Now most people would not have heard  of these men. Information about them is certainly close to impossible.   
I remember i went to the National Portrait Gallery in London during my lunch break at Saint Martins and came across a a dozen pictures of these inspiring men. I worked on a line based on these characters.
They are hugely proud old men that  live in the Eritrean capital, Asmara. They call themselves Asmarinos and  are reminiscent of the bygone Italians. Always spending time enjoying  their 'passeggiata', a stroll up and down Independence Avenue Asmaras  main thoroughfare.
In their youth, under Italian colonial rule,  during the 1930s Asmarinos were not allowed to pursue such pleasures.    Here are a few men dressed in  European suits, fine hats and walking sticks they emulate an Italian  lifestyle and dress.


 Courtesy of Stefan B
Courtesy of Stefan B