INTERVIEW

NOT YOUR AVERAGE DENIM BRAND

INTERVIEW CHERYLL MÜHLEN WITH PIERRE D’AVETA PHOTOS CRISTIAN MURRIANI

Having launched in 2019 as a niche brand, Peppino Peppino represents not only vintage-inspired denim but also authentic jeans with a flattering silhouette. Non-conventional and non-traditional, founded by a woman.

PEPPINO PEPPINO PHOTO: Simona Testucci already had more than 20 years of experience in the denim business under her belt before launching her own brand. That requires courage, good instincts and perhaps also a good partner by your side, which she found in Alessio Berto, founder of The Tailor Pattern Support. Alessio Berto sees his role more as one of an “external collaborator with a special love for her and for the brand”. He supports Simona Testucci mainly with his expertise in cutting patterns and even refers to his own archives for the odd idea or two. Combining Alessio’s craftsmanship with Simona’s design ideas, they transform their vision into the perfect-fitting jeans, drawing their inspiration from both workwear and vintage pieces. Both of them emphasise that their collections are much more than simply replicas from bygone days. They aren’t mere historical recreations, but very much rooted in the past. We caught up with the two denim creatives for a chat in Veneto, Italy.

Conformity isn’t really your thing. What makes you and your brand stand out from all the other denim brands out there?

Simona: What makes Peppino Peppino stand out from other brands is very simple: we offer a product that is very different from what the other brands are currently offering – especially in terms of silhouettes and details. What Alessio and I have been offering, since the first season, is something unique and distinctive. Alessio always says that our product speaks for itself, and it really does. Just before you arrived, a customer told us that she’s had people approach her on the street saying, “Oh, you’re wearing Peppino Peppino”. Our jeans are easily recognisable because they have a specific signature look. For us this is a huge achievement.

You mentioned the silhouette, but what is a typical Peppino Peppino silhouette?

Simona: I don’t want to say oversized per se, because I don’t think it’s simply about being oversized. We just offer volumes that are unconventional and untraditional for a denim brand. We’ve also started to use other fabrics, but our DNA is and will always be denim. Alessio: First, we don’t follow any trends or demands from the market. We begin with what Simona feels inspired by and then brainstorm that. The interesting thing about our silhouettes is

We call it an intelligent choice.

that we started out using male patterns that result in fits that suit everybody. I come from a fashion and tailoring background and like to use different kinds of finishings, which are easy to do from a production point of view, but change the product, making it more curated and attractive.

A good pair of jeans starts with a good pattern.

Simona: Definitely. Alessio: In the past, the designer was the most important person, the pattern maker was always the second. Pattern makers have been forgotten but now companies are starting to understand how important they are and want them back. Unfortunately, we lost a whole generation of pattern makers in the process. And those who make patterns today are not pattern makers, but operational employees of the companies. They take a block from a garment and modify it to another. That’s not pattern making, it’s just playing with a pattern. Simona: I fully agree with what Alessio said. In my experience, companies give more importance to designers who, don’t get me wrong, are still very important. However, you can have a wonderful design, but if you try on the garment and it doesn’t fit well, then it’s just not going to sell well. Alessio: If you’re spending 20 euros, okay. But if you spend 250, then yes, you want to have something that fits perfectly.

Simona, you said that you eventually found the courage to start your own brand after being in the industry for over two decades. What gave you the final push to overcome your fears and why did you decide to build your own brand?

Simona: It just happened. I don’t want to say it happened by chance, but I think when you know it’s time, you just know. It’s like when you get married or decide to have a child. Especially when you’re embarking on something as difficult as starting your own brand, you must make sure to have enough experience. And even though I’ve been working in the fashion industry for 20 years, there are still a lot of things I don’t know, and I am learning day by day in the field. I met Alessio through a common friend, and then one thing led to another. In 2018 we made the first set of patterns and presented the first Peppino Peppino capsule in 2019 at Pitti Uomo. Since then, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, because you can have as much experience as you want, like I said, but when you have your own brand, it is a completely different thing.

