Interview with Designer, Angelo Galasso

By Lucie Herring

As he celebrates 23 Years of the innovative Watch Cuff Shirt design this year, we take a look at how Angelo Galasso became a bastion of style.

Born in a small Puglian town in 1959, Galasso perfectly captures his devotion to tailoring in these few short sentences: In the beginning, it was a game. Then it became a passion. Now it is fashion.

Son of the towns’ police chief, Galasso spent most of his childhood shadowing local artisans (his father’s attempt to keep him out of trouble) and it was here where Galasso absorbed the entirety of the art of traditional Southern Italian tailoring.

Not surprisingly, it was not long before Galasso began structuring his own clothes, honing in on the many skills and talents he had observed during his childhood.

“Where I come from, from the moment you are born you are seen as a typical boy, so if you start to do something that is atypical, like dressing really differently, people immediately tell you you are crazy.

But I came from a big family where you always had to fght for attention, which is why I moved to Rome and then London where people like you to be an individual and you are actually encouraged to be different.” - Angelo Galasso

The frst items Galasso created were shirts, something unique and bespoke to match his taste, and starting the trend for high collars and longer cuffs, something that was initially laughed at when introduced in the 80s.

However, this new style soon caught on, as Galasso began producing his designs for friends and family at frst, before the word spread and the beginning of what would later be the base of his international empire was founded.

With a wealth of knowledge, a move to Rome in the late 80’s proved to be a pivotal step in Galasso’s life story, as it was here that he underwent a strong stylistic development resulting in the creation of

Interno 8 – a network of shops offering unconventional style: a ground breaking frst shirt collection that rewrote the rules of traditional patterns (the innovation of big collars and cuffs) whilst preserving high-quality tailoring.

Born in 1990 Interno 8 became a phenomenal success, with 80 stores throughout Italy.

It was also around this time that Galasso created the exclusive and ingenious Polso Orologio (Watch cuff) shirt - a design inspired by former Fiat president Gianni Agnelli who couldn’t wear his watch next his skin due to an allergy.

This made history in 2004 as the design was exhibited at the London Design Museum, leading the Financial Times to dub Angelo Galasso as The Da Vinci of Shirts and defning him as “this generation’s most inventive image maker”.

Additionally, Galasso gained further recognition for his own prestigious and unique elegance leading him to the highest positions of GQ’s Best Dressed Men list, both in 2012 and 2013.

“Our brand philosophy is to use the classic Neapolitan cut for jackets and to construct shirts in the old fashioned way” says Galasso.

“My customers however want to stand out so we might do a few things differently, such as make a watch cuff, but everything is made in true Italian tradition”

London, the capital of fashion and tailoring brought to Galasso’s brand major success, thanks to high-profle clients such as Sir Paul McCartney, Roger Moore, David Beckham, King Abdullah of Jordan, Puff Daddy, Michael Caine, Simon and Yasmin Le Bon, Rod Stewart, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Al Pacino and Mickey Rourke. “It’s an excellent place to live and to start a business” says Galasso.

His pioneering spirit, along with his need to always move forward led Galasso to the most important step in his career with the launch of his eponymous ANGELO GALASSO line in 2009. Revolutionising menswear once again, ANGELO GALASSO was born and the frst

‘House’ opened in London’s Knightsbridge, heart of the Capital’s fashion scene. The aesthetic of the ANGELO GALASSO brand is ground-breaking yet timeless.

Adding a new dimension to menswear, Galasso’s style continues to allow for a new breed of men to enjoy a service that merges the tradition of classic tailoring - a tradition, which is steeped in Italian craftsmanship and the creativity of couture houses, reminiscent of a world of exclusive and unique garments, conceived by couturiers with just one client in mind.

This is what Angelo calls Tradition in Evolution.

