L’homme du monde
Lorenzo Cifonelli, 46, likes to create sexy suits. He’s traveling the world searching for new garments and fabrics, new buttons and other details to innovate and create modern pieces, challenging the preconceived idea of tailoring being the preserve of your father and grandfather. “I like to create sexy pieces, I want my creation to sublime the wearer and allow him to move and live in his suit”.
how do you define the brand:
Cifonelli is the fusion of 3 cultures of tailoring. The Italian lightness and suppleness, the English natural construction of the shoulders with very little padding and the details of French couture (stitching, buttonholes, the pocket detailing…).
The Atelier:
45 people are working at the Atelier in Paris, each person excels in his specialty, and there is a real attention to monitoring quality to ensure consistency.
A good tailor is…:
Someone who doesn’t cheat, a good tailor is conscientious, he can listen but needs to be able to guide his clients, learn how to work with a client unique body and personality. That is why it cant always be immediate. “I do 3 fittings and I am not scared to change things when need be”, but the foundation is to build trust or it is not going to work out.
About the role a garment plays:
it should be in harmony with the wearer’s personality, then it can bring a certain confidence. And of course the simple pleasure of being well dressed.
About Bespoke prices/worth:
The prices are by no mean the reflection of an idea of luxury, it just reflects my work. I am thorough and passionate. I spend 9 hours a day 6 days a week in my Atelier, and it takes 80 hours to make a suit. I need time and I don’t cheat.
About perfection:
A suit can never be perfect. But generally in life I prefer something with little flaws and character over immaculate and somewhat soulless and boring…
About the future:
Today I see a new generation of clients with a passion for the brand and a genuine curiosity for tailoring and for someone like me who loves to innovate and try new things, its so exciting to meet passionate people. In terms of location I try to focus on cities I travel to on a regular basis like New York and London where I go respectively 6 times a year and one a month. I’m lucky to meet my regular customers as well as new ones every time.
