If you behave well and be kind to others, you will always have open doors everywhere.
Appeared in suede boots, black denim, camel jumper, a pair of strikingly thick acetate eyewear from Jacques Marie Mage, and a vintage Omega Seamaster, Mr Squarzi met me after Milan Fashion Week in his multi-story showroom in central Milan.
Arguably the most photographed style icon in menswear fashion, Alessandro Squarzi is the founder of the Italian fashion label Fortela and a veteran fashion entrepreneur. As a fanatic vintage collector, Mr Squarzi is known for his formidable watch collections and vintage archives. As the incarnation of Italian debonair, Alessandro’s style has won global recognition from Japan to the USA with the help of street photographers like Scott Schuman from The Sartorialist. Shortly after our interview, he was on the cover of the 10th-anniversary version of CLUTCH magazine from Japan.
The charismatic mix of old-school tailoring and vintage look makes people without the so-called educated eyes also in love with Alessandro Squarzi’s style. It is not so hard to earn likes by looking dashing on social media, yet to achieve recognition as a style icon is another story. The true style must exude from the inside.
Authentic is the word to describe Alessandro’s style. While ageing, he is only more true to himself:
“When arriving certain level of maturity, you will prioritise things that make you feel good, surround yourself with people who care for you, pursue the thing that you are truly passionate about, and find time for yourself.”
Although his business locates in the fashion capital Milan, his favourite city is Rimini, a city that sprawls along the Adriatic Sea in northern Italy where his home is located. Alessandro’s tailor in Milan is the illustrious A. Caraceni, yet he told me stories about working with his 87-year-old tailor mysteriously known as Alfonso in Rimini which gives him the most amusement.
Mr Squarzi’s talent on style came from his character — a man who rose from humble beginnings, who are truly passionate about the vintage culture and cares about people around him. When I asked Alessandro what’s the most important lesson he’s learned working in the fashion industry for the past forty years, he told me that “if you behave well and be kind to others, you will always have open doors everywhere”.
