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Main Image credit: Drake’s, Isaac Marley Morgan
How did you begin your career as an editor, brand consultant & founder of Clementina?
I went to fashion school in NYC and started working the day I got there. I was curious and wanted to understand every job, so I made a pretty tireless effort covering all the ground. I worked in menswear studios, couture ateliers, photo production, then became the editorial director at The Sartorialist in my early twenties. That changed everything. It was such an exciting time for style and a more analog era.
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Tell us about your new women’s tailoring line, Clementina.
I started Clementina as a way to connect more women to tailoring and menswear. Most of the ateliers, beyond Savile Row, make women’s but don’t advertise it much. A lot of the classic, quality clothes and shoes I like are designed for men. I want to wear them too, and so do most women I know. I love craftsmanship more than fashion, and I do think that having a few things made for you by someone you know, pieces that suit you well, inspires you to buy less and take care of things. With Clementina, I collaborate with some of my favorite bespoke ateliers and brands and design a collection with them for women. Right now, that includes suits, overcoats, shirts and skirts, available at wonderful ateliers including J.Mueser in New York, Le Tre Sarte in Rome, Speciale in London. Hopefully the Clementina pieces will serve as a starting point for women to then develop a relationship with these ateliers and have more things made on their own over time. It’s empowering to have a personal uniform that fits you well, and it makes getting dressed a lot easier.
What’s your favorite part about the New York creative community?
Everyone is very collaborative. There are so many talented creative people around me in New York and a lot of support and respect. It took me a while to realize how unique that is here, but after living in other places, it’s what brought me back. It’s inspiring to have that very high level of creativity around, the ambition of other people pushes you to evolve and learn.
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Who is your style muse & icon (past or present)?
I appreciate people who wear classic clothes in a natural way and with a point of view. If you’re at ease with yourself, you look relaxed even in a tuxedo. That’s much more important than anything else.
What’s the most inspiring place you've ever visited?
I travel a lot and find different places inspiring depending on what I’m looking for at that time. A medieval hamlet in Umbria where everyone is older, wiser and living simply. The incomparable elegance of the 7th in Paris. The tidal wavelength of Brittany. The spiritual nature in Cambodia. But all roads, for me, lead back to Italy.
Follow Along:
@ehawtin & @clementinaworld on Instagram