Balanced by Time
"Nothing too loud or simple"
R - How would you describe your personal style?
LS - My personal style reflects my character quite closely. Nothing too loud or simple, but never banal. I like things that feel natural and balanced. In a word, I would describe it as understated.
LS - My personal style reflects my character quite closely. Nothing too loud or simple, but never banal. I like things that feel natural and balanced. In a word, I would describe it as understated.
R - We like your way of mixing vintage with tailoring, how did that come about?
LS - My experience as a tailor, first at Liverano & Liverano and later in my own atelier, allowed me to develop my own aesthetic sense and reflect it in the way I combine bespoke tailoring with vintage pieces.
In a way, this idea matured during my time at Liverano. Sometimes I felt there was a certain level of formality and attention to detail that didn’t fully reflect my personality. Being part of that world, however, exposed me to many influential figures and different approaches, which helped me eventually find my own balance.
Combining tailored garments with vintage pieces allows me to step outside strict formality and explore a much more personal and creative world, one that is never boring or predictable.
LS - My experience as a tailor, first at Liverano & Liverano and later in my own atelier, allowed me to develop my own aesthetic sense and reflect it in the way I combine bespoke tailoring with vintage pieces.
In a way, this idea matured during my time at Liverano. Sometimes I felt there was a certain level of formality and attention to detail that didn’t fully reflect my personality. Being part of that world, however, exposed me to many influential figures and different approaches, which helped me eventually find my own balance.
Combining tailored garments with vintage pieces allows me to step outside strict formality and explore a much more personal and creative world, one that is never boring or predictable.
"one that is never boring or predictable"
R - When looking for vintage pieces, is there anything particular you’re on the hunt for?
LS - To be honest, not really. I’m not a vintage expert, and not even someone obsessed with technical details like zippers or production years. I simply enjoy wandering through markets and vintage shops. If a piece catches my eye, I buy it. Sometimes it stays in my wardrobe without being worn; I just like owning it because it fascinated me. And if it comes with a story, even better.
LS - To be honest, not really. I’m not a vintage expert, and not even someone obsessed with technical details like zippers or production years. I simply enjoy wandering through markets and vintage shops. If a piece catches my eye, I buy it. Sometimes it stays in my wardrobe without being worn; I just like owning it because it fascinated me. And if it comes with a story, even better.
R - How does your admiration for vintage pieces shape your work?
LS - For me, anything that carries a sense of history, a garment that has been lived in, is fascinating. I feel a strong connection to the past, to a time when many things were made with a level of passion and dedication that has slowly been lost. In my daily work, I try to bring that same spirit and attention back into what I create.
LS - For me, anything that carries a sense of history, a garment that has been lived in, is fascinating. I feel a strong connection to the past, to a time when many things were made with a level of passion and dedication that has slowly been lost. In my daily work, I try to bring that same spirit and attention back into what I create.
"even at the expense of production speed"
R - What do you look for in a fabric?
LS - I have a large archive of vintage fabrics, ranging from the 1950s up to today. Knowing that those fabrics, especially the older ones have been folded away in a wardrobe or resting on a shelf for decades, and that I can give them a second life, feels both romantic and exciting. Vintage fabrics, particularly from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, have a completely different hand. You can sense that the pursuit of quality was paramount, even at the expense of production speed. I’m especially drawn to the patterns from that era, designs and color combinations that are rarely seen today.
LS - I have a large archive of vintage fabrics, ranging from the 1950s up to today. Knowing that those fabrics, especially the older ones have been folded away in a wardrobe or resting on a shelf for decades, and that I can give them a second life, feels both romantic and exciting. Vintage fabrics, particularly from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, have a completely different hand. You can sense that the pursuit of quality was paramount, even at the expense of production speed. I’m especially drawn to the patterns from that era, designs and color combinations that are rarely seen today.
R - What other things, except for tailoring and clothing, inspire you?
LS - I try to absorb as much as possible from everything I encounter. This applies not only to my style, but also to everyday life. The way you dress is, in my view, the sum of your experiences, your upbringing, the people you’ve met, and all the small influences that helped shape who you are and, ultimately, the clothes you wear.
At the same time, I’m aware that everything is constantly evolving and changing.
LS - I try to absorb as much as possible from everything I encounter. This applies not only to my style, but also to everyday life. The way you dress is, in my view, the sum of your experiences, your upbringing, the people you’ve met, and all the small influences that helped shape who you are and, ultimately, the clothes you wear.
At the same time, I’m aware that everything is constantly evolving and changing.
Leonardo Simoncini runs his own tailoring outfit called Poiesis in Florence, Italy. See what he's wearing below:
