CLOTHING FOR THE SENSES
MAN OF THE CLOTH
Fashion wunderkind, Stefano is only 25 when Mr. Valentino places him at the head of his studio for Men’s ready-to-wear and accessories in Rome. At that early age, it seems he already has the «experience»: right after fashion studies at the Istituto Secoli and the Istituto Marangoni in Milan, Stefano started his own business and launched a brand of ready-to-wear, Les Enfants du Paradis, his first statement in the world of fashion. Twenty years later, he renews the experience of independence, but this time, with a trained eye, disciplined by the most exacting mentors: Gianni Versace and John Galliano. At home in the world of couture – for Atelier Versace and Christian Dior -, familiar with ready-to-wear - for Nina Ricci and Ferragamo -, enthusiastic about accessories, and versed in licenses (for Nina Ricci in Japan), he’s also proven his talent as a buyer for the most exclusive collections (Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, Azzedine Alaïa, Martin Margiela), as manager of fashion shows and in the design of exclusive lines for selective distributors (Piazza Sempione for Barney’s and Neiman Marcus). Stefano’s life in a few words: elegance is the discipline; luxury, the passion; simplicity, the interpretation.
I admit I feel a very strong
inclination for simplicity. I find no charm in a magnificent state bed or in a piece of clothing that one meticulously extracts from a trunk for the show‌. Quite to the contrary, I appreciate regular clothing for the interior, which I may preserve and wear without particular care. Seneca, in De Tranquillitate Animi Rome, around 63 A.D.
PIECE OF MIND
Stefano, what gave you the idea of launching a new line of clothing? The idea emerged when I noticed that, if today, you’re looking for a really comfortable, tactile article, one that can offer a distinct sensorial pleasure “slipping on”, you have to scourge the pyjama section, or maybe the yoga/ soft sports selection. And the belief that, try as you may, no one will ever look elegant in a PJs, no matter how fashionable the nightwear! Some very exclusive brands have started to think “comfort”, but these garments remain exceptions, lost in the very large collections. My idea is to bring into focus this specific criterion and dedicate my entire collection to it….
Is it in fact what the profession calls “loungewear”? It would be, only no one agrees on what the term “loungewear” covers… Google the word and you’ll only find lingerie! We have to use the term for want of a better one, but as long as distributors don’t define a section for it in their stores, on or off-line, we’ll stick with “ultra comfortable luxury wear”. I was going to say “UCLW”, but I’m done with acronyms, now that I’ve launched “ntSkn”….
ntSkn, meaning “natural skin”? Yes, I love the evolution of language with technology, in this case, SMS. Taking away the vowels is a bit like the Semitic languages ... The word is still recognizable through its skeletal structure of consonants. I was determined to use the term “skin”, despite the possible confusions with the cosmetic world, for it really is a brand dedicated to the skin, and its evanescent contact with textile. We’ve been wearing clothing for at least 50 000 years, weaving cloth for the past 25 000 years, and all it really boils down to is placing fabric on skin. I would like to transform this immemorial experience into a sensorial one…
Is it more important today to feel comfortable than in previous generations? It’s very likely. Clothes are no longer statutory as they were in medieval times; they are an object of choice and means. In the 1980s, the well to do were obsessed with status symbols and it became the reign of the “brand” as we know it today, slipping into a consumerist void. Thirty years later, I believe many have grown weary of the brand as a “badge”, or an acceptance rite to a certain circle of society. People are after their “favorite sweater”, their “favorite T-shirt”, their “favorite pair of jeans”… And if you spend time enquiring what “favorite” means, you’ll find it means “so-comfortable-I-could-sleep-in-it”, “a-color-that-goes-with-everything-and-enhancesmy-complexion”, “elegant-enough-that-I-can-wearit-to-a-party-or-a-business-meeting”, “makes me instantly feel more beautiful”.
So you’re still classically striving for aesthetics, beyond comfort? To me “unaesthetic fashion” is a contradiction in terms…. It may be the new trend –I did read some recent brand mission statements based on “jarring effects”, and “reversing the codes”, “taking the market by surprise”, etc. – but my feeling is that it will be very short lived… Who wants to look bad? Nature helps us, in that area, all too well, no need to add to it…! And I’m always surprised to see that when something “looks right”, everyone, no matter their personal taste, will agree. I always think of Jean Cocteau’s take on fashion: “Fashion cannot be explained. It ‘looks right’. That’s it.”
ALL THE WAY, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY In reference to his native Italy, Stefano Di Sabatino has composed the 15 elements for a perfect summer, relaxed yet elegant. The palette is derived from the shades of the natural world: sea, sky, sand and stone. The shapes are flattering, yet flowing: cropped or fastened only where necessary—elsewhere generous and enveloping. All the articles come in 5 sizes: Small - Small/Tall - Medium - Medium/Tall - Large. The fabrics are either certified West Indies Sea Island Cotton (WISIC), a cotton-silk blend (60% cotton/40% silk), or a silk-viscose blend (80% viscose/20% silk). Details are in AlcantaraTM. All the fabrics used are therefore 100% natural: viscose is a derivative from cotton, and AlcantaraTM is produced from plant fibers and carbon neutral. Care for the products is minimal: dry-cleaning recommended, but not necessary; hand wash cold with delicate soap and let dry flat naturally. No tumble dry. Articles need little or no ironing.
