Fashion, Alessandro Vigilante: VIPs jostle to wear his clothes
He had opened his Instagram profile a few months ago and Lady Gaga’s and Beyoncé’s stylists had already arrived. At the same time, Damiano of the Måneskin. To testify that the “fluidity” is not always the result of an ideological forcing: in the case of Alessandro Vigilante, one of the most promising names in Italian fashion (finally, ed), transversality arises naturally from the world that has besieged his imagination since he was very young, dance. Her corsets, her cut-outs, the wonderful couture trousers paired with open back tops or tiny jersey brassieres stolen from a barre exercise but decidedly urban under a sartorially structured jacket, are an emanation of the osmosis between dance and fashion that has lived since childhood.
When he named his backless blazer after choreographer Carolyn Carlson, he said “I have in mind his performances in a long dress with a bare back, because for me the back speaks, as if it were recounting the efforts, the sweat, the expressiveness, the energy”. And he himself, as a dancer, was bare back during the presentation of Milano Moda Donna, conversing amiably with Malika Ayane (in white), Noemi (in fuchsia) and the top Bianca Balti, captivated by his unmistakable creations.
Alessandro Vigilante, the interview with the new talent of Italian and world fashion
It seems that celebs jostle to wear your dress…
Let’s say that they arrived with great simplicity: among the first, Elodie, Elisa and Damiano, who shot the first video of the album with one of my bosses, which brought him fame. But people like Kylie Jenner or Dua Lipa also discovered me quite quickly.
How do you explain it?
I don’t know, I had 5,000 followers and a lot of passion. I’ve been drawing since the age of three, and I’ve been dancing for a little while. In high school I was very lucky, I already knew what to do, fashion and dance have always been with me.
And why do men love your corsets?
In fact I often have requests from the male world: I made a custom piece for Blanco, I had requests from Leo Gassman, D’Argen D’Amico wore one of my suits in Sanremo. Perhaps, once again, this naturalness draws on dance: the archetype of the corset was born with Jiri Killian, a very famous choreographer of the Nederlands Dans Theater, famous for having launched a contemporary dance expression of pure aesthetics. Here shape and line match perfectly and the corset feels natural.
Dargen D’Amico
You are a former professional dancer how come you left?
Yes, I had the opportunity to study with exceptional teachers such as the dancers of Pina Bausch’s Wuppertal Dance Theater, but at a certain point it was fatal to switch to my other great passion, fashion. I have always been fascinated by the line of the legs in movement, by the shape, by the cut outs that outline the anatomical plasticity. I see beautiful dancing bodies, of any shape, height or weight, each one has its own unique movement. This is why I like my garments to be worn by anyone who wants it, without limits.
Kim Kardashian buys your clothes in Los Angeles, you are in legendary shops like Luisa via Roma, Antonioli, how did you get to these goals so quickly?
I worked for many years, about twelve, for brands such as Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci and Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini until one day I took a blank sheet and asked myself who am I? What do I want to do? I’ve heard from a few people, each one advising me on a different thing, until I landed on the professionals who helped me make my dream come true, believing in me and supporting me. You have succeeded in innovating, you have created a style in the chaos of proposals that can be seen.
What fabrics do you use?
The more classic ones such as tailoring wool, viscose jersey and silk georgette are combined with innovative materials such as sculptural jersey, which allows you to create raw cut, unlined blazers. But also neoprene and natural latex. I am careful that the processes are sustainable.
What do you expect, given the sudden success?
I don’t have too high expectations, they create disappointments and I would suffer for it. At one point I made a bet on myself, I took what I had and invested it, I am aware that the path of fashion is not easy. We will see. The supreme dream is to be able to open a dance school that also contains the atelier. Maybe in a place where there is the sea.
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