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Alessandro Gherardi, Timeless Elegance Built On Tradition And Quality

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This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.


Founded in Pieve Santo Stefano (Tuscany, Italy) in 2000, Alessandro Gherardi has discreetly worked as a white-label shirtmaker for almost two decades, producing shirts for some of the finest luxury brands in the world. Then, in 2020, encouraged by its clients, the company decided to expand its own brand. Paolo Gherardi, the son of founder Alessandro and co-owner of the company, discusses the company’s legacy, his childhood surrounded by fabrics, and his thoughts on tradition, quality, and elegance.

What are your main passions outside of your job, and how do they keep your creativity flowing?

I have several passions and hobbies that I like to cultivate when I am not at work. I enjoy travelling and doing sports in general, but most of all, going for long hikes in nature. This is by far the most relaxing of my leisure activities, and also the easiest one to indulge in: our company is based in Pieve Santo Stefano, very close to the border between Tuscany and Umbria (Italy), and the whole area is surrounded by thick forests and lush green. So it’s very easy for me to get into the woods and start walking; it’s a soothing ritual that really helps me recharge my batteries.

What’s your fondest company-related memory, and how has it influenced your professional journey?

My connection to the world of fabrics dates back to my earliest years, when I was just a child and my father Alessandro was a partner in a company specialised in the production of underwear and shirts. I often visited him when he was at work, and while he was busy, I would peek around in the hope of finding fabric cutovers: I loved playing with them, feeling the different weights and textures under the tips of my fingers.

Then, in 2000, he was presented with the opportunity to acquire the entirety of the company; since he was getting older, he reached out to my sister and me for advice, and we all agreed to invest together in the company. So I found my way back to that same place, this time not as a curious child, but as an employee, and I started managing the warehouse: at that point, the experience I had unconsciously gained as a child suddenly turned out to be extremely helpful. I spent four years in that department, surrounded by memories, and I learned many invaluable things: being able to assess the quality of a fabric just by touching it is a priceless skill.

As a brand, what core values and beliefs does Alessandro Gherardi embody?

Our keywords are – and have always been – tradition, quality and elegance.

“Tradition” because my father, even before owning a company, has specialised in shirtmaking, approaching it with almost devotional care to detail. Nothing was left to chance: from the exact folding of the collars to the thickness of seams, he said everything is crucial; and even though most of the people won’t notice it, a trained eye will always appreciate it.

“Quality”, meaning that we don’t compromise on the choice of fabrics. This is something I’ve always insisted on, also because my experience allows me to evaluate fabrics in depth. Naturally, the focus on quality also extends to accessories, like buttons and any other element making up our products.

The sum of these two keywords brings us to the third, “Elegance”: an understated elegance relying indeed upon tradition and quality.

What’s your definition of “timeless elegance”, and how does this vision inform the design and manufacturing of Alessandro Gherardi shirts?

I believe elegance to be a blend of quality and tradition. But even though this implies knowledge and respect for the past, it does not mean that there is no space for innovation: I believe it’s crucial to acknowledge the positive ways in which a long-standing brand can benefit from innovation.

As an example, at Alessandro Gherardi we recently introduced a new fabric cutting technique, which does not require the use of templates of any kind; this allows for greater precision, fewer cutovers, and ultimately simplifies the handwork involved in sewing the shirts.

Are there any meaningful moments in the history of Alessandro Gherardi that you would like to share with us?

Our company was officially born in 2000 when my father Alessandro decided to invest and save it from bankruptcy. After acquiring it, he had to face some relevant challenges: even though the company did operate in the textile sector, shirtmaking only accounted for roughly 10% of the total production, which was instead focused on underwear. So the first big step involved transforming the production to point in the direction we wanted to pursue. It might not be a turning point – rather a starting point – but I couldn’t leave it out.

A second turning point arrived in 2020: up until that moment, so for two decades, we mainly produced white label shirts for luxury companies; Alessandro Gherardi as a brand did exist, but just represented one tenth of our production. Travelling as a sales agent, however, I kept noticing that the interest in our brand was strong – especially abroad – and helped by that awareness, my brothers and I decided to scale up our own production, with the goal of turning Alessandro Gherardi into a major international brand.

During the latest Pitti Uomo, you launched a limited edition capsule collection celebrating the art and creative genius of Onelio Dalla Ragione. Could you tell us how this project was born?

The original spark of this project dates back to ten years ago when we refurbished our headquarters; at the time, Chiara Dalla Ragione, who’s been working with us for thirty years, offered us a selection of paintings by her late father Onelio – a relevant figure in the history of Pieve Santo Stefano – to hang in the renovated offices. We all ended up extremely pleased with the outcome and opted to keep the paintings on permanent display.

Then, since many clients and visitors were curious about the paintings, and often asked us for more details about their author and background, we decided to catalogue them with the help of a friend who curates the Burri Collection in Città di Castello, so we could gift a printed book detailing Onelio’s works to our friends and clients.

Something was still missing, however, but we couldn’t really understand what; finally, one day I got the idea to reproduce some of the artworks on textiles: we selected three paintings, printed them on silk and used the fabric to create a collection of shirts that literally blend art and fashion.

And although the capsule was peculiar, it was very well received by our clients: for this reason, we will replicate it for the next Fall/Winter collection, of course starting from a different painting.

Moreover, we would also like to curate an exhibition, to share the work of Onelio Dalla Ragione with as many people as possible.

Is there a book, a movie, a trip or a place that has inspired your life or the direction of the brand?

Family is extremely important to me, so I must mention the first trip I’ve been on with my now wife, almost twenty-five years ago. It was the year 2000, and we were freshly engaged at the time; we went to Venezuela. It’s been inspiring to see a country so different from Italy, and I have a particularly fond memory of that travel because we were young and carefree; naturally, it’s a great memory also because it sealed the beginning of our life together as a couple!

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