If you had to introduce yourself in a few lines, where would you start?
I would start twenty-five years ago, with a Fiat 126 Bis and a megaphone I used to go around the neighborhoods of Sant’Anastasia to make myself known. And then with my first garage: small in size, but with the soul and ambition of a boutique. That’s where it all began, with the desire to turn a dream into reality.
What was the intuition that changed the destiny of Michele Franzese Moda?
The constant search for exclusive brands with selective distribution. I have always believed that the real difference was not following trends, but anticipating them, choosing brands capable of making an impact.
What do you look for today in a brand even before a collection?
I look for the truth of the product: tradition, authenticity, value, and even the scent of the place it comes from. Today my motto is “luxury at the right price”: offering customers absolute quality with a fair price-to-quality ratio.
If you had to bet on a talent today, what would it need to impress you?
The ability to innovate without forgetting tradition. Fashion needs new ideas, but also solid roots: only in this way can something lasting be built.
Capri: what does it represent for you and your favorite places.
For me, Capri is the place where past, present, and future meet. The clock in the Piazzetta and the Faraglioni are its symbols. Then there are the boatmen, guardians of the Blue Grotto, the excellence of Aurora, Da Paolino and Villa Verde, the hospitality of the Quisisana, an evening at Anema e Core with Gianluigi Lembo, and to finish, an ice cream at Buonocore. Images, flavors, and people that tell the most authentic soul of the island.
Interview by Sabrina Bozzoni for Gruppo Editoriale.
