The Art & Luxury journal eng by The Art & Luxury

Interview by Ksenia Berezhnaya

ANTONIO DE MATTEIS

Ph. Max Vadukul

CEO OF KITON

“THE BEST OF THE BEST +1” INTERNATIONAL PROJECT THE ART & LUXURY JOURNAL RECORDED AN INTERVIEW WITH ANTONIO DE MATTEIS, KITON’S CEO, IN WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT THE HERITAGE OF THE COMPANY, THE HISTORY AND THE MEANINGS THAT ARE INCORPORATED INTO THE GLOBAL HIGH-CLASS BRAND 2

ANTONIO, PLEASE TELL US HOW THE COMPANY WAS BORN AND WHAT IS ITS LEGACY? For sure Kiton is a family company. I think one of the key points of the company is that our family started to sell fabrics to tailors, that’s when my uncle converted family company into production company. After we started to sell fabrics, we started to produce jackets and suits and overcoats with the tailors. That was the big vision of my uncle, because it was happening in 1956, when Naples was full of tailors, to understand at the time that the tailor tradition could disappear, if somebody didn’t take care of it. I think it was this genius and entrepreneurial vision of my uncle to gather all the tailors in the Neapoli area. He took care of that day-by-day step by step, like i usually say. He started to sell his product all around Europe. And he travelled by car to introduce Kiton brand himself. The reason why my uncle arrived by car wherever he went is because he didn’t like to fly. When the second generation came on top of the company, we started to sell these products all around the world.

WHAT DIFFICUTIES DID YOU FACE ENTERING THE EUROPEAN MARKET? There were difficulties to make people understand why our product was so high-level price, because we cannot call our product expensive. The product is expensive if only it is not related to quality. And i think that what Kiton is still doing is not expensive, but very cheap, which is the opposite. The secrets that my uncle gave us who to

SINCE 1968

KITON IS A FAMILY COMPANY run the company is the law of passion which we have to transfer to the people who work with us and to the people who sell our product. There is no secret, but the law of passion. The perseverance always to be in front, always to be next to the people to explain the product, to talk about the product. That is the message that my uncle sent us every day and now we’re trying to send to all our employees and to other people who will to be able to sell our product. We are trying to send the same massage to them that my uncle gave to us. It is something that has to be in your blood. 3

HOW DID TAILORING KITON BRAND APPEAR? In 1971 the name of the company was Cipa, which combined the initials of my uncle. When we started to approach the international market, we understood that Cipa was too similar to “cheap”, for sure that is not what Kiton is, and my uncle transformed the name form Cipa to Kiton. The inspiration of the name came from a greek word, that is the “khitōn” (greek: χɩτών ), that represents the most elegant and the most unpretentious dress that the greek people wore when they went to pray to Olympus. Keeping this in mind the company works in a very simple way but with a lot of attention to quality and when we talk about quality, we talk about the product, the service, the relationship with the consumer, that is we are 360 degrees quality-oriented company. Product is part of the ingredients. It was the secret of our company and we are still doing that. I think that we are one of the few companies in the world that own the factory where each product of Kiton is done. There is no other company that can say that. We are the only company in the world that goes from the materials to the final product, because more than 10 years ago we bought the Carlo Barbera mill, that is the fabrics factory, where we now produce more than 90% of all the fabrics that we use in our collections. And i think this was of the immense value in the early days of our company.

IS IT TRUE THAT IN THE PAST YOU DID NOT WORK WITH ITALIAN FACTORIES, BUT 4

PREFERRED ENGLISH ONES, IN PARTICULAR SCOTTISH ONES? That is not true because we want to cooperate with italian factories. Kiton has always tried to use the best quality in the world of fabrics.

CLOTHING COLLECTION SS 2023

HOW DID TAILORING KITON BRAND APPEAR? Before we bought Carla Barbera Milla we used to go to England, especially Scotland, because you can find the best quality fabrics in the world there. In Scotland fabrics are still made with very old systems, there are machines that give special resistance to fabrics. That was the way how we selected our fabrics, definitely not the preconception not to use italian fabrics. Since we bought our textile mill at Biella in Italy we started to produce this kind of quality, which is very expensive by the way, at our factory and today 90% of our fabrics come from Italy.