Let’s be honest: the denim industry is still very male dominated, even though women rule the market. Were you aware that you’re one of the few female founders of an authentic denim brand?

Simona: If you thalk about authenticity in terms of selvedge denim and checked shirts, I agree with you. But I do believe, when it comes to more fashionable denim brands, there are quite a few companies owned by women. Not to mention famous denim influencers such as Kelly Harrington or Amy Leverton.

Peppino Peppino doesn’t have a global supply chain, but works with localised, close partners. That means you source everything from Italy, which other companies would already highlight as being sustainable in their marketing materials.

Alessio: We’re trying to do our best, because I think – and I was the first one who said this – sustainability in fashion is not possible. There is certainly awareness and responsibility, but you can’t use organic cotton and then dye it with hydrosulphites and call it sustainable. We all want to be well dressed and we should produce great garments, great fits with good-quality fabrics. That’s our job. If we can be more responsible while doing that, then better. That’s why most of our washes are chemical free. Next season we will be using laser technology so we will be even more responsible. We call it an intelligent choice. If you want to use the word sustainable, you can.

Don’t you like the word sustainable?

Simona: We prefer responsible. For us, PeppinoPeppino is a responsible brand, also in the way we make timeless and everlasting products that get better with everyday use. Alessio: Because the word ‘sustainable’ has become a bit of an empty marketing buzzword. So I prefer to talk about an intelligent and responsible choice of materials and washing techniques.

At your small production facility, you produce just enough to meet demand. And if there’s more demand, you can produce more, which is actually a really sustainable approach. Do you have other commitments to sustainable production?

Simona: We don’t produce high quantities – we produce “just enough” to survive because we are a small operational business. And to be fair, we don’t want to become a global brand. We are not interested in that. Having everything concentrated in Veneto also helps because we don’t have to move materials around the world. That’s another way of being responsible.

PEPPINO PEPPINO PHOTO

And if a client calls you and says, I need 50 more pairs, can you deliver?

Alessio: Yes, we can. When speaking about sustainability, there is a minimum production and a minimum fabric order. Of course, it’s easier now because we are growing, and we have larger quantities available. But in the beginning, it was very difficult because nobody helps you when you’re working on small quantities.

Simona, your personal look has a strong influence on your collections. To what extent has the overall look of what you are wearing changed or perhaps become more entrenched since the brand’s inception?

Simona: Having worked in the denim industry for a long time, I have progressed from having old skinny jeans to open-end rigid denim, kind of the 501-style in a 1990s look. Peppino Peppino was born from me being bored with what the market was offering. I couldn’t find anything that I really liked at prices that were still affordable.

Do you compromise, even if it goes against your own aesthetics, but might be more profitable?

Simona: No. I would never do anything that I wouldn’t wear myself. Peppino Peppino denim fully represents my style. If you asked me if I would ever do a five pockets skinny fits in power stretch fabric, I’d say no. That’s not the philosophy of the brand.

If you had one piece of advice for young female entrepreneurs who want to build a business, what would it be?

Simona: First off, you need a vision of what you want to communicate with your business. You can start a business even if you’re not rich, but you do need to have some money set aside. Alessio: And the first thing you have to do nowadays, in the era of globalisation, is to find the right partners. That’s vital. Simona: I agree.

Are there any goals left on your to-do list?

Simona: To keep on doing what we’re doing and keep on improving. There is a lot to do. It all started as a hobby and now Peppino Peppino is a company. I am very grateful for what we managed to accomplish so far with just the two of us plus our sales agents. That’s quite remarkable. Of course, I would also like to improve our turnover. But not too fast and not in a way that would make me feel uncomfortable or too worried. We would like to grow step by step, finding the right partners, the right stores, and the right clients along the way. A dream client of ours would be Beams Japan.

Do you have any other wishes that haven’t come true yet?

Simona: Yes, I do. And I’m thinking big here, but I’d like to have our own factory one day.

PEPPINOPEPPINO.COM

We don’t want to become a global brand. We are not interested in that.