Coffee couture: Mega-stylish Manfredi's fusing food with uber fashionable Beat Poet crew . . .

Loving this idea of a coffee and fashion fusion for the 10th year anniversary of Espresso di Manfredi by Piazza D’Oro. Espresso di Manfredi was created by star Italian chef Stefano Manfredi and Piazza D'Oro master roaster Wayne Archer (after tastings of the world's finest single origin coffee beans) and ten years on, it's still going strong.

With the Manfredi Italian style cap on, Beat Poët (one of Australia’s most promising design duos) have created a really great concept for the anniversary celebrations. Beat Poët, Edward Bertouch and James Johnson (pictured above) are transforming Blanco Restaurant and Bar, Kings Cross, into a celebration of modernism for the coffee label's anniversary party next Wednesday, August 18, the design team creating a limited edition series of waistcoats to celebrate the Manfredi coffee decade.

Fashion and design have always been an important factor for Stefano Manfredi and Julie Manfredi Hughes, the pair long known for their culinary expertise (belmondo, Restaurant Manfredi and Bells at Killcare).

As for the waistcoat idea, Ed and James used baristas as the initial inspiration to define the design of the waistcoats, and reckon cool males will be able to wear them anytime – whether behind a coffee machine or over a crisp white shirt for after work drinks.
“Design is important in everything we do,” says Julie Manfredi Hughes, a key design force behind Espresso di Manfredi by Piazza D’Oro. “When working with a designer, whether it be in creating a restaurant, a waistcoat or indeed a coffee cup, the design brief must always ask that the result have a long life, to look like it has always been part of the landscape and will not look dated or faddish in 10 years time.
“I look for innovation in design however, any innovation must also have functionality and I really believe what James and Ed have delivered is perfect.”
On the Espresso di Manfredi design and concept, the design duo says: “Before the clichéd target signs and army parkas, the 60's mod movement was all about British youth looking to continental Europe, especially Italy and France for style inspiration.
“Driving between Italian-style cafes and jazz clubs on the latest Lambretta and Vespa scooters, the first wave of mods would go to see black and white foreign films to sketch the details of the clothes so that they could get their tailors to create the sharpest suits.
“For the Espresso di Manfredi 10th celebrations, we wanted to highlight the European heritage of the brand and quality of the coffee, as a mod’s pride was based on only engaging in the finer things in life.”
Beat Poët menswear was formed in Sydney in 2005, with a humble accessories line. After a year of concept development in Melbourne, Ed and James returned to Sydney to launch their Spring Summer installment of their first collection and went on to win the designer of the year at the GQ Men of The Year awards. So, there you go . .