“Angelo is an artist. You see the craftsmanship in his work” - Al Pacino

The Milano House opened in 2011 in Via Montenapoleone, the word’s epicentre of luxury, quickly followed by New York in 2012, where Galasso took over the Edwardian room in The Plaza Hotel.

The Moscow House opened shortly after and the same year the Fondazione Angelo Galasso (foundation) was launched in collaboration with Moscow’s State Historical Museum.

The newest Flagship store, 450 m2 House, opened in March 2014 on Corso Matteotti 8 next to Montenapoleone, celebrated with a big event “the Importance of Being Eccentric”.

“The designer is a true modern dandy and plays the part of the Pugliese peacock to perfection” – GQ Magazine, UK

Not averse to trying something different, in 2015, Angelo introduced an exclusive line of bespoke watches, expanding into a new business opportunity.

“We’ve had a great response to our fashion designs in the world arena and it’s now time for a new challenge, which will build upon our existing brand and take us into a whole new category. The watch has always been a fascination of mine; it is the ultimate male accessory - exuding personality, power and luxury.” - Angelo Galasso. Evolved from Galasso’s eponymous Polso Orologio shirt, the AG Multiuso watch captures the appetite of today’s gentleman – those who are fast becoming obsessed with vanity and beautiful objects of desire, who crave to possess prestigious items and show them off proudly.

“Women’s fashion has held the limelight for such a long time, it’s only natural that menswear should be on the rise, especially considering the cultural shift in attitude.

We’ve noticed that men, especially Londoner’s, are taking a more serious approach to their appearance and focusing on details, such as accessories and grooming.” - Angelo Galasso

With prices starting at £240,000 for a timeless jewel-encrusted piece, Galasso has given a preview of two items.

The AG Diamond Multiuso is solid gold weighing 180g with a face studded with black and white diamonds (it’s an outstanding work of art that deserves to be faunted).

The gold body, hexagonal to celebrate Galasso’s inspired AG logo, cocoons the famous ETA movement ETA chronograph mechanism - one of the fnest and most prestigious Swiss watch manufacturers in the world.

The solid gold strap provides a 30’s feel, continuing to showcase the hexagonal AG logo design, whilst each crown is topped with a single brilliant diamond.

This unique custom-made timepiece comes complete in a root wood case with two interchangeable watch faces (one black and one brown) and three variants of wristband - rubber / submariner, croco and calf leather.

Each watchband is fnished with gold buckle fastenings with a tiny slide capsule containing a diamond screwdriver for component changing. For everyday wear a minimalist classic option is offered, featuring a round silver bezel subtly embellished with sapphire stones. Understated in its design but equally as unique, this watch gives prominence to the signature AG logo and comes with an elegant checkered strap, all presented in the Galasso blue root wood case.

Aesthetically pleasing and designed to be worn with the Watch Cuff shirt, these new AG timepieces speak fashion and elegance in true Galasso style.

Sourcing the fnest and most exquisite materials is a must for all items and all components that go into the fnal creation.

His shoes, for example are an exemplary product of fne Italian craftsmanship; made in limited styles and colourways, each pair is fnished by hand and built to last a lifetime.

The unique use of exotic skins and fabrics in Galasso’s footwear makes each pair a collector’s item unto themselves.

As you might expect, there is a fully bespoke service on every item, from casual wear to dinner suits, where monograms and individual detailing are standard practice – the choice of fabrics on offer will make any decision hard, and will no doubt have ever tailoring devotee ordering multiple looks.

To commemorate 20 years of his world famous watch cuff, this year Galasso has introduced a women’s version of the shirt, along with 50 one-of-a-kind pieces to be sold from late April onwards – get in the queue as these highly coveted items are expected to start a bidding war between hard-core devotees of Angelo Galasso.

Blossoming along the path of the thirty-year creative evolution of Galasso, the new collection celebrates the eccentric as an absolute value, whilst nourishing precious Italian craftsmanship.

Angelo Galasso 8-10 Hans Rd London, SW3 1RX www.angelogalasso.com