Exhibitors Spotlight:
Ten C
Editorial
Edition 101
16.11.2021
Ten C’s New Collection Is Its Most Complex One Yet

Exhibitors Spotlight focuses on a selection of brands exhibiting at this year's Pitti Uomo, showcasing their upcoming collections and special upcoming projects.

Ten C is designed by Alessandro Pungetti and part of FGF Group, held by Enzo Fusco. Named after the Danish fairytale The Emperor’s New Clothes, Ten C is all about quality. Here, the focus is on longevity and garment value, on crafting pieces that are made with care and built to last.
Every single piece created under the Ten C brand is made exclusively in Italy, yet much of its inspiration is rooted in Japan — for example, Ten C’s signature fabric, known simply as OJJ, stands for Original Japanese Fabric. “About ten years ago we had two different fabrics we wanted to use,” Pungetti tells us, “but we found that one of them was very difficult to work with. A few years later I returned to the same fabric and that [became] OJJ. I called Paul and we designed a line based on a unique idea, using this unique material that was difficult to work with and it stemmed from there. That was the beginning, and the origin, of Ten C.” 
The Japanese influence stems deeper than the fabric, Pungetti explains, it’s part of the label’s philosophy. “[Generally speaking] companies just want big performances and large productions, but in Japan, there are still small companies that work with cotton and linen and make something unique. They’re very different compared to the chains in Korea and China where they focus on a product and make it highly industrialized. In Japan they prefer uniqueness.” 
Ten C is known for its modular, versatile designs. This season, everything is characterized by the idea of hybridization, of constructing and blending materials and techniques that seem opposed. The standout pieces from the FW22 collection are “the piece-dyed OJJ garments that are fully taped, with pockets and details in the hood,” Pungetti continues. “Everything is complex, structured. The collection was inspired by the combinations of materials that are not compatible with dyeing, such as polyester and nylon, which, combined with elements of military inspiration and elements of technical inspiration, merge to create a new vision.”