Valstar and The Observer Launch Travel Jacket at Pitti Uomo

Robert Spangle, a former Marine turned tailor and journalist, has collaborated with Italian heritage brand Valstar to create a travel jacket designed from real-world experience. Presented at Pitti Uomo in Florence, the jacket was developed over more than a year with Valstar Creative Director Luigi Fila. Spangle, raised in Malibu and trained on Savile Row, also works as a fashion photographer and conflict journalist. The jacket reinterprets the bomber silhouette with soft suede sleeves and a streamlined body, integrating technical solutions discreetly. It was tested across assignments in Ukraine, Milan, Paris, Prague, Seville, and the United States. Spangle's first book, Afghan Style, explored clothing and identity. The collaboration reflects a shared philosophy of garments as companions to lived experience, balancing functionality and elegance.