How do ntSkn products hold their promise to a sensorial experience? There is not one aspect of each individual item of the collection that has not been given the utmost attention. First and foremost, the fabric ntSkn founds its legitimacy on sourcing the most exclusive fabrics, making no exception and no compromise, whether for reasons of cost, sourcing difficulties or scarcity, limitation of stocks or production capacities and foreseeable delays. This explains that, in many respects, the production is unique: often a limited edition, no resupply available; unique in that no other brand will take a similar risk to fulfill client expectations. Therefore, an ntSkn client can rest assured that if he/ she is wearing cotton, it is, at one point in time, the best available cotton worldwide, full point. The same is true of the other fabrics, of course, each in its category. For example, ntSkn cotton is 100% pure West Indies Sea Island Cotton, truly originating from the West Indies, with a numbered WISICA hologram certificate to prove it. The cotton is then shipped to Switzerland where it is spun by one of the world’s leading thread manufacturers. The spools are then shipped to our weavers in Italy and Austria. Apart from the origination of the core material (cotton, silk etc), all ntSkn fabrics are 100% European.
Next, the details ntSkn has chosen AlcantaraTM for the details, a respected brand, entirely eco-friendly, and Made in Italy. For the zippers, ntSkn has chosen a historic and world leading Italian brand, and its top product, a high quality tumbled zipper with excellent fluency, no abrasion in contact with metal, and a super polished chain.
Finally, the manufacturing ntSkn articles are produced by the two most exclusive and historic clothing manufacturers in Europe, and, therefore, the world. Both are situated in Northern Italy. Because their attention to detail is incomparable and extremely labor intensive, they have limited production capacity and therefore accept to cater to only a few of the most selective brands in the world. The choice of these manufacturers is motivated by the necessity to work some of the essential details by hand, in order to obtain the incomparable wearer experience, whether sensorial (lining hem stitches, layering…), aesthetic (original designs, hem lining for added weight, dissimulating fabric joining…), or for durability purposes (reinforcement stitching). Therefore, our manufacturers finish off each and every individual article with traditional hand stitching, when sewing machines aren’t enough. This ensures permanent and foolproof quality control: every single article, before being folded up for shipment, has been the object of undivided technical attention.
WEST INDIES SEA ISLAND COTTON The seed of Sea Island cotton, Gossypium Barba-dense, or better known as «black seed», is a strain that is clearly different from all other types of cotton. It produces the longest fibres in the world with pile lengths of more than 50 mm, which is 20% longer than the fibres of other types of fine cotton. Our purveyor, in cooperation with local farmers, maintains his own plantation and fibre processing plant in the Caribbean, enabling direct control over the cotton’s quality. West Indian Sea Island cotton is picked by hand and processed using a gentle traditional method, which today, in our industrial society, is mastered by very few. This is the only manner in which the length of the fibres can be combined with their fine, homogenous structure. The cotton is also selected manually, in order to be able to guarantee top quality.
The capsule Summer Collection 2013
DRESSING THE SENSES
Reference WB2 Description: zippered jacket Material: cotton-silk blend Colors: Pearl, Sand
Reference WF1 Description: short sleeved top Material: cotton-silk blend Colors: Pearl, Sand
Reference WF2 Description: jumper Material: cotton-silk blend Colors: Pearl, Sand
Reference WJ1 Description: skirt Material: cotton-silk blend Colors: Pearl, Sand, Payne’s Grey
Reference WM2 Description: zippered overcoat Material: cotton-silk blend Colors: Pearl, Sand
Reference WPA1 Description: jockey pants Material: cotton-silk blend Colors: Pearl, Sand, Payne’s Grey
Reference WR2 Description: short sleeved dress Material: silk-viscose blend Colors: Champagne, Aquamarine
Reference WR1 Description: sleeveless dress Material: silk-viscose blend Colors: Champagne, Aquamarine
Reference WPA3 Description: shorts Material: silk-viscose blend Colors: Champagne, Aquamarine
Reference WPA2 Description: loose-fitting trousers Material: cotton-silk blend Colors: Pearl, Sand, Payne’s Grey
Reference WT3 Description: Maud top Material: WISI Cotton Colors: Marine, White
Reference WT2 Description: short sleeved top Material: silk-viscose blend or WISI Cotton Colors: Marine, White, Champagne, Aquamarine
Reference WT1 Description: sleeveless top Material: silk-viscose blend Colors: Champagne, Aquamarine
Reference WR3 Description: Maud dress Material: WISI Cotton Colors: Marine, White
Reference WT4 Description: long sleeved top Material: silk-viscose blend Colors: Champagne, Aquamarine
Stefano Di Sabatino draws on the shades and shapes of his native Abruzzo landscape: the Adriatic in aquamarine, sandstone as luminous as a champagne glass, star studded nights bathed in deep marine. Clothing wrought with such care and attention, the wearer at once inherits its soothing capital: hand finished details, certified West Indies Sea Island Cotton, silks and cottons blended to be worn as the next best skin.
A M A R A N T E D E S I G N / / P H O T O G R A P H I E S : M A R I E H E N N E C H A RT Š
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