STEFANO RICCI

COVER STORY

Stefano Ricci celebrates 50 years of his company in the sign of high Italian craftsmanship. Above: his estate, Poggio ai Segugi in Tuscany

FASHION ANNIVERSARY

I’ve met very few men with such a deep passion for beauty and life and even fewer men who have been able to pour all this into unique creations of the highest craftsmanship. Through manic attention to details, insight, genius and passion for the handmade, which leads him to have all his collections his dream by starting a company that, although worldwide renowned by now, still conforms to his image. A dream that he has always shared with his wife Claudia and children Niccolò and Filippo, and

This year Stefano Ricci celebrates 50 years of activity. How did such a special company come to be?

I have always been good at drawing, from a very young age, and I was gifted with a sense of axonometric projection, that is, I cannot draw two-dimensional objects, I need to give depth to the object being illustrated. And, at a time when the tie remained anchored to its classic models, I created innovative. In those years, I was also lucky enough- actually good luck for me, bad luck for her (he laughs, editor’s note)- to meet my wife Claudia. She usually go partying, while we spent time designing, completely absorbed in our dream of expressing something new in the world of men’s fashion.

How important was Florence to you?

Florence offers amazing opportunities and so brands were participating in the show, but it was my springboard to success, because big companies, such as Harrods and Neiman Marcus, noticed my drawings and asked me to design some shirts. I was shocked by the fact that such big names, which I saw as the culmination of a career, were instead my starting point. But Florence is also my main source lections, I drew inspiration from the coffered ceilings of Florentine palazzi.

Among the amazing places where you have introduced your collections in the past 50 years there is also Florence.

have had the privilege of enjoying two great expe Palazzo Pitti’s White Room, where everything be editor’s note), to fashion shows. In October, th anniversary, we will celebrate with a fashion show in Luxor as a tribute to Egyptian art and to the cult of luxury and beauty

Many are the heads of State and celebrities for

The world of heads of State is very private. There is, however, a personality with whom I formed a deep friendship, Nelson Mandela. Dressing him, creat reason of professional pride, but the fact that he trusted me, discussing even delicate issues with

FASHION ANNIVERSARY

me and asking for my opinion, gave me enormous pleasure.

You have about 70 shops and over 90 showcases across the world. You have 3 boutiques in Dubai. How do you feel about this city?

I would have never expected that it would become what it is today. I had the feeling that it was still a small town, on the outskirts of the desert, overlooking the sea. Today the skyline is completely different, seen from both the land and the sea. A spectacular growth.

Menswear is not your only passion.

lived in African forests for about one month at a time. I always wanted to make camp near a river. I believe that my most intense and innovative collections were designed in those moments of deep bond with nature, without a phone or a computer, the cries of the animals day and night. I once went to the North Pole where I learned that if you’re travelling on a dog-drawn sledge you’re supposed to guide the dogs through the slabs of ice, not the grees below zero.

The symbol of your company is an animal. Why the eagle?

On all my trips, in the mountains all over the world, there was always a moment when I would look up to the sky and see an eagle or hear its call. And I have always prayed to the eagle for a safe and sound trip back home.

And what about cars? You have an entire collection. Is there one you are particularly fond of?

ton Martin cars, in particular, cars that have raced Short Chassis, a quite rare car which, although nearly one hundred years old, has still amazingly high-performance. I love Aston Martin cars for one reason: because when you drive them you feel like you’re travelling with those who built them. It is no chance that the car makers’ names are engraved on a nameplate.

A passion which, just like the company, you share with your family.

I have been able to get my family totally involved in all my dreams. We have taken part all together in the Mille Miglia race several times, with three cars, one driven by me, one by my wife and another one by my children, Niccolò and Filippo. And by taking part in this race, I discovered some of our country’s you speechless.

But your Poggi ai Segugi estate is located in Tuscany.

Yes, just a few kilometers away from the Mugello Circuit where, once in a while, I race with one of my modern cars, and then I go back to my vintage cars which I keep mostly at my countryside house. It is an age-old game preserve where I pursue another passion of mine, falconry. Without dreams, without emotions and excitement, life is not life.

Singer Andrea Bocelli walks the runway for Stefano Ricci in the incredible 2017 fashion show in the Sala Bianca at Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Below: the spring-summer 2022 collection