"The Italian Hand" is an audio documentary about the art of Italian men's tailoring. From experienced pioneers to the next generation of highly esteemed family businesses, from the finest weavers as a key element in the entire value chain to living examples of the modern gentleman – "The Italian Hand" sheds light on the passionate approach to life and work of the masters and their descendants in a direct, personal, and unfiltered manner.

As the host, I take you on a journey through various style metropoles in Italy, searching for experiences and perspectives from top-tier tailoring ateliers, weavers, and influencers, but also for the Italian fingerprint that can be felt on every handmade garment.

It's a long story, so here's the TL;DR

For the full story, please scroll down.

Because of my deep admiration for Italian men's tailoring, I set a goal to produce an audio documentary where I engage in on-site conversations with both the seasoned masters and the emerging young entrepreneurs about the world of classic men's tailoring. Despite having no prior experience or connections in the fashion industry, I managed to enlist the participation of over 15 of the most renowned Italian tailors for this project.

In 2020, I took a week off, traveled to Milan by bus, conducted daily interviews for six days, lugging around ten kilograms of podcast equipment, and invested over €3000 in the project (including fines). This endeavor resulted in a miniseries named 'The Italian Hand.'

The full story

In the beginning there is the idea

Podcasts have fascinated me for quite some time. I found it very interesting how a wave of inspiration could be triggered by mere words and sounds. I often thought about creating my own podcast someday. Around the same time, I noticed influencers on Instagram who embodied the modern gentleman: Luca Rubinacci, Giorgio Giangiulio, Fabio Attanasio, to name a few. Luca Rubinacci, in particular, stood out to me - a lively young man, son of a renowned Italian tailor, the epitome of Neapolitan zest for life and lightness. With his legendary "Hello, everyone," he guided his followers through his stores, showcased beautifully handmade suits, and consistently offered tips on which fabrics the modern gentleman should wear according to the weather.

I developed a fascination for the tailoring craft and admired the dedication and passion of the Italians, as well as their friendly and down-to-earth approach to work and life. Interestingly, I couldn't find a podcast on any of the popular streaming platforms that told the stories of this hearty people. "That would be a cool project," I thought, and decided to launch a podcast or audio documentary about Italian men's tailoring.

The journey into a whole new world

For my new passion project, I took on two major areas in which I had neither expertise nor specific contacts: the craft of podcasting and the vast world of men's fashion and tailoring. The basic idea of what the podcast should be about was at least clear to me. However, for weeks, I pondered how I could navigate a world I knew nothing about with my voice and my project.

How could I provide value through a podcast when I had no knowledge of the fashion world or its history, and I had no idea what was currently relevant? How could I, despite my documentary approach, avoid giving the impression that I positioned myself as an expert in the field?

Existing podcasts that covered the topic of men's fashion were a significant help in seeking answers. So, I listened to episodes of Blamo!, Handcut Radio, or the outstanding audio documentary Unbuttoned – G. Bruce Boyers Life in Clothes by The Hogtown Rake every day. By listening to these podcasts, I could analyze how the hosts interacted with their interviewees, what questions they asked, and what topics they addressed.

Soon after, I came to the conclusion that it would be best if I didn't present my limited knowledge in the podcast but solely focused on the people I interviewed. I would essentially serve as the platform that the interviewees could use to express their stories and insights.

Help will come your way when you least expect it

Now I knew what the podcast should be about and how to conduct interviews without unintentionally stepping on the toes of the tailoring and fashion industry. Then, the next question arose:

How do I actually conduct the interviews? At that time, I lived in the small town of Altötting, 80 kilometers east of Munich. Italian tailoring was not present here at all. And if I wanted to report on the wonderful art of Italian tailoring, interviews with real tailors from Italy were essential. How could I arrange such an interview? Via Skype? Or should I travel in person and conduct a conversation on-site?

The latter made sense, especially since older Italians typically speak little to no English. The idea of conducting interviews in the original language with subsequent voice synchronization to really capture the Italian spirit was quickly abandoned due to lack of resources. The interviews would be conducted exclusively in English.