THANK YOU, ANTONIO. AND WHAT DOES IMPECCABILITY MEAN TO YOU? As i said before quality is the main area of the company. It is not only related to the product but for sure it means to be made in the best way that we can with the best materials that we can find. But when we talk about quality, which is a very big word, that introduces other words, such as the service, the relationship. It is the lifestyle of the people who work with you, the salary that they receive. It is a full package. You are making something of a very high quality when all these ingredients are done with the best effort that you can make. Just to mention that the salary of the people who work in the Kiton company, is on average 40% to 50% higher than in any other company in Italy. This means that it makes our employees happy, whether they are with the family or with a boyfriend or girlfriend if they are young. And when you are happy you give your best effort to your company. There are many different things when you talk about quality. The relationship with the clients, the desire to be nearer to the clients, not just when everything is easy. The product, the delivery are other words. Inside these words there is so much experience for us. And we try to take care of them all.

COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT NEAPOLITAN STYLE IS

“I HAVE NEVER COMPROMISED N QUALITY“ — CIRO PAONE BECAUSE PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES DO NOT QUITE UNDERSTAND THE NOTION OF THIS STYLE? I have to be honest, my uncle was from Naples, that’s for sure. Our company is located in Naples, it can be located only here because in naples there is a very old tradition of tailoring and that is for sure the reason why we are here. But since the beginning my uncle have always tried to be less neapolitan as possible with our product. What does it mean? It means that our tailors used to make a lot of stiches just to show that the product is from Naples and is made by neapolitan makers. We think that our customer doesn’t need that, he doesn’t need to show who has made the jacket for him. I think that our customers buy clothes for themselves, not to show to somebody else what they are wearing. They are more like a collector. They are very jealous with what they are wearing. And maybe they don’t want that everybody knows that they are wearing kiton. I think this is the key point. This is the reason why my uncle since the beginning tried to be different. The softness of kiton jacket is very neapolitan, the construction is very neapolitan, but the side is much more international than neapolitan, and that is the difference between kiton and all other neapolitan companies. I think that we have always tried to present an international product that you can wear with the same attitude in New York, in Moscow, in Paris, in London without looking neapolitan. You have to look international. That is the key aspect for us. You don’t need to look local but international. And that is what our clients appreciate a lot. 5

THERE ARE SOME RUMOURS THAT YOUR FIRST CLIENTS WERE FROM MAFIA. IS IT TRUE? No, that is not true. Kiton is a brand that is not so well known to people who like to shoot. Mafia people like wearing brands that they can demonstrate that they are wearing. They want to see a lot of labels outside. As for kiton and especially for suits and jackets the label is always inside. I think that our product is done for people who are professionals. Mafia can get by the store, buy what they want, but the attention of the company was for sure not that.

HOW WAS KITON MOTTO BEST OF THE BEST PLUS ONE INVENTED? As always it was my uncle, ciro paone! What does kiton best of the best plus one mean, because it is very important? It means that we are never satisfied with what we are doing, and we always try to do better, and that is “plus one”. There is evolution of the world where everything is happening, starting from the pandemic and unfortunately to the war. We started with “best of the best plus one” which shows that we never stop and have come to evolution because we try to demonstrate that the company is always progressing. It means evolution in the style, evolution in the service, evolution in distribution, evolution in the way we represent our brand. We never stop. I think that is the new key word that we have in our mind, and it is the projection for the next two or three years for sure.

WHAT ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT STAGES IN THE HISTORY OF YOUR 6

KITON IS AN EVOLUTIONARY COMPANY

COMPANY FOR THE LAST 30 OR 40 YEARS?

ANTONIO, WHERE DO YOU PERSONALLY LOOK FOR INSPIRATION? WHAT MAKES YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? Inspiration comes from the people who are around us, from the people who live together with us and from the people whom we work with. They give us the strongest inspiration. We are lucky because we meet final consumers in our life, and we talk with them. We have lunches with them, we invite them to dinners, we are friends with them. And they give us suggestions, they tell us everything they need. Our inspiration comes from the front. It is a great pleasure to meet these people and with their help it is much easier to understand what the company has to do.

INSPIRATIONTION

I think there were no specific moments. Kiton as i told you before has always been an evolution company where everything happens day by day. Everything happens naturally. The passage from my uncle to the second generation happened in a natural way. Nothing was forced. I think that Kiton shows to the world that is a progressive company. It is the most important value that today we are giving to our son who is the third generation coming to the board. And i think for the market it is also one of the most important values, because everything that you are doing today can be no good for tomorrow. Older companies understand that and if you don’t understand that, your company can die. That is why we are working very hard every day to make our company evolve as much as possible. And that’s the reason why we say we never stop until we get the highest results. We are growing a lot, for example, 2022 will be our record year. That is a big example that we can give to the third generation, like my uncle was giving to us when he was alive.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER BRANDS, BESIDES KITON, THAT YOU ADMIRE?

