Launched in 2013, Raffaele Stella Brienza's Italian brand, Mani del Sud, produces handmade, artisan bowties, as well as dress shirts and bags. After completing a meeting at his stand in Pitti Uomo 91, Raffaele told me a little more about his brand.
What do you love about fashion?
Fashion provides you with the possibility to change your style every day. This lets you show people who you are, or who you want to become.
I am very nostalgic. Old memories are very dear to me. I try to think the same way people did 100 years ago: focus on the present and enjoy life today. My clothes are meant to be memorable. I love to make products that are not like everything else you see. When the quality is excellent, and design is great, then the product has a personality, a soul, and it gives you confidence to wear it.
What is missing in fashion?
A stronger connection to our past. We focus so much on our future and want everything now. I am from southern Italy and it’s important for me to keep my connection to my roots. It’s a part of my identity. How else can I produce good designs and build a strong brand identity if not by looking to my past? The past has many beautiful design references that make the product feel warm and nostalgic.
How do you define success?
Very easy: to do something that makes a difference in the world. Years ago I was in a bar in Paris and I met the inventor of Velcro. That man was enjoying success and traveling the world. He and I started talking and he told me that there was only one thing important in this life: to make a difference. I have always remembered that advice.
Thank you for your time Raffaele! To see more from Mani del Sud, you may visit the website, and browse instagram.
Nostalgia in fashion, interesting!
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