The aforementioned podcast "Unbuttoned" by The Hogtown Rake continued to play endlessly in the background. I loved the entire composition of the podcast – from the pleasant voice of the narrator to the intriguing stories of fashion expert Mr. Bruce Boyer, the carefully selected music, and the occasionally added background noises that perfectly rounded off the mood. I wanted to do it in the same way. I wanted to find out how the creator of the podcast, Pedro Mendes, produced it and if he had any tips for a humble beginner.

Pedro worked for thirteen years at the Canadian radio station CBC, produced numerous audio documentaries, and is also the author of various books on men's tailoring. To my great surprise, he responded to my email and agreed to a short video conference to discuss details and answer my questions. We set a date and talked for about an hour about what to pay attention to during interviews and how I could best approach my project. He, too, advised me to conduct interviews in person on-site. I thanked him, and we stayed in touch.

Name that thing!

How should my project be named, anyway? I brainstormed various names, aiming to convey the passion and globally renowned history of Italian tailoring. It shouldn't sound too focused on fashion but should have character. Moreover, it shouldn't come off as cheesy or arbitrary, like a silhouette of a sports car adorning an auto repair shop's logo, for example. I had a list of 10 different names, but none elicited the right feeling.

Then, I stumbled upon a statement by Master Tailor Enzo Ciardi in an interview when asked what sets Neapolitan tailoring apart from other Italian styles: "There are no differences. The difference is made by the person behind the clothes, the craftsman." This statement carried weight. Indeed, the hands of every craftsman were responsible for the way the clothing looked.

The hands were the tools of the tailoring pioneers, the old masters, and the new generation to preserve the high art of custom tailoring. And so, I named my project "The Italian Hand – Stories of Italian tailors and artisans."

The design consisted of a very classic serif font for the wordmark, paired with a slightly more modern grotesque font to visualize the interplay of tradition and modernity. Two color tones took center stage: navy blue as the primary color and a strong ochre shade as an accompanying color. A small ornament, inspired by traditional Italian patterns, served subtly as punctuation or a simple design element. Key visuals included illustrations in a linear sketch style, showcasing hands at work – ironing, marking, cutting, measuring.

For use on social media, I prepared templates for audio teasers, feed posts, and stories incorporating excerpts from the episodes, presenting short snippets of each episode in the form of audio or text. I also set up a newsletter via Mailchimp since I wanted to share not only new episodes but also the story behind the project. In the end, I had put together a cohesive corporate design to work with.

When a designer meets the fashion world

Now I had my theme, positioning, and approach to the interviews. The next big question arose: How do I attract guests for a podcast that doesn't exist yet? I had no references at all because I wasn't even professionally connected to the fashion world – I worked full-time as a trained media designer in the marketing department of a family-owned agricultural business. There were no audio samples to showcase, and I had only my idea and a well-formulated pitch to convince experienced craftsmen and entrepreneurs in the luxury industry to sit in front of a microphone and speak about themselves and their lives in a foreign language. From here, the extensive research work began.

Using Google, various non-fiction books, and guides, I identified the most interesting tailoring studios, weaving mills, and influencers that I wanted to get in front of my microphone. For this, I created a Google spreadsheet with the following information: Company name, CEO, primary contact person, address, and website. Additionally, I had to document whether, when, and how a company or person was contacted, the reaction, and whether there was an approval or rejection. After the list was created, I started cold outreach – using the business networking platform LinkedIn.

I entered dangerous territory here because social selling is generally not well-received on business networks. Therefore, I had to get straight to the point without much small talk and explain why I was contacting the person, what the project was about, and what goal I was pursuing.

So, I picked one contact person after another and wrote a friendly message. In parallel, I also used the email route and composed relevant letters to the email addresses of the companies, which I could find in the respective websites' imprint. I wrote an incredibly long novel that any German entrepreneur would have immediately deleted. I explained, using paragraphs divided by questions, what The Italian Hand was, why I wanted to conduct the podcast, and what benefit it would have for the contacted company.