ANTHONY, HAS THE IMAGE OF YOUR CLIENT CHANGED OVER THE LAST YEARS?

For sure there are some brands that we love, for example, Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls Royce are brands that we respect. They represent a good example how to manage a company. They are dedicated to a certain level of clients who are looking for quality and service in the best way possible. Definitely that's a fantastic example of what level Kiton would like to reach in the future or the level where we are already now but would like to improve the product, the quality, the service, as we are doing every day.

I don’t think our clients have changed during the pandemic, but especially after the pandemic we started to have a new life. People and especially the new generation are much more precise about what they wear. For example, we are selling some products for specific events like Tuxedo and interestingly we have been selling a lot of tuxedos for the last two years though we didn’t have any events during this period. The pandemic is almost over, and we observe that people wish to enjoy their life. We see a lot of people going to banks or having cocktails who want to be dressed appropriately. I foresee the future where new generations will be much more precise and determined in choosing clothes they need for certain events. They prefer wearing suits and ties for board meetings. When they have some leisure time during the weekend, they could change clothes two or three times a day. Starting Saturday morning they are dressed one way, in the afternoon they change and if they go out at night, they change again. Before that it was impossible, such things never happened. Today it is just like that. And we are very proud because we can present a lot more products to them and we can demonstrate a lifestyle company and that is very beneficial for the business.

COULD YOU NAME THE THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF A LUXURIOUS BRAND? Personally for me, the most important one is never to make compromise about the quality. We never put the price first. We always think about the quality of the product. There are many companies which creating a new product think immediately about to the retail price. We are a kind of company that doesn't think about price when making a new product. On the contrary we develop the best product possible first and after that we consider the price. And I am sure that is the unique way to run a quality company.

VOCATION, TRADITION, TALENT 8

WHAT TYPE OF WOMEN CHOOSES KITON BRAND? I think that they are almost never wives of our clients. They are independent, they are power ladies for sure, they know what they want. And again, they are ladies who are more concerned about the quality than the quantity. Kiton is the quality company and I think many ladies, just the same as many men, are quality-oriented people. In fact, it doesn't matter whether our clients are males or females, if they have more or less the same “quality DNA”. They are wearing Kiton because they don't need to show to anybody else what they are wearing. They're wearing our clothes for pleasure, for the feeling of satisfaction they get, just for themselves not for others.

MARIA GIOVANNA PAONE

AN EMOTION TO FEEL AND WEAR, WOMENSWEAR THAT'S LUXURIOUS YET RELAXED 9

FAMILY SPIRIT

COMING BACK TO THIS IDEA OF HERITAGE, WHAT IS THE LEGACY OF KITON COMPANY? I think it is the spirit of the family company. Today being an independent family company represents a big value for our clients. They feel protected, they feel that they can talk with us, they feel that behind the product there is a philosophy of life, there is a particular way of thinking. I would say this is a vital part of our heritage that we are preserving. 10

“THE GREATEST VIRTUE OF NEAPOLITANS IS THE ART OF MAKING D “ — CIRO PAONE ARE THERE ANY MUSEUMS WHERE YOUR SUITS OR JACKETS ARE PRESENTED NOWADAYS? That is another project that we have in mind to build the foundation of the company where we can show the company’s history and display our products from its beginning when we started in 1956. The area of our factory enables us to make a museum of Kiton here. It is not the project that will be embodied tomorrow, but for sure it would be something that we'll be able to do in the next 2-3 years.

ARE YOU IMPLEMENTING ANY NEW-PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS BESIDES FASHION? We have some projects in mind. I think that the company can grow a lot in this area. At the moment we are very concentrated at what we are doing because there is still a lot to do. But I'm sure that together with the third generation the company is projected to grow in different areas. There is a project that is under discussion almost every day when we get together. And I'm very positive that it could happen in five years from now, it's not something that can happen very quickly. But when the company arrives at a certain level, I think that natural evolution of the company will take place in multiple directions, like hotels and restaurants. There are various areas that could have huge growth potential.

IT'S VERY TRENDY TODAY TO MAKE COLLABORATIONS. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER COMPANIES? For the moment, there are no such projects. As I told you before, it's very important for me to be concentrated on what we are doing to make the company grow as fast as possible. We feel that there is still a lot to do in this area before coming up with new ideas. After two years of the pandemic we are on the way to make the company look greater. I hope that soon we can come back to Russia, because today it is little bit difficult unfortunately. I feel that what is happening will come to its end very soon. Your country, our country and Ukraine are fantastic places, people are fantastic and we need to unit together again.

