SimplyAbuDhabi XXXIII

F ormer lawyer and now tailor, the italian Valentino ricci founded with his brother nicola ricci, in 2002 in bitonto (bari), the tailoring brand Sciâmat, a Persian wordthat translatedmeans“checkmate”. bold and recognisable from fine details such as the slightly rounded pocket square on the jacket, over the years Sciâmat has conquered a worldwide clientele of modern gentlemen. For almost 10 years, they have created bespoke and made-to- measure suits and i have known them for a long time, seeing their career (and brand) developing at high speed from their first showroom in via del Lauro 2 in Milan to arriving in the prestigious and desirable location of via Monte napoleone, Milan’s hottest address for fashion. i decided to meet Mr. Valentino ricci during Pitti imagine Uomo, men’s fashion most prestigious style event which is held twice a year (January and June) in Florence, italy. Simply Abu Dhabi: What’s the difference between Sciâmat and other tailors? Valentino ricci: There is something new and original behind what we create, but this originality doesn’t derive from the fact that we want to be “different”, but only because we are humans and every human is different from the other. We have a different education, personality and way of being, thus i created a tailored brand, Sciâmat, that represents myself and what i would wear. but, as i said, it’s not something done in a pretentious way. Simply Abu Dhabi: What are the key aspects of Sciâmat’s tailoring? Valentino ricci: There is a rigorous construction in our jackets that is not made through the addition of textiles like shoulder pads or something, but it’s our master tailoring that allows us to create soft and easy to wear tailored jackets without any extra help. As you know, our suit jackets seem to be very rigorous, powerful and bold, but if you look at them, they are very simple. For example, except for some pieces, we do not use lining inside the jackets, allowing them to be lightweight, or our shoulders which are “curly” yet important, are simply handmade without any “special effect”. Simply Abu Dhabi: What is your customer’s identity? How old is he and where does he come from? Valentino ricci: our customer is someone who is very careful about what he wears but at the same time, he understands himself knowing his limits and desires. And that’s not an easy task. He uses suits not to show off, but instead to qualify and manifest his personality. in fact, as i always say, clothes reflect ourselves. His age range is from 40 to 60 and not younger, because our suits are quite expensive. And what’s very special about our customer is that he is very international. We do not have a majority of clients from “x” place, but they come from every part of the world (italy, China, russia, the Middle East etc.) in an equal proportion. They are international, discreet and powerful gentlemen that appreciate fine and refined tailoring. Simply Abu Dhabi: This Fall season there is no “tie” in your collection, why? Please tell me more about your fall 2019-20 collection. Valentino ricci: i opted for a black stripe on the sleeves instead of the tie, because i found it quite bold but also because it represents the mourning of the death of the tie which has almost disappeared frommen’s wardrobes. So, i opted for a black stripe instead! it might be the future replacement of ties! Today if Gianni Agnelli or the duke of Windsor were still alive, they wouldn’t wear a tie, trust me. So together with tailored jackets with a black stripe on the sleeves, we also opted for turtlenecks in cashmere, which are and can be the perfect substitute for a shirt and tie. Simply Abu Dhabi: Are you planning to open a mono brand store somewhere? How can I get a suit fromSciâmat? Valentino ricci: it would be a dream for me to open a store in Milan or London, but at present times we are not planning to open one, even if i would love to. but, of course, we do have sales points in Japan, South Korea, USA and China and also in Europe while in italy we are available in our showrooms in Milan in via Monte napoleone 19 and in bitonto (bari) in via Pasquale Martucci Zecca 16. What we can also do is to fly directly to the client but in this case, he needs to make a quite big order because it would be very expensive for us to go there just for a suit. SimplyAbuDhabi: Youhave amade-to-measure and a ready-to- wear line. How long does it take for a Sciâmat suit from start to finish? Valentino ricci: if a client comes to one of our sales points around the world, we do have ready to wear, but of course he can ask there to have a bespoke service. but, of course, in retailers there aren’t the same standards as for the made-to-measure service we offer in our showrooms or when we meet the client. Answering your second question, there is not a precise answer because time is calculated on the people that work in a place, so there is not a precise timing for the making of a garment. Simply Abu Dhabi: Roughly, in a year, how many suits do you produce? Valentino ricci: About 600/700. no more. And that is a lot, considering that we have only nine master tailors in our production department. Simply AbuDhabi: Which textiles do you use? Valentino ricci: We only use English textiles because they are the best. And we do not use a specific mill but many of them because everyone has its own character. Simply AbuDhabi: Are you planning to widen your offer? Valentino ricci: yes, slowly we are thinking of creating a total look, but it’s very difficult because you need to have funds and investors because it requires a lot of money. Simply Abu Dhabi: You have presented a woman’s jacket for next fall—why? Valentino ricci: We have had some requests to create some women’s pieces, so if the market responds, we will widen the offer. Simply Abu Dhabi: How can you recognise if a suit is a good quality suit or not? Valentino ricci: Seeing a suit in a shop, it’s very easy to understand, as well as touching it will tell if it’s a good quality piece or not. SimplyAbuDhabi:Whichare the three pieces that aman should have in his wardrobe? Valentino ricci: A dinner jacket, a blue blazer and a white shirt. Valentino Ricci 1 5 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I