Carlo Sestini | The future of fashion is green and genderfluid
Face to face with the model,rninfluencer and digital entrepreneur Carlo Sestini
Born in Italy, he then lived in Switzerland and studied between London and Los Angeles, all places that influenced his made in Italy style enriched by a British twist.
How have fashion and your way of perceiving it changed in the post-pandemic?
Fashion hasn't changed, maybe I have changed.
Actually many things have changed in this period. There has certainly been a step forward on the subject of sustainability. So many brands are adapting and finding new ways to be as green as possible.
After a heavy storm, only the strongest branches or trunks remain. This pandemic has 'cleaned up' all the superfluous. It is sad to say but the market was saturated and the storm we experienced changed the balance that had been ingrained for too long.
How did you experience the return to physical shows?
I experienced it with no particular upheavals. In my opinion not too much has changed since the pre-pandemic. Some factors that I perhaps prefer are the obligation of wearing masks, the distancing between people for personal safety and the in-depth selection of participants at the fashion shows.
What are the must-haves of your wardrobe?
Coats and silk shirts. During the winter season the coat makes the look, the silk shirt 'if you can pull it off' makes everything chic and effortless.
Color-analysis (also called armocromia): do you take this into account when creating your looks?
No not at all. This trend is not temporary but has always been used. I inspire my looks to the mood of the moment and the attitude I want to show.
Silvia Venturini Fendi, on the occasion of her latest fashion show, motivated the choice to introduce men's cropped jackets as follows: 'There is a great evolution in men's fashion, a great desire for freedom, perhaps because we have narrow boundaries and this is why I liked to provoke showing the belly'. Do you agree with this statement? Which of these items (cropped blazer / skirt / ...) defined as a bit 'provocative' because they are considered purely feminine, would you include in your outfit and how?
I think Ms. Fendi is right about this desire for freedom, after all fashion is an expression of oneself! Everyone has to dress as they want. I personally would not wear them, I would not feel comfortable with this type of garment. Like Carlo Sestini brand, I would not include them in my outfits because I don't consider them part of my expression even though they’re tasteful and innovative.
At the Milan Fashion Global Summit held this year, Remo Ruffini said 'The real challenge for the future will be to be able to speak to the new generations around the world'; what do you think is the best way to reach this new target?
Not only through social media I guess! There could be a more innovative policy open to dialogue with the various stakeholders in order to have an influence on the new generations. For example, listening to and talking to key opinion leaders who are not afraid to express their thoughts. Surely it will not be the sketches of Tik Tok that will educate them but rather the skills of some key figures of the fashion system.
Do you think fashion is shaping itself according to its idea of this generation’s taste?
Surely. As with our parents and our parents' parents. Nothing new. I hope that fashion can be more genderfluid and eco-sustainable, this direction is already current and irreversible. It is important, however, that it is not a marketing goal but rather something desired and deeply felt.
What will be, in your opinion, the pantone colors for the SS22 season?
Light pastel colors.
Choose two garments that apparently have nothing to do with one another but which, if consciously mixed, can give the outfit that extra 'something'.
A denim shirt inside a cashmere polo shirt can make the outfit elegant and well thought out.
Tailor dress: tailor-made or with softer geometries, which one is perfect for you?
Made to measure. The word says so, otherwise you can go to the store and choose another option.
How to play it every day down with accessories?
High collar to make it a little more easy-going, possibly colored to give it that touch with a shirt. No sneaker on a tailored suit, I find it tacky and obvious. Rather a nice belt or a cowboy-style bolero a bit Ralph Lauren to play down.
70s-80s fashion; what to propose and what not?
Everything.
Green, a topic close to your heart and that you keep in mind when developing your eyewear collections; how do you think fashion could still improve?
For Sestini’s brand, being eco-sustainable is the key. It took almost three years to develop the eyewear models in my first collection. From the packaging to the product, we have used waste or upcycled materials, experimenting and introducing new solutions.
I believe that it is essential to carry out courses to sensitize employees as well as the various company stakeholders, to strengthen the entire fashion system on green issues. It must not be an end in itself or purely for P&L purposes, but rather for a moral issue towards future generations.
With Sestini we are developing new packaging from different companies and materials that we will use for the new collection, in particular we are going to use bottle scraps converting them into acetate for the production of glasses.