WORLD.KITON.COM 11

PRIVATE CLUBS — BRITAIN'S PAST AND FUTURE

ABOUT THE MOST LEGENDARY AND INTERESTING PRIVATE CLUBS IN LONDON 12

THE FIRST PRIVATE CLUBS BEGAN TO APPEAR IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN THE LATE XVII — EARLY XVIII CENTURY. WOMEN WERE FORBIDDEN TO ENTER SUCH ESTABLISHMENTS, AND THEREFORE THEY WERE CALLED GENTLEMEN'S CLUBS

WHITE’S The White's Gentlemen's Club in St. James's was opened by Italian immigrant Francesco Bianco in 1693. It was the first private club in the whole of the UK and was the originator of a popular tradition of exclusive communities. It was behind the doors of White's that English aristocrats preferred to spend their free evenings in private conversations and gambling, often leaving with huge winnings. Members of White's Club included some of the richest Britons, including King Charles III, Prince William, and former Prime Minister David Cameron. After several centuries, the club has remained true to its main tradition — only men can still join. The only exception was made during the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.

ATHENAEUM CLUB One of the oldest private clubs in London was opened in 1824 for British intellectuals from various fields: science, literature, medicine, politics, education. This was largely due to the fact that only prominent, or at least promising, members of the professions could be invited here. The club quickly earned a reputation as one of the most intellectual closed communities in the British capital. The club building itself is quite easy to recognize: on the main balcony stands a gilded statue of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and patroness of the community. Here you can still hear guests taking part in political or scientific debates. Finally, a thoughtful, lonely Briton reading in a Victorian armchair is not a rarity, but the norm for the Athenaeum, because the club is judged solely on intelligence. 13

THE ARTS CLUB The Arts Club is the cradle of art and the ideal club for connoisseurs of beauty. Moreover, it is one of the few private clubs in the British capital, which, thanks to a timely rebranding, was able to literally "revive" and become a center of attraction for London's cultural elite from a gradually losing popularity. Created in 1863 for creative people, The Arts Club over the years gave way to other numerous communities. Until in 2011 the institution reopened after a large-scale reconstruction, beginning to focus on a more modern audience. Now the club offers several restaurants, bars and lounges, with hotel rooms on the upper floors and live music from top-notch artists.

CARLTON CLUB Opened in 1832 as the official meeting place for the 14

Conservative Party, the club instantly became, and still is, an iconic place for Tories, and membership is a mark of prestige. Many meetings and events are still held here, and young politicians want to come here to make political connections. For more convenience, the building has hotel rooms, as well as special rooms for work, meeting rooms, and finally

several dining rooms. Of course, all of them are named after famous conservative figures, such as Winston Churchill or Margaret Thatcher.

LOULOU’S 5 HERTFORD STREET Luxurious and coveted by many, Vogue magazine wrote of this 5 Hertford Street as "the most beautiful club in London". The club is nestled in the heart of Mayfair. Legend has it that it's almost impossible to get in. London's trendsetters and movie stars, wealthy entrepreneurs and owners of major corporations, as well as key members of the royal family.

LOULOU’S 5 HERTFORD STREET

LUXURIOUS AND COVETED BY MANY, VOGUE MAGAZINE WROTE OF THIS 5 HERTFORD STREET AS "THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CLUB IN LONDON" 15

YULIA AKIMOVA

OWNER OF THE GALLERY CARRÉ D’ARTISTES MOSCOW

ABOUT MENTALITY OF FRANCE, ITS IMPECCABLE LIFESTYLE, AND THE BEST WAY TO SELECT ART OBJECTS

I WOULD NOT LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE MATERIAL, BUT RATHER ABOUT THE FLIGHT OF A SOUL AND DREAM! YOU BRING FRENCH ART TO RUSSIA. AND ALL ITS FRENCH LIGHTNESS, SORT OF AN IDEAL OF LIBERALISM, FREEDOM — ITS STYLE PROBABLY IS REFLECTED IN THE DNA OF YOUR PERSONAL BRAND AND GALLERY. CERTAINLY FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR PERSONAL VISION OF FRANCE? You know, I have lots of memories related to France... For me, it’s not just the concept of a personal brand or a French fleur that everyone wants to bring to their life, in reality very few people know exactly what it is. For me it is primarily the country where I spent two years of my life, where I lived and studied. I studied alongside the French; I got education in the field not closely connected with art and eventually received a French diploma. And the peculiarities of the mentality of France, French people, the peculiarities of lifestyle of this country, all this is quite clear for me, understandable and completely logical. And as a consequence, the business I wanted to start just had to be connected to this country.