I also provided information about the exact process of the interviews and the required duration. I had two different versions of the over 500-character letter – one for newly contacted individuals and one for influencers. To my surprise, numerous entrepreneurs, CEOs, and tailors responded and were excited about my idea. They either wanted to learn more about the project or were already willing to take time for an interview.

In both cases, I received more detailed contact information for further discussions. Out of over 50 contacted companies and individuals, I was able to convince fifteen in the end and discuss specific interview dates. A complete success!

Proper planning is everything

Now it was time to plan my journey to Italy and coordinate the interview dates as compactly as possible – no easy task, as the interviewees were all busy entrepreneurs and had very limited time windows. As a full-time employee, I also had to plan my vacation well in advance and carefully coordinate with the tight schedules of the podcast guests.

For the first round, I decided to travel to the beautiful fashion capital, Milan, as most of the individuals I could convince for my idea worked in Milan and its surroundings. So, I planned a week from January 27, 2020, to February 1, 2020, took a week off, booked a room at Hotel Ginosi Arizona on Via Bressanone, and purchased a FlixBus ticket from Salzburg to Milan. I was proud that I could now schedule ten interviews within a week and was extremely excited about the experience ahead.

The podcast concept was set, the production approach was clear, the first interviews were scheduled, and the trip was booked – now only the technical equipment was missing.

After extensive research, which involved hours of watching microphone and recorder reviews and analyzing product comparisons, I acquired microphones, tripods, a recording device, XLR cables, audio cables, audio adapters, studio headphones, memory cards, batteries, chargers, and an equipment bag. In time for the departure date – I actually received one microphone just a day before the departure – I had everything I needed for the mobile podcast. Total weight of the equipment alone: about ten kilograms. Cost of the equipment: about 1800€.

The start into the new world

The day of departure arrived, and I was incredibly excited. However, the amount of luggage was challenging. In addition to the approximately ten kilograms of equipment, there was a large suitcase with clothing for a week. Since I was meeting tailors and entrepreneurs from the luxury segment, I wanted to be appropriately dressed. Thus, the leather lace-up shoes, blazers, shirts, and pleated trousers added extra weight. The laptop and all other accessories went into an additional shoulder bag.

I set off towards Salzburg, parked my car at the Freilassing train station to take the train to Salzburg main station. I was a bit pressed for time, but I should still arrive at the station on time to catch the FlixBus. To my surprise, in Salzburg, I found out that the FlixBus did not depart from there but approximately eight kilometers south near the Europark. So, I had to get there quickly within 20 minutes.

I called a taxi but had only five euros in cash in my pocket. While my body language already indicated haste, I verbally emphasized to the taxi driver that I had to catch the bus at exactly 8 p.m. He said, "Ok" and stepped on the gas. The fact that I only had five euros ready, but the fare was thirteen, the good man kindly overlooked. And so, I finally sat in the bus, with my luggage stowed, two minutes before the planned departure.

Unfortunately, the bus took an unnecessary detour in the opposite direction to Munich. There, I had to transfer to another bus heading to Milan – well, you don't have to understand everything. The journey went very smoothly, and after about six hours, we reached Milan early in the morning around 5:30 a.m. I lugged myself and my luggage to the nearest metro and headed to the city center to the Duomo di Milano.

As I emerged from the metro to the surface, the impressive, illuminated Milan Cathedral was already presenting itself, making me pause in awe. The dawn came with the accompaniment of bird songs, and there were only a few early risers around. A delightful atmosphere. I got myself a coffee and planned my day. It was already six in the morning, and the first interview was scheduled for eight. I had rented a Fiat 500 from SIXT for this week, which I could pick up that morning near the Duomo.

So, I left the café and walked with my luggage to the SIXT branch, which was still closed. While waiting outside, two employees from the branch came out and went to a café opposite. One of them, a classic Italian, noticed me as a waiting customer and greeted me warmly, followed by a "Would you like a coffee too?" I politely declined but had to smile to myself – oh, the Italian charm... in Germany, no one would ever think of inviting a stranger for coffee.

