The Italian fashion designer merges tailoring with haute couture to create elegant clothing for all occasions
Whether dressing for a special occasion or an important business event, finding a unique and flattering outfit that showcases your style and personality can be a challenging task. And, just as some men head to Savile Row for a bespoke suit tailored specifically for them, for women, nothing makes more of a personal statement than a piece of couture clothing.
While many people associate couture with whimsical creations, it’s not all about fairytale ballgowns and high-fashion fantasies. As with bespoke for men, the mark of couture clothing is that the garment is handcrafted and completely one-off.
Having learnt about tailoring and craftsmanship from his father, a tailor in Milan, haute couture designer Miglionico opened his first atelier in Potenza, Italy in 1989. While many of his creations have featured in spectacular runway shows around the world, Miglionico proves couture clothing isn’t only for wearing on the runways, and he uses his tailoring expertise to create sumptuous yet refined couture tailored pieces for a number of clients working in business and diplomatic sectors.
‘My father was a men’s tailor in Milan, so I grew up surrounded by tailoring craftsmanship,’ says Miglionico. ‘But I was curious to create my own line using my own ideas, so I started working in couture.’
From showstopping dresses for red carpet events and sleek ensembles for glamorous cocktail parties, to statement suits and coats that will stand out at a business meeting, Miglionico’s pieces are created for cosmopolitan and sophisticated women, striking a balance between extravagance and elegance.
His Roman atelier was opened on Via Veneto – a street famous for bespoke ateliers – and artistic scenes of Rome continue to inspire his designs. Combining modernity and tradition, he sources the finest and most unusual fabrics from Italy, some of them vintage, and his favourite fabrics to work with include different forms of crepe, double cashmere and technical brocades.
‘All my seamstresses are Italian, so each piece is completely made in Italy, by Italians,’ he explains. ‘They are all very highly qualified, experienced women who have been refining their skills in this craft for their whole lives to achieve this level of precision. It takes around two months on average to make each garment, as the embroidery on many pieces is so detailed and intricate.’