А AND IF YOU WERE ASKED TO DESCRIBE POETICALLY WHAT FRANCE MEANS TO YOU, WHAT PICTURE ARISES IN YOUR HEART AND SOUL? France is first of all about the traditions, the heritage of its ancestors, about the connection between generations. For me France is also about the art of living. No matter how trite it may sound, but I think the French have no equal! Their lust for life, their ability to live are manifested in everything starting with their approach to design of their homes and finishing with how they see the process of eating. In every aspect there is attention to details! Everything is always done deliberately, consciously, ceremonial, in a good sense of this word, but not rigid, and easily. When the art of living is in your blood, you

don’t make much effort to make it beautiful, and it’s coming from within you.

GALLERY CARRE D'ARTISTES IS LIKE A BRIDGE BETWEEN COUNTRIES. DO YOU FEEL ANY DIPLOMATIC ROLE IN THIS DIALOGUE? I didn’t think about it in terms of diplomacy. Creative people exist everywhere in the world, and they are united by the idea of creation and so they are creating beauty, regardless of the political, economic and ideological context. These are people who strive for creativity as air, as life... And our job is to help these people find themselves, help them move forward, help them develop in their own context. And I guess my mission is to do that. Whether or not this is a diplomatic mission is probably for others to decide. 17

HOW DID YOU START TO DEVELOP INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION? It was international from the very start. It was not a problem eight years ago. I had an idea to bring art from European authors. My life experience, my knowledge of the language, my understanding of mentality allowed to build a partnership with a French company, which was engaged in the development and promotion of European artists and get access to their pool. And then we added our authors to this pool and connections developed over time. I do not recall the difficulties. The difficulties were more of a technical nature: to bring something in, to get permission for the painting, but it was just the question of time.

ACCORDING TO YOUR EXPERIENCE HOW SHOULD ONE SELECT ART OBJECTS CORRECTLY? WITH THE HELP OF SOUL OR SHOULD WE CALL UPON RATIONALISM? I am convinced that this is a totally emotional process. Irrational even more so. It’s like choosing a man — someone has your soul, someone does not. It is the same with art — there are objects that make your heart beat more often, and you can’t always explain why it happened in front of a certain painting. It’s chemistry, it either happens or it doesn’t. It’s the combination of all the components.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE PAINTING AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL REFLECTION OF A PERSON? ЛAny object reflects us. For sure, a painting is a reflection of our feelings, our personality, our life experiences. Art can be aimed at creating, art can be brutal, disturbing, in order to excite darker emotions. Yes, not all art is meant to please us. But many believe that it is so that art should only be about the beautiful, about the good. 18

MY LIFE EXPERIENCE, MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE, MY UNDERSTANDING OF MENTALITY ALLOWED TO BUILD A PARTNERSHIP WITH A FRENCH COMPANY

And people are not ready to observe any brutal piece of art at their homes. Some art you can go look at the museum, get charged, tickle your nerves, experience that particular emotion, but you do not want to take it home to admire it every day. And as for their houses, people would better choose something more satisfying, more meditative... Again, all people are different and there is no universal recipe.

WHAT IS THE CONCEPT OF THE GALLERY AND WHAT VALUES DOES IT CONVEY? WHAT DOES THE GALLERY CONVEY AS A BRAND? This project involves lots of personal things. I call it my third child, and not without reason. There is a lot of me and my Soul, my approach in all the small details you saw when you walked around the first floor. Starting from the selection of frames and composition of paintings. Initially I wanted to create a space that would be friendly for a start, where every guest could find what he or she likes, so we have a lot of paintings there. Secondly, we wanted the space to absorb the best from different countries. Right now, we have artists from Russia, France, Argentina, Bulgaria, Japan there. In two months, this list may differ, new authors arrive, that is, it is an ongoing process. But at the same time there exist the basic core of artists who have been with us for 7 years. We present different things and show a cross section of what is happening in modern art world in all countries.

HAVE YOU GOT A PIONEERING APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING ART? Yes, listen with heart. It seems to me that understanding art from the artistic point of view is not correct and more so, to lay out every painting on molecules and feel oneself obliged to look for some meaning there... I think the painting needs to be felt and experienced emotionally.