The Premiere—Visiting Canclini 1925

I got into my Fiat and headed to the Como region for my first interview – Canclini 1925, the weaving mill. I had connected with the Sales Manager, Marco Ferrabue, during the acquisition, and he had planned the appointment with me. I entered the company premises and was warmly welcomed by him. While we waited for Mauro Canclini, the owner's brother, I set up my equipment in the conference room.

The decor was relatively simple, nothing extraordinarily modern. Considering that nearly every tailor throughout Italy and countless tailor shops worldwide use the exquisite fabrics from Canclini to craft their clothing, you would expect a striking interior design. But that wasn't the case. It looked like a simple regional factory, and the most elegant room was the archive – a room with hundreds of thousands of fabric samples, some dating back to the last century.

Mauro arrived in the meantime, and we began the interview. Both Mauro and Marco contributed well to the conversation, sharing many interesting aspects of the company's history and the mentality of the Italian tailoring industry.

My 3rd espresso at the Calzificio Bresciani 1970

In the early afternoon, I set off for my second interviewee of the day – Bresciani 1970, a sock manufacturer from Spirano, Bergamo. For over 30 years, Bresciani 1970 has been producing high-quality men's socks from various exquisite materials such as silk, linen, cotton, and merino wool. As a B2B distributor, they supply products to various men's outfitters in Europe, America, and Asia, including one of the most renowned style magazines, The Rake.

Upon arrival, I was warmly welcomed with an espresso – the third of the day. The CEO, Massimiliano, with whom I had scheduled the appointment, greeted me shortly afterward and invited me into his office. I set up my equipment and engaged in some small talk with him as he patiently waited and observed the proceedings. We quickly got into conversation, and Massimiliano began sharing the story of his father, his company, and the challenges in the market. After our interview, I was guided through the various manufacturing and finishing areas, observing highly complex machines gradually assembling the socks with the exquisite fabrics. Meanwhile, some of the team's ladies took care of quality control and packaging.

Massimiliano's lively brother explained all the necessary production steps and proudly showed me the company's historical memories and achievements in the form of pictures. A friendly and, above all, humorous team of passionate individuals of different ages working together to craft a luxury product. This product subtly – almost invisibly – positions itself on the feet of style-conscious people and, compared to suits or shoes, is noticed only by connoisseurs.

Taking a break

After saying goodbye to everyone there and expressing my gratitude for the opportunity, I got back into my Fiat and drove back to Milan to check into my hotel. I had no high expectations, and moreover, almost no budget – and that's precisely why the hotel looked the way it did. Right across from the highway entrance and next to a casino was the Hotel Ginosi Arizona, which offered a room of approximately three square meters. I unpacked my bags, changed into something more comfortable, and immediately sat down with my laptop at the small corner table by the window to review the recordings of the day. No background noise, clean sound – that sounded good. Soon after, I fell asleep relatively quickly, recharging my energy for the next day when I was to meet more guests.

Fabio Sbranchella of Quartieri Cravatte and the hidden beauty of Milan

The next day, I met with Fabio Sbranchella, the owner and CEO of a small company named Quartieri Cravatte. As the name suggests, the company produces its own ties from silk and wool fabrics. Fabio is a lively and cheerful person, as he had already demonstrated during our correspondence when he offered not only to be my interview guest but also to introduce me to a renowned tailor's workshop and give me a small tour of Milan to show the hidden beauty, as he called it.

Fabio is a true Milanese at heart, and he showed me this after a morning espresso during our interview when he spoke about how tailors and craftsmen in Milan don't boast about their skills and products. They tend to be more reserved and let the products speak for themselves. Interestingly, Mauro Canclini had told me the same thing the day before. The mentality aligned, even though Milan holds a different position in the fashion industry.

I met Fabio again the next day as he confirmed that the mentioned workshop in the city center had agreed to an interview. After the very pleasant stay and successful interview, I said goodbye to Fabio. He insisted that I choose a tie from his collection as a gift. Gratefully, I opted for a beautiful, pine-green silk tie with very subtle, closely spaced ornaments – a trademark of his products, representing the discretion and modesty of the Milanese mentality.

Francesca Serafin of Serà Fine Silk – a Silken Bundle of Energy

Wednesday was set to be the most productive of all days. I was looking forward to the first appointment as I had the opportunity to conduct an interview with entrepreneur Francesca Serafin. She founded the company Será Fine Silk, which produces ties, suspenders, pocket squares, as well as scarves and other accessories from the finest fabrics such as silk, cashmere, cotton, and more – for both women and men. Her story is fascinating, as she entered the fashion industry more through a side project and became known not least for her energetic, fun, but also ambitious nature. She operates from a small studio in the center of Milan on Via Santa Croce.

I arrived slightly early for our appointment, so I was let in by her social media manager, took a seat on the couch, and waited for her. Shortly after, she burst in, gave a few instructions in Italian, apologized formally for the delay, offered me coffee, and then sat down with me. She is about 1.83 meters tall, taller than she appears on social media. She had brought a photographer, Andrea Natali, who was supposed to capture us during the interview.

The interview was conducted only with my mobile recorder and one of the three microphones. I had briefly checked the levels with an in-ear headphone but took it off during the conversation. She laughed a lot and spoke quickly, as if she were in absolute appointment stress. However, comparing her appearance with her social media insights quickly reveals that she is just lively and filled to the brim with energy. We talked for a while about her past, her impressions, what she loves about her work, and what this activity means to her.

Afterwards, we took a few more photos, and I moved on. I loved this small, cozy studio, filled with the finest accessories that were not exactly affordable. The space exuded creative energy and enthusiasm. Shipping products from a small room to the whole world – that was the entrepreneurial spirit of the Italians.

Stefano Cau on Simplicity, the Love for Craftsmanship, and the Sense for New Trends

On Friday, I had my last interview for the week. So, I drove to Lake Como to Via Rezzonico, where I was supposed to meet Stefano Cau. Stefano Cau runs a well-known business in the industry, selling high-quality ties, bow ties, suspenders, and other accessories for men. Strongly inspired by the styles of the 20s, 50s, and 60s, as well as Art Deco, Stefano sells his unique creations in both common, easily combinable colors, and in vibrant and unusual color combinations and patterns. I met him in his small office—a somewhat run-down space with cold floor tiles and some vintage furniture. Many accessories like pictures, statues, clothing items, and props were scattered around, clearly reflecting his style.

I liked the simplicity and character of this office. I chatted with him for a while, and when I told him about my project, he suggested taking a small tour around Lake Como. He was eager to show me his sources of inspiration and the products' manufacturing processes, as well as the people behind them, working at the looms every day.

And so, we hopped into his car and set off. The first stop was a small textile factory with a large showroom. There, we met a very nice couple running the textile factory, who presented various fabric samples in all possible variations. Stefano meticulously examined and felt each piece of fabric. After reviewing numerous patterns, we got back into the car and drove to a factory producing clothing and accessories for the luxury segment. Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, I could see logos of these high-fashion brands coming out of the looms. Hard to believe, but the world-famous silk from the Como region still enjoys the highest popularity—even with mainstream brands. The head of the factory was an old but lively and energetic gentleman who immediately pulled me along, explaining each step of the process with surprisingly loud enthusiasm. Even at the computers, where the patterns for the clothing items were created using graphic programs, he was so excited that you might have thought he had just won the lottery. That's what I call passion!

After this impressive tour, we returned to Stefano's office, and we started the interview. For a little over two hours, we talked about his story and his passion. He had many philosophical perspectives and impressed with far-reaching views on work and private life. What fascinated me was the fact that Stefano had a company that shipped the highest-quality products worldwide, yet his office was a bare room, not equipped with high-end technology or other gadgets.

It was merely a retreat and a place for working, thinking, and inspiring. He is content with the positioning of his company and has no plans to make millions. This balanced and down-to-earth quality captivated me. He has a sense for new trends and knows how to use influencers and social media correctly. I enjoyed our conversation and left his office with another two hours of high-quality audio material. What I didn't enjoy was the parking ticket gracing the windshield of my rental car—che cavolo...

The project comes to life

One week in Milan had passed, and I had managed to attend almost all of my scheduled appointments, bringing back an incredible array of impressions from the journey—a homeward trip that lasted 21 hours due to missed buses and delays at customs. Now, it was time to bring my project to life. I immersed myself in Adobe Audition, editing, cutting, mixing, and narrating my first episodes. I recorded my narrative passages in my bedroom, halfway inside my wardrobe. With my face surrounded by jackets and shirts, I had the optimal recording booth and could thus avoid annoying echoes. However, I still lacked a musical intro.

I already had an idea of how it should sound. So, for the first time, I used the platform Fiverr to find someone who could compose the intro for my podcast. Although the platform is often criticized by designers for its undeniable low prices, in this case, I found the service useful. However, it always involves a risk since the final result is only delivered after payment. Warranty cases are usually cumbersome and nerve-wracking. I described my vision as precisely as possible, using the song "L'Appuntamento" by Ornella Vanoni as a reference—an all-time favorite from the movie Ocean's Twelve. Despite several attempts and corrections, my counterpart couldn't capture the mood I envisioned. Each time, it sounded more like taking Vanoni's melody and shifting it down an octave—not really useful. Thus, I paid 100 euros as a lesson.

Shortly after, I found a composer duo from New Zealand named Cloud Road Music, who, based on their references, composed beautiful pieces. And indeed, after some adjustments, I had my intro, including several variations. It had the Italian touch I was looking for without incorporating too much mandolin. It had precisely the desired melancholic tone that also conveyed the elegance of the tailoring art. I loved it!

Now I could produce my episodes. I edited the original recordings to highlight only the core statements of the guests. Then, I wrote a suitable script, in which I inserted the passages like in a documentary. I liked the style, and applying the basics of audio editing for this project was incredibly enjoyable. I had prepared workflow patterns for normalization, noise reduction, and equalizing, making the application of these processes on the tracks in Audition a seamless task.

When the world shut down

A few weeks later, we received the news that a global pandemic had broken out – Covid-19. Entire countries were isolating themselves, imposing weeks-long quarantines, and people were only allowed to go outside for work, medical reasons, or shopping. It was a state of emergency that threw everything and everyone off balance. As travel became impossible, my plans for another trip to Italy also evaporated. The project around The Italian Hand came to a standstill – at least for the time being. During the lockdown, I had one last idea.

I wanted to capture the impressions of the tailors, entrepreneurs, and influencers and reflect them in the podcast. I wanted to find out how each of them was dealing with the situation and what it meant for their businesses. So, I sent emails to all the people on my interview planning list. I was pleasantly surprised when not only my former podcast guests responded with voice messages but also new people, including well-known names like Fabio Attanasio, Nicola Radano, and Damiano Anunziato from the renowned tailoring house Sartoria Dalcuore. They all sent me voice messages via WhatsApp, expressing some thoughts about the whole situation. Once again, I felt the openness and spontaneity of the Italians, who, despite busy schedules, didn't hesitate to give a few minutes of their time for the passion project of an individual.

At no time did I hear anything like 'I don't have time for this; I have better things to do.' The passion project The Italian Hand was a success for me, opening many doors. I had the opportunity to delve deep into the valuable history of tailoring and developed an even greater fascination for true craftsmanship that lasts a lifetime. Even though I spent over 3000 euros due to various fines, a mountain of equipment, and multiple bus and train tickets, I loved everything about the project. I loved the conceptualization phase, the acquisition, the journey, the stay, and all the things that went wrong. The project is currently on hold – who knows if it will ever come back to life under the Italian sun.