Before I had even seen the tag on the back of the red ruffled dress I was holding in my hands I already knew the genius behind it was going straight to my “favorite designers list. IRK sat down ( virtually ) with Alessandro Trincone to discuss his newest collection and discover what really makes him tick.
Italian born and bred, Alessandro Trincone is a breath of fresh air to the somewhat slightly polluted fashion industry. “I want to be different from the other designers and give people the opportunity to wear what they want without any kind of restrictions.” This mantra sees Alessandro creating wildly flamboyant silhouettes and using enough voluptuous ruffles that would Mary Antoinette jealous, allowing him to create garments in one size that fits every body shape.
With a unique and uplifting look on the world, Alessandro makes the best out of bad situations and has a lot of positivity to share.“People will always judge us. We only need to ignore them and feel comfortable with ourselves and just be us.”
In a pressing time like this, I think we can all use a little bit of Alessandro’s spirit.
IRK: How would you describe your design aesthetic?
My design aesthetic is ethereal, angelic, kind of unique, and genderless. I don’t want to create clothes for men or women, simply just for people.
IRK: Why did you choose fashion?
Actually, I’ve never decided to take the fashion path, it just happened. After high school I wanted to leave my hometown because I was fed up with it, It’s been very tough growing up here. My real passion back in the day was music, but at the time it didn’t feel right to pursue it as a career, so I thought “fashion could be fun”. I was wrong about the “fun” part but I was totally right to try this path. I moved to Rome and that's where it all started. As soon as I started, I understood that this was my world.
IRK: Where do you find the inspiration to create such creative pieces?
The inspirations for my designs come from my personal experiences with society. I always work on my bad experiences because for me it’s a different way to grow and learn and I will create something much more interesting.
IRK: What story do you try to tell with each garment you produce?
The story I try to tell with my collections is the reaction we should have in this world. Just take the negative sides and transform them into positive sides. Be yourself, express yourself, accept yourself, no boundaries. We are all the same, same heart, same human, people. I am trying to create a new identity that goes over the male and female gender, something more than neutral where people can feel free to choose to wear whatever they want to wear.
IRK: Being Italian, do you incorporate your heritage into your designs, and if so how?
I always incorporate my Napolitan heritage in my collections. I try to keep and customize the tailored jacket aesthetic and the masculine lines from the suit. But I also play a lot with the classic feminine lines by using lots of volume and experimenting with materials.
IRK: Coming from a small town in Italy how did you deal with the criticism and skepticism that came from the people around you?
Growing up in Naples as a gay person was really really tough. I am still paying for the consequences and I will forever. But I don’t regret it. All these bad experiences have made me who I am today, which I am proud of. All of these negative experiences gave me the courage to come out and just be myself. A lot of people have been through this as well, and they are still going. It is not just about the gender, it’s about everything, such a the sizes, the races, the aesthetics. People will always judge us. We only need to ignore them and feel comfortable with ourselves and just be us.
IRK: As an androgynous designer, what is the process behind creating designs for all human forms?
I always try to stay away from the “standard sizes” and that’s another reason why I usually make silhouettes with huge volumes as it allows me to sell all kinds of sizes. I want to be different from the other designers and give to the people the opportunity to wear what they want without any kind of restrictions.
IRK: Where and when do you find yourself most creative?
I surprise myself every time. I feel very creative with a lot of ideas when I am suffering and when I am going through something. I take all the bad things and transform and express them into good things through my fashion. So when something bad happens to me I always have a positive outlook on it like “Ok, I will have new ideas.”
IRK: What does the future look like for Alessandro Trincone, as a Brand and as a person?
The future scares me very much. I am trying to avoid thinking about it and live it day by day. I hope to grow as a brand, inspire people, and to spread my message. As a person. I hope to have a family and one child.
IRK: What is some advice or words of wisdom you would give to the younger generation of creatives?
The only advice I would give to the new designers is to just express your feelings and throw them on the fabric. It’s the only good way to express your real self And not have boundaries. Also, don’t trust other people, trust yourself!
IRK: Due to the recent Covid 19 global health pandemic, how are you staying creative and mentally healthy in such a trying time?
Well, Covid 19 came to me in my worst time. Last season during NYFW while I was in NYC (Feb 2020) I had an important mental break down so I couldn’t wait to come back to Italy and put myself together. But, as soon as I got back to Italy it completely shut down and I was screwed.
I stayed in quarantine and isolation by myself with my cats for 2 weeks because I was traveling and I may have been infected. Don't worry I wasn’t! In that time I took out all off my archive collections and started to shoot them on myself so I could feel like myself again, trying to remember who I am and why I am doing this. Now I feel very creative and that’s why I am already starting the new collection, which I totally have no idea where and when I am going to show it. This pandemic didn’t affect my job very much since I have my studio in my own house and I don’t go out very often. My thoughts and my prayers always go to the people that really really need help. I hope this will end soon and hope something good will come out of this and change the world.
Photographer: Lindsay Adler
Fashion Editor: Cannon @ The Only Agency
Market Editor: Alexandra Gramp
Assistant Stylist: Orion Scott
Model: Natalya Piro @Wilhelmina Hair and makeup by Mark Williamson @ Artist Management Miami and @ Creative Space Artists using @macpro, @maccosmetics,@artisbrush and @privehairAssisted by Joel Marriott @joelmarriotmakeup
Want more: about Alessandro Trincone and follow his future in fashion you can find him here:
