He debuted in 2005, with a line of limited edition t-shirts which sold out in just a few days. From that first experiment Luca Larenza’s collection has grown, starting to focus on casual garments, but also on classic elegance, translated in a contemporary way, revisited for a man with an intense life. And attention to sartorialism and an innate interest for researching textiles are what guides the work of this young designer who has arrived at an interesting collection, one of quality and with a strong ‘emotional’ element, which he himself speaks of in this interview. On the eve of the important competition, ‘Who’s on next?’, menswear edition, of which he is a finalist...
How did you get into fashion? When did you decide that you would become a designer and how did you arrive at a line under your own name?
L.L. It was simply an evolution of my artistic career; I was a “writer” for more than ten years, this indeed developed my particular sensitivity for shapes and colours, all which came together as a strong passion for menswear which lead me to design myself. Straight away I chose to put my name to the collections for a matter of clearness for the public, besides I think that the name Luca Larenza linked to a fashion product is easy to remember.
Why a menswear line? How do you manage to be innovative designing for a wardrobe with, in comparison with that of the woman, has less variety?
L.L. I started with a menswear line because it’s what represents me the best, even though I’m ruling out designing a womenswear line in the future. Ultimately I enjoy playing with volumes and many articles within the collections I would consider unisex. You can be innovative in so many ways. I particularly like the continuous research into the rarest threads and the newest mixes; the thread you choose can even change the volume of the garment, and you always get a different effect. Our campaigns are very innovative, what they promote is a completely “emotional” communication of the product, withdrawn from classic schemes and against the current.
And actually for the F/W2011-12 colelction, you decided to photograph your garments worn ny and old man. Can you explain this choice?
L.L. With my creative team, formed of Giuseppe Migliaccio, the photographer with whom I’ve been working for many seasons, and Davide Valentino, we chose Mr. Eduardo as a testimonial. He’s a Neapolitan actor and at the time he was working with the great Totò. Straight away I liked his expressiveness, his face says so much: work, emotions, traditions by now almost forgotten, a whole life lived under the sun of Naples, the city of a thousand faces and a thousand conflicts. It was a choice that showed how strong our roots are and with the clear intention of touching those who follow us.
Can you describe your style? What man do you have in mind when you’re designing?
L.L. I consider my style casual, chic with the right dose of irreverence. The “Luca Larenza” man is a professional of nowadays, used to travelling, knows how to combine elegance with practicality. I always think of a man of the metropolis, bound to the fuss of a city he knows to set aside time to take care of himself, always attentive to traditions.
It’s the eve of ‘Who’s on next?’, what emotions are you feeling and what are your projects for the future?
L.L. There are so many emotions. I’m very happy to have passed the selections of such an important jury and to have got to the final. This means that we’re moving in the right direction. At the moment, the future is ‘Who’s on next?’.
Interview conducted by Stefano Guerrini © Modemonline.com