SO, IT IS NOT WORTH STANDING IN FRONT OF A PAINTING AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS, IS IT? Sometimes gallerists say: «When creating this painting the artist wanted to say...» And then there’s this text that tells us everything about what the artist intended to say... But a real artist will never talk like that about his works. Though he can give you keys.

WHAT ARE THE PECULIARITIES OF INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE OF ART? Creative people are vulnerable, touchy, they see the world differently. In some cases, we have to say that this is not exactly what we would like to see in our gallery. And it is a delicate moment, how to say “no” and not to hurt. These are partnership issues, first, we need an understanding of the person who works with us, but at the same time we have to select our clients. 19

they would know in advance what art to invest in to multiply their fortune. But, of course, there are objective criteria: you need to check where the artists exhibited their works, in what exhibitions they participated, where they studied, how they developed, whether they have an international resonance? All art objects increase in value after the death of the author. This all indicates a certain investment potential, so galleries must make serious selection.

WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTING ARTISTS FOR YOUR GALLERY? These are standard criteria: education, personal exhibitions.

HOW TO DETERMINE INVESTMENT ATTRACTIVENESS IN ART? If you are told that this piece of art necessarily will grow in value, then in my opinion, I will state my point again, it is not entirely honest. There are so many factors that must come together, because if it were so easy, then everyone among the gallery owners would be more than well off,because 20

WE PROVIDE VERY GOOD SERVICE FOR GALLERY GUESTS. WE PROVIDE OUR CUSTOMERS WITH SERVICE NO MATTER WHAT KIND (AND HOW MANY PIECES OF ART) HE ACQUIRES

GALLERY CARRÉ D’ARTISTES MOSCOW

DO YOU REFER YOUR GALLERY TO THE LUXURY SEGMENT? Of course. The person who has decided to purchase of an art object is definitely the one who has fulfilled his basic needs. He has a place to live in and live comfortably, he possesses certain level of education to engage in art. All the needs of the Maslow pyramid must be fulfilled. The customer we are targeting at is from the luxury segment, he desires here and now a service, a fitting, a visualization, a framing, an installation or to make a special gift package for an important person. We provide very good service for gallery guests. After all, gallery and service represent concepts from different areas sometimes ... But I am a person of business and I have a slightly different approach. We provide our customers with service no matter what kind (and how many pieces of art) he acquires.

Interview by Ksenia Berezhnaya, chief editor The Art & Luxury Journal

SARA VEZZA

THE ROAD IS STRAIGHT FROM ALBA TO THE HEART OF THE LANGHE.THE HILLS GET CLOSER, THE HAZELNUT GROVES AND THE PRESTIGIOUS VINEYARDS DRAW THE TERRITORY LIKE PIECE OF ART. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS EXACTLY LIKE THIS, VITICULTURE IS ART, HISTORY, CULTURE AND INTEGRATION WITH NATURE.ON THIS JOURNEY IT IS EASY TO ARRIVE IN MONFORTE D'ALBA AND FIND YOURSELF IN FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE SARA VEZZA FARM. 22

SARA IS AN IMPORTANT WOMAN IN THE WORLD OF WINE, HER COMPANY IS HISTORY, TRADITION AND INNOVATION. SHE IS PART OF "LE DONNE DEL VINO", AN ITALIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER AROUND 1,000 WOMEN ACTIVE IN THE WINE SECTOR. SHE WELCOMES US WITH SIMPLICITY AND WITH A STRONG POSITIVE ENERGY THAT CHARACTERIZES SPECIAL PEOPLE.

SARA, HOW DID IT HAPPEN THAT YOU STARTED DOING A WINEMAKER?

MONFORTE D'ALBA

“I have always dreamed of taking care of vineyards and viticulture, at the age of 19 I already worked in the family vineyards and at the age of 22 I started producing my first 1000 bottles. My story is intertwined with that of my family. My mother — Josetta Saffirio — decided to take care of the vineyards of her father, my grandfather Ernesto. My mother has a degree in agriculture and a teacher, my father Roberto is an oenologist. Together they have cultivated the vineyards successfully, also obtaining recognition for the high quality of the Barolo wine they produce. Then follows a moment of pause and it is in that moment that I decide to take care of the family vineyards myself, trying to make my dream of being a "winemaker" come true.

SARA, AND TELL PLEASE HOW YOU STARTED TO COOPERATE CLOSELY WITH RENZO ROSSO, FOUNDER OF DIESEL, AN INTERNATIONAL FASHION BRAND THAT WE ALL KNOW?

From the first 1000 bottles I went to about 100,000.

