I am not a Tailor

This week, meet Alessandro Martorana, a well-known Italian fashion designer who offers a luxury total look that can be customised in every aspect but does not like to call himself a tailor. He is about to open his atelier in Lagos. In this interview, we talk about his origins and success in the fashion world, from Milan to Nigeria, and his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo and the Saudi Royal Family.

How was the Alessandro Martorana brand born?

The brand was born from a passion for luxury and lifestyle, from the desire to emerge and to create a unique brand that could stand out within the fashion world. At the beginning of my career, I only produced shirts that were modern in idea but classic in quality. Later, I expanded my sample collection, thanks to my friendship with Lapo Elkann, grandson of the famous Italian entrepreneur Gianni Agnelli, who asked me to adapt some Italian and English clothes he had inherited from his grandfather. That was the starting point for expanding my collection.

What are your sources of inspiration?

My father, without a doubt, instilled in me a culture of work and sacrifice. He was a barber of humble origins; we were very close. I see him in me every single day. After all, going to the barber is like going to the tailor: to improve your appearance, to feel good.

Where would you start from if you were to describe to the uninitiated the fundamental characteristics of the Alessandro Martorana collections?

We offer a service made with the Italian quality of the old tailors’ school but leaving room for the imagination of those who commission the clothes. We do not have pre-set patterns; with us, every single garment is customisable in fabrics, colours, linings and details.

How important is the legacy of Italian tradition for Alessandro Martorana in his daily work?

Certainly, the Italian fashion industry is one of the world’s leading brands. The brands are known more for ready-to-wear than made-to-measure, with industrial products, albeit of the highest quality, accessible to many in the same model. The tailoring I draw inspiration from is different and unique, albeit always made in Italy: like a writer writing a book for a single reader, like a letter.

You have conquered a position of absolute international prestige relatively quickly; which markets have given you the greatest satisfaction?

The hard core of our clientele is certainly in Italy, but we have customers worldwide, from England to Saudi Arabia and from the United States to Serbia. Our customers don’t necessarily come to our ateliers; my collaborators and I reach them anywhere in the world. We like to say that we are everywhere.

Why do you think your customers and those approaching the Martorana brand do so? What drives them?

Beyond the product, certainly for our professionalism and personalised experience. We organise meetings in our ateliers by appointment, share projects and ideas, and have a glass of champagne while choosing models, fabrics and colours.

Who do you count among your clients?

From businessmen to footballers, celebrities to politicians from all over the world, and even some Nigerians. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lebron James, Andy Garcia, Adriana Lima, to name a few.

When did you start thinking about the Nigerian market?

Because of my friendship with Mr. Gabriele Volpi, a well-known Nigerian entrepreneur who has had great success in Nigeria and who has always extolled to me the beauty and potential of your country. Having approached the fashion world because of his group’s investment in the Cruciani fashion brand, he offered me the prospect of opening an Alessandro Martorana atelier in Lagos on his return from a recent trip to Nigeria, and I immediately welcomed the idea.

Can Nigeria be considered Alessandro Martorana’s gateway to the entire African continent and its most interesting countries?

Why not? Africa is a marvellous continent with great potential, so we are willing to consider further openings in our expansion project.

Where will Alessandro Martorana’s atelier be in Lagos?

In Eko Atlantic City, in one of the penthouses of the exclusive Heliconia Park Luxury Apartments & Suites, with luxurious furnishings that reflect the style of our brand. Eko Atlantic City is a fast-developing location that, in addition to us, will host other important brands in the future, not only related to the fashion world.