Interview with Luciano Barbera
This exclusive interview with Luciano Barbera was conducted by Nicola
Linza and Cristoffer Neljesjö in Biella, Italy September 2010
Your father had a passion for fine
Italian made fabrics and from that passion grew what we know today as Luciano
Barbera. How do you work to maintain the quality of your brand?
Carrying on the tradition of a “religious” commitment to the production of fabrics
that are made with the finest fibers in the world and result in garments where
quality is certainly a very important pillar.
You stress, “Made in Italy” which is a
significant factor in an item’s perceived quality this has become a major issue
in the Italian manufacturing industries. What does “Made in Italy” mean to you?
“Made in Italy” for me simply means that an item, any item, is made in Italy,
which means entirely manufactured in Italy. This concept must be absolutely
implied in any item final consumers can purchase. “Made in Italy” is a
“passport”, an “identity card” for any product which should guarantee the
consumers worldwide that they are in fact purchasing something truly made in
Italy. This would also favor the respect for what is made in Italy: Italy in
this way should become the “boutique of quality” at an international level.
What small details should a man think
about when purchasing a suit?
Small details: a suit cannot be purchased considering small details which can
even misdirect the purchase itself. In my opinion it is important instead to
consider the softness and the wearability and performance of the suit which
should fit like a second skin; the lightness of construction, which is
particularly guaranteed by traditional workmanship without any seizing or
coating inside the lining; buttonholes and seams should be particularly
accurate and especially in high price clothing should be hand-made and
sartorial. All this in addition to and taking for granted a fabric which is
guaranteed of high quality and with declared traceability and country of
origin.
Can you describe the natural balance
between innovation and tradition?
Very easy: following and living and perceiving every day the ever changing
requirements of our society can provide us with the tools we need to innovate
the tradition of quality.
It is an individual stance of course,
yet one that also translates to how one man views another, how would you
describe a man of great personal “style?”
A man who does not follow the commands of “fashion” in any way but who is aware
of what he feels is the best around him to satisfy his personal taste
respecting himself before fearing any outside opinion.
What advice would you give your children
the day they want to take over the company?
That they should love their job and consider it as an integral part of their
life respecting the duties pertaining their positions.
It is 1970 and we are meeting in Rome
for a private party hosted by Luchino Visconti. What are you wearing? In addition,
whom do you want to meet?
I am wearing my usual woolen charcoal flannel double-breast hand-made suit, a
white-cream linen shirt, buckled black shoes, a dotted dark blue tie and a
blue-yellow-burgundy paisley patterned pocket handkerchief. Romy Schneider is
there and we are talking about a possible cameo of mine in her last film.
The above interview with Luciano Barbera
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