2017.03.03 update

[Interview] Stile Latino / Vincenzo Attolini | A member of the Neapolitan sartorial family(1/2)


Vincenzo Attolini, considered the founder of Neapolitan style, had three sons. His eldest son, Claudio, inherited his father's independent atelier, but his other two sons went into banking and had no heir, so the workshop closed long ago. His second son, Tullio, served as the master tailor at London House, which his father had founded. His third son, Cesare, who was said to be the most skilled, deviated from the path of a craftsman early on and participated in the founding of Kiton and Isaia. It is well known that he eventually ventured into ready-to-wear production himself and achieved success.

Cesare also has three sons. All three joined Cesare's company after graduating from school. The eldest son, Vincenzo, who held an important position under his father, inherited his grandfather's name. He worked on a brand called "Erigo," but later left the company and launched his own collection, "Stile Latino." Cesare did not follow in the footsteps of his craftsman father, but Vincenzo walked his own path, standing shoulder to shoulder with his father.


"Yes, I was told all sorts of things back then. People wondered if I had a falling out with my father, or if I had been kicked out. But I wanted to do things on my own that I couldn't do under my father's guidance. I wanted to walk on my own two feet more, to express myself. I'm grateful for everything my father taught me, but I'm proud that I forged my own path."

It's easy to imagine that being the eldest son of a highly capable father who had achieved success with "Cesare Attolini," despite being a promising craftsman himself, must not have been a source of comfort for Vincenzo. However, he never spoke much about it. When I brought an old book about Neapolitan tailoring with me for the interview, he glanced at a picture of his father, Cesare, on one of the pages and jokingly said, "Oh, I know this man well." At that moment, his expression showed not paternal respect, but a strong determination to keep his sights set on the managers of competing companies.