Vulpilist Magazine brings you regular interviews of influencial menswear men and women – bloggers, craftmen, businessmen…
Today, let us introduce Adriano Dirnelli, a Franco-American entrepreneur passionate about menswear. Occasional contributor of the main sartorial media in France, Parisian Gentleman, blogger and Instagramer featuring daily shots of his outfits, he has a deep knowledge drawn from compulsive purchases and thrifting over the years from many makers and tailors, having owned hundreds of garments. One could tremendously learn from his unique story.
Vulpilist Magazine: Hello Adriano, you are known to be one of the biggest suit collectors in europe and maybe the world, can you tell us more about the origin of this passion for the classic wardrobe?
A: I started early, already at age 16, having to wear mandatory jacket and tie each day at boarding school at Phillips Exeter Academy, a bastion of Ivy Trad in New Hampshire. I have always liked style and clothing, and the college I went to, Brown, was full of very stylish students, some of whom are pillars of the global #menswear community today, such as Reginald-Jérome de Mans (not his real name) and Mark Cho. Later, when I started my career as a TV news presenter on Bloomberg TV, I was wearing suit and tie each day on the air. Today I dress situation-appropriately to attend all of my daily business meeting with my large corporate clients. So, as you can see, nice clothing has been a continuous thread my entire life, no pun intended.
VL: Beside being a menswear aficionado, I believe you’re an entrepreneur and a jazz music player. How do your relatives consider your passion for menswear? Are your children following your paths?
A: My family knows that I am full of quirks, so they take my mania and obsessions with a grain of salt, if not resignation and despair, while also poking fun at me whenever they can, by posing such dinnertime conundrums as: “would your rather eat beetroot and mushrooms everyday for a year OR set fire to your entire suit collection?”. My two boys already have their own very personal sense of style and wear clothes very well — streetwear at their ages now.
VL: After having tried everything, from High end bespoke to cheap RTW, finally, what is a good deal for you?
A: Ha! Well, as you now, I have been answering this question daily on my blog each for nearly a decade now, therefore I hope you will allow me to elude this question here, and merely invite your readers to catch up on my countless posts on dirnelli.tumblr.com. My short answer to your question is: whatever floats your boat — i.e. work on honing your own personal style, and your own sense of value for money, rather that let some internet so-called influencers shape your opinions.
VL: Can you tell us about your most unforgettable experience in the building of your wardrobe? A grail find that left its mark on you? And at the opposite your biggest mistake?
A: Best experience: a grailfind of 10 Camps de Luca original-owner bespoke suits, in perfect condition, which I procured for free — i.e. I bought a semi-famous deceased man’s wardrobe of 20 suits, and then resold 10 of them at twice my original cost, allowing me to keep the remaining 10 with a cost base of zero (before alterations costs). Worst experience: various bespoke projects with dishonest and/or incompetent wannabe tailors who I shall not name & shame.
VL: Without considering the sizes, can you go on our Sartorial Marketplace Vulpilist and pick the outfit of your dreams? (Suit or SC+trousers, shirt, tie, pocket square, shoes and any accessory you’ll find convenient)
A: Well, as you know I’m always very excited to build new outfits, so I decided to pick two: one for business days, and one other for the weekend.
Unfortunately, all items are not my size, else I would have buy all of them
Vulpilist note: the following items may already be sold.
Business day:
1. Cifonelli bespoke DB suit: a conservative yet very powerful option
2. Santillo white shirt. You don’t have many option for a business look, but I like the point collar
3. Charvet tie: let’s keep it simple and formal
4. Corthay Casanova Deep Burgundy. I should have pick black oxford, but hey…
No PS, because no need with this outfit
Casual outfit:
1. Attolini POW cashmere jacket: it was totally designed for me
2. Sastre striped shirt: we’re going to try the 4 patterns
3. Hackett striped tie. I’m a club man
4. Calabrese PS: a bit of colors
5. Pink cords: remind me my preppy time, when I was studying at Brown
6. Carmina suede Loafers: can’t go wrong!
VL: Let’s imagine you’re going to spend 3 days in New York, where you’ll have business meetings, 1 vernissage in a art gallery and a formal cocktail, and one day to chill in NYC with your beloved one. Your suitcase can only contain 2 jackets, 2 trousers, 2 pairs of shoes 3 shirts and 2 ties and PS. What would you pick?
A:
- 1 Grey suit, 1 navy blazer, 1 jeans,
- 1 pair black oxfords, 1 pair brown suede loafers,
- 1 white shirt, 2 light blue shirts,
- 1 solid navy grenadine tie, 1 patterned deep burgundy tie.
VL: Thank you Adriano, it was a pleasure. See you soon!