“During this way, with a view to growing, investing in quality and new projects, thanks to a neighbor of mine, I established contacts with Renzo Rosso, founder of Diesel, a historic fashion brand, and president of the Fashion and Luxury group OTB.

My mother — Josetta Saffirio — decided to leave the wine world while the lands had already been rented and managed by me for years, so I come to have to make a courageous, tiring and troubled choice but also dictated by a deep bond and a sense of respect for the sacrifices made from grandfather Ernesto and father Roberto, i.e. exercising the right of preferential purchase of all the property. An important investment that guarantees continuity.

Being a financial partner means injecting fresh capital into the company, to support the business plan and be a protagonist in Brave Wine, the company that Renzo Rosso created to manage his investments in the Luxury wine sector. 23

“JOSETTA SAFFIRIO” IS THE HISTORICAL BRAND, THE TRADITION AND WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF WINE YOU PRODUCE AND WHICH BRANDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY? No, “Josetta Saffirio” is the historical brand, the tradition. The gnomes are represented on the labels, Josetta designed these labels herself, dedicating them to these 24

creatures who help farmers in the fields and in the cellar in exchange for a little wine. The beauty of the designs makes the labels famous all over the world. The other brand that represents my company is “Sara Vezza”, and as I like to determine it, it represents the Evolution Line. It is linked to the Classic Method and to the "Bubbles of Piedmont" project, which takes place in the Alta Langa vineyards in the Municipality of Murazzano at an altitude of about 600 meters.

OUR WINES UNDER THE “JOSETTA SAFFIRIO” BRAND ARE: Barbera D'Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo, Barolo DOCG, Barolo DOCG Persiera, Barolo Riserva Millenovecento48 from a vineyard planted by my grandfather in 1948 immediately after World War II, Langhe Rossese Bianco, Langhe Rosato. “SARA VEZZA” IS: Nebbiolo D'Alba Spumante Brut Rose' DOC, Alta Langa DOCG Brut Classic Method, Vermouth of Turin Red. On the labels there are the 4 Aristotelian symbols: Water, Air, Earth, Fire. A reminder to my family and my 4 children.

SARА, DO YOUR CHILDREN HELP YOU IN THE COMPANY'S DAILY ROUTINE? AND WHAT DOES IT TEACH THEM?

its own characteristics that I manage to rediscover over the years, e.g. they express the territory of origin and this is extremely important to me also because I planted the vineyards, I know them, I know the difficulties, strengths and this is a great advantage, and a great bond with the wines I produce. For the Classic Method, the wine that best represents me — that best represents “Sara Vezza” is the Alta Langa, also because Murazzano (the district of Alta Langa), was sought after and wanted, and it is a dream to be built. We started from some pastures, 10 hectares of fields which, now, are vineyards, are wonderful, surrounded by chestnut woods which are very interesting from a landscape point of view. I want to say a few words about Nebbiolo Spumante (which is a challenge from my dad), born in 2009, and over the years we too have grown up using the Classic method, which is an extremely fascinating universe also because it is very technical. This tells another vision of making wine with respect to the classic Barolo, and is therefore very stimulating for us artisan producers.

They follow me, they are interested and represent my strength and I try to make them understand the importance of having a mother who feels accomplished, happy and secure.

AND WHAT ARE YOUR MOST REPRESENTATIVE WINES? The “Sara Vezza” brand is betting everything on the Classic Method and at the moment the reference market for the Alta Langa denomination is the Italian one, abroad it is to a lesser extent and it will take a few years and it is still a matter to be built. Among the most representative wines of the Josetta Saffirio brand is the Barolo Riserva of which we make just over 2000 bottles and comes from the grapes of a vineyard planted by my grandfather in 1948, it really represents us because it tells our origins, I grew up running in this vineyard and I must say that each wine has 25

VOCATION: HOW TO FIND THE VOCATION FOR A PERSON WHO DOES NOT FEEL IT YET? “I believe that if one has a dream he must be willing to go forward and not stop in front of the darkest wood. For me it was a challenge right from the start and I studied Latin and Greek and communication sciences and I had to learn a job from scratch and even the first few years, my dad sent me to work in the vineyard with a 70-yearold gentleman who only spoke Piedmontese dialect, and I also had to learn the dialect to be able to communicate and therefore I believe that determination and dedication are what make the difference. If someone doesn't have a vocation, he cannot force oneself and I have 4 children and I don't expect all four of them to choose this job, on the contrary the most important thing is that they are happy and have satisfactions in life."

in turn. The Langhe are a UNESCO World Heritage Site while in the Alta Langa it is a matter that needs to be built and my Father says thatin 30 – 40 years the Alta Langa will be like Barolo. Alta Langa is an area that has a lot to give also from a landscapepoint of view. Many works in the vineyard are done by hand also because the vineyards are sloping. With climate change and very hot summers, the vines are not leafed out to protect them from solar radiation. There is some mechanical work and a lot of manual work. Wealso use anti-hail nets on the Nebbiolo da Barolo vineyards, and we are satisfied, it certainly involves longer processing times but also protects against solar radiation.

