Last June the designer debuted the first collection in his eponymous menswear line, and now he tells us how his designs break rules he never has before

&quot;The truth is, I like to complicate my life,&quot; Marco de Vincenzo laughs as he admits that launching a menswear line&nbsp;was &quot;a tough nut to crack&quot;. His Spring/Summer 2020 Men&#39;s collection made its debut last June at Pitti Uomo where, thanks to a non-literal translation of his classic womenswear codes, the designer developed a concrete and coherent new line of thought.&nbsp;

Hailing from Messina in Sicily, de Vincenzo discovered early on that he had a knack for design, and when he reached his teens, he decided to apply that talent to clothes. He hit the ground running, landing a job at <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/men/see-all-the-looks-from-fendi-men-s-fall-2020">Fendi</a> immediately following his graduation from the European Institute of Design, where he has remained in&nbsp;the 18 years since as the head designer of accessories and leather goods. De Vincenzo founded his namesake label&nbsp;a decade ago, and now divides his time between Rome and Milan.&nbsp;

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What convinced you&nbsp;it was the right time to launch a menswear line?

I did it for the same reasons I first created my own label. At that time I was just 30 years old; I was happy working for <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/men/see-all-the-looks-from-fendi-men-s-fall-2020">Silvia Venturini Fendi</a>, who gave me the maximum freedom of action, and yet it still was not enough. I felt a very strong desire&nbsp;within me and I knew I had to go along with it. Likewise, the menswear line came to be when I realised I needed and wanted it. I didn&#39;t pay attention to the extra resources I would have to pour in, I just listened to my instincts. After all, the industry is so tough today that, if you don&#39;t protect your passion, it won&#39;t be worth it.&nbsp;

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And how do you protect it?&nbsp;

You must not give in when, as it so happened to me, you find yourself with a pile of debts and you feel that others are better than you. I have gone through very difficult times when I wanted to give up my own label&nbsp;and concentrate solely on <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/men/see-all-the-looks-from-fendi-men-s-fall-2020">Fendi</a>. Luckily enough, I didn&#39;t fall for that. Giving up on a project like this would have been a great strain, something with the potential to make me become disillusioned. I have seen my peers fail, and I&nbsp;realised that even though they have reinvented themselves, there is still an inner wound that remains open.&nbsp;

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Who is the man you design your clothes for?

Over time I have changed my relationship with the masculine aesthetic, with what I consider sexy or manly. I come from a small town in the South, and it took me some time to shake off certain preconceptions. Today, however, I feel completely free and non-judgmental. I like men who choose to play with certain aspects of the female wardrobe, and I&nbsp;hope that the concept of gender fluidity introduced by <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/fashion-week/the-essential-version-of-gucci">Alessandro Michele</a> for Gucci will continue to gain ground.

My collection is affected by that inner rigour&nbsp;that has always set me apart. I am the person who was never rebellious, and I admire my peers who, in addition to designing clothes, know&nbsp;also how to use them to tell a story about who they are. I exaggerate what I wear, but in general I greatly appreciate those who can integrate excessive details&nbsp;into their image if considered from a traditional point of view. Seeing Marc Jacobs on the runway in his red high-heeled platforms always puts me in&nbsp;a good mood.&nbsp;

What other designers do you like?

I am a <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/men/see-all-the-looks-from-the-prada-men-s-fall-2020-show">Prada</a> maniac - every fashion week I wait for the show with trepidation to find out what will be invented. What I admire about Miuccia Prada is her ability to always initiate a discussion. Then I very much love Dries Van Noten, Christopher Kane, and <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/fashion/comme-des-garcons-rei-kawakubo-exhibition-at-metropolitan-museum-of-art-in-ny-2017">Comme des Gar&ccedil;ons</a>. To be honest, I am a die-hard fashion lover, and I spend my days looking at what else is around.&nbsp;

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Is there a particular piece that represents your Spring/Summer 2020 collection?

In terms of silhouette, I think of the high-waisted jeans. It&#39;s really a simple five-pocket, but I wanted to exaggerate the proportions a little bit. I wanted to go off kilter just enough to amaze and make people want to waer it. On the materials front, however, I think of pliss&eacute;. I used it in unexpected ways on most of the collection, such as an embossed tulle that I paired with wool to create an unusual checked pattern. The goal is to give a strong first impression, that on closer inspection will reveal something&nbsp;you did not expect.&nbsp;

Marco De Vincenzo On Freedom Versus Rigour And Breaking The Rules

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