia traces its founding to 1850, when Giovanni Castangia opened a tailoring shop in Cagliari, Sardinia - under Savoy rule at the time - described in trade coverage as the first bespoke tailoring house of its kind in Italy. The house built a regional reputation for its fabrics and craftsmanship, received a Royal Warrant from the House of Savoy, and exhibited at the Turin Expo in 1898, the Paris Expo in 1900, and in London in 1911. Castangia is described as Italy's longest continuously running tailoring house still manufacturing everything in its own Cagliari workshop rather than outsourcing production. Beyond its own label, the house has produced garments under the Battistoni name and supplied Bergdorf Goodman's hand-tailored Jay Kos collection. Its client list, per trade press, has included Bill Clinton, Oliver Stone and Silvio Berlusconi.