L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano I n Italy, he became TV popular only in very recent months, after news and gossip outlets alike made known he custom made the shirt POTUS Donald Trump wore on inauguration day, but the much criticized American first citizen is far from being his only famous customer: Italian comedian Checco Zalone is one of his clients and so is the heir to the British throne, Prince William who, in fact, wore one of his creations on the day of his wedding to the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Angelo Inglese has been han- dling all the media attention com- ing from making clothes for the most controversial person alive with an all Italian aplomb and, in truth, with a lot of healthy and FRANCESCA BEZZONE refreshing humbleness. When asked by Selene Gagliardi of the "Huffington Post" about some Italian artists' refusal to sing at the inauguration, and whether he felt uncomfortable working for Trump, he very elegantly said "I don't see my work for Mr. Trump as a question of politics. All I want is to do my job well, beyond all political ideologies. What counts the most to me is keeping high the flag of authentic "made in Italy" in the world, especially when it comes from smaller busi- ness realities." In the same inter- view, Inglese thanked the Italian- American community which, he mentioned, has made his work known in the US. Angelo Inglese and his small, family run company, embody all that is good and beautiful about original, authentic made in Italy: traditional values, attention to detail and an enormous stress on quality over quantity. When asked about his company's sheer numbers, in another interesting interview appeared on the web- site madeintaranto.org, Inglese highlights how "my reality is a very small one. We're an atelier that chose to remain smaller to give importance to quality rather than quantity." His many customers, from Italy and all over the world, appear to appreciate not only the uncontestable beauty and quality of his pieces, but also the very essence of his business: "they fall in love with the way we work and with the sense of family and wel- coming they experience when they are here, in Ginosa (the vil- lage where Inglese's atelier oper- ates, author's note)," he declared to madeintaranto.org. Family and territory are cru- cial values in Inglese's work view, values which made his enterprise flourish. It was Angelo's grandmother who start- ed the business, opening a small tailor shop in Ginosa, a town of about 22 thousands in the province of Taranto. Angelo's parents made it thrive and today he's in charge of this beautiful example of a quintessential Italian business. His products are made following traditional arti- sanal methods, all fabrics chosen among the most beautiful and luxurious, each piece unique and bespoke, each step of its creation often described in detail to his customers "to make them curi- ous, make them part of a process the aim of which is not solely and simply to create profit, but also to create emotions." It is, indeed, a beautiful idea to associate to a product, so dis- tant from that "use once and destroy" mentality that so much characterizes the high street today, and of which we are all more or less victims. It is an idea that encapsulates the real essence of Italian crafts, where things are made to last a lifetime, so beauti- ful to stand the test of time and trends passing. Reading about Angelo Inglese and his small, renowned atelier made me think of my grandmoth- er, who was a lacemaker: she would make lace as light as sea foam, as precious as gold. All the beauty was in the details, in the softness of the thread, in the deli- cate intricacy of the pattern: well into her 80s, she would create beautiful pieces, her fingers pre- cise and fast in spite of age. For some reason, I imagine the care, love, attention and dedication of Inglese for his products is the same my gandmother had all those years ago for her beautiful laces; more than a simple atti- tude, it is a forma mentis borne off generations and generations of artisans and craftsmen proud of their skills and of their work. Tireless and precise