Dear Sir,
please find belw the exclusive interview by Henderson with our CEO Mr Paolo Drago:
What are the three things you love about Italy the most?
- The espresso coffee: no Italian could ever drink a bad quality espresso. Moreover there are several different ways to enjoy an Italian espresso: long, short, with a drop of cold or hot milk, with some milk foam, with some liquor. This gives you an idea of how the Italians can combine variety and quality.
- The Italian landscapes: a big variety of landscapes which cannot be found in any other country. From the top of the Mont Blanc to the white sand beaches of Sardinia, going through the countryside and beautiful cities of arts and history.
- The power of the Italian hands. the unique capacity of the Italian handcrafters to create beautiful masterpieces in many fields.
How would you define the Italian style?
The Italian Style Italians have two obsessions: high quality and details. The combination of these two elements make the Italian style. A handmade suit with a superb fabric is Italian style. The handmade allows to wear a very natural garment, very soft, which follows the lines of your body. The high-quality fabric has beautiful and brilliant colors which cannot be obtained with a poor cloth. On top each single detail counts, nothing is left to the improvisation, also the way to stitch a button counts.
Does Italian style differ from region to region?
As written in the previous paragraph, all the Italians have the obsession for high quality and details. However, going more deeply, there are some substantial differences from region to region. You can easily find a Solaro suit in Milan but you will hardly see it in Rome. In the north the more constructed suit is preferred meanwhile in the south people men are looking mainly for unconstructed garments. These differences are noted only by the Italians, it’s very difficult to catch them for a foreigner.
What are the key things, which make the Italian male be so fashionable in the eyes of the whole world?
It’s an old and long story: rules and broken rules, as the artists and the architects have done in the past centuries in Italy. The Italian style has some basic rules which must be observed and some other rules that can be broken, always with good taste (there is an Italian word to define it, it’s “sprezzatura”). Never wear short socks, but ok for a linen blazer with light flannel pants, never pair the tie with the pocket square, but ok for a pair of brown suede shoes with a navy suit. It’s the art of creating an ensemble, made of good taste and details, observing some basic rules and breaking some other accordingly to the personality of each man.
How a foreigner could look fashionable when in Italy?
Wrong question: if you want to be elegant you must be it in every country you are . Elegance is something you develop day by day, following your personality and your attitudes until you reach the day when you will wear a tie without thinking how to pair it with your suit and shirt and the look will be fantastic. Elegance needs training….doesn’t matter where you are.
What are the three things, which every Italian man has in his wardrobe?
I would say a navy suit (you can use also only the jacket as a blazer), a white shirt and a pair of high-quality jeans.
What are the three things every man should have in his luggage, when travelling?
Do not be tempted to minimize your luggage when you travel. Especially if you are travelling for business, you need to show up in every circumstance with the proper attire. At least a couple of tailored suits, a casual blazer, jeans and shirts to be worn with or without a tie. It’s very important to look always fresh, with well ironed garments (I suggest to prefer garments with a good crease resistance, you can find many nowadays).
How many suits a man today should have in his wardrobe?
A minimal wardrobe will never help you to be an an elegant man. Some basic fabrics must be in your wardrobe such as navy plain, mélange grey, sharkskin and flannel. For summer it’s imperative to have at least one suit in cotton and one in linen, better if in light colors. It’s important to have also a couple of fancy jackets to be worn in more informal occasion.
What is your style advice, when choosing to buy a suit in the shop?
First judge with your eyes: the fabric must be brilliant, never shiny, just with a nice light and vivid colors. Then touch the fabric: must be soft but it must have also a nice body, nice “muscles”. Then you wear it: appreciate a soft and light construction, try to avoid any garment made with stiff and heavy interlinings, shoulders, linings. You will be exhausted at the end of the day if you wear a suit too heavy.
What is your personal style advice?
It’s better if you develop your own personality also in the way how you dress. It might be of good help to have a kind of guideline on which you can put some personal extravaganza. You can be more classic or more fashionable but do not mix too much the too look: you will have no credibility.
please find below the original interview: https://henderson.ru/friends/paolo-drago/