MONFORTE D'ALBA

WHAT DOES ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS WOMEN WINEMAKERS IN ITALY LIKE TO DO, BESIDES VITICULTURE? IF IT'S NOT A SECRET. I like discovering new territories, I also really like traveling in Italy, I always try to find destinations that are also usable for the family and functional for everyone, for example last weekend we went in a camper and there were stages that satisfied both adults and the little ones, the playful and gastronomic part, and it is an asset for my children to be able to accompany them on this journey with them. And then I like going for a run because it allows you to disconnect completely and work harder, which isimportant to me. Because I am unstoppable. “The uniqueness that we have in this area today will be maintained and handed down to our children and they 26

A farm and winery is also the protection of the landscape and the environment and biodiversity, so we believe in sustainabilitybecause we farmers are the first to see and experience the effectsof climate change, drought and frosts and therefore we have a duty to intervene to put the brake. It is clear that a company that cultivates in a sustainable or organic way is a plus. In the first place, it must do it for itself, for the people who work there, to do its part in preserving the environment, and then for the

consumer. A wine that has a high-end price must first of all be good, because the consumer first notices this, and then also the fact that it is sustainable". SARA BOXES A FEW BOTTLES OF HER FINE WINE AS A TRIBUTE. AND THE BOX IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT DETAIL. ON THE BOX IT SAYS: "L’ANELLO FORTE — FOR A CIRCULAR COMMUNITY ECONOMY". L'ANELLO FORTE IS AN ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN WORKING IN WINERIES IN MONFORTE D'ALBA WHICH AIMS TO RECYCLE AND REUSE THE WASTE FROM THE SUPPLY CHAIN. IN FACT, THE BOX IS PRODUCED WITH WASTE PAPER ALSO COMING FROM THE WASTE OF SARA VEZZA'S COMPANY AND IS COMPLETELY RECYCLABLE.

"L’ANELLO FORTE — FOR A CIRCULAR COMMUNITY ECONOMY"

Interview by Irene Feofilova-Chuvikina Director of the Italian Representative Оffice of the “Academy of Castles” of Liechtenstein, Holistic therapist and relationship coach

GOSSIP COLUMN

WE INSPIRATION FORUM DE LUXE AT BARVIKHA HOTEL & SPA The forum was held in a closed format with a beautiful inspirational reception in the style of the Inspiration Women's Club. 3 panels, 12 top speakers; The event discussed such topics as: brand development in the premium segment, high service, inspiring experience and eternal values, 10 key trends in Luxury, international business today, life in Art De Vivre style. The organizers of the forum are Berezhnaya Ksenia and Chechulina Anna, owners of the INSPIRATION Women's Club International. The forum was attended by famous designers, owners of premium segment companies, most of whom are residents of the club INSPIRATION, as well as special guests of the event.

GOSSIP COLUMN

Partners of the event: Barvikha Hotel & Spa, RARITECO clubhouse Quartier d'Or, jewelry brand IL Mestiere Di Shuvalov, collagen QYRA, Very Champagne, WDC Clinic.

GOSSIP COLUMN

PRIVATE SOIREE WITH INSPIRATION WOMEN’S CLUB x BRIMONCOURT CHAMPAGNE The theme of the evening is "Historical ties between Russia and Champagne" Event INSPIRATION Women's Club — a premium women's club of closed format. Founders Berezhnaia Ksenia and Chechulina Anna welcomed the guests with a warm reception at the Barvikha Hotel & Spa. The guest of the evening Jean-Emmanuel Afota — the Ambassador of Champagne in Russia, a Frenchman who brought back to Russia brands representing these traditions told about the history of Champagne and its ties with Russia. And two new and exceptional cuvées of BRIMONCOURT champagne accompanied by dishes from the French chef of Barvikha Hotel & Spa made the event exquisite. Luxurious intellectuality, lightness and warmth in communication, which is sometimes not enough in life, inspiration from the atmosphere — the priorities of each event of INSPIRATION Women's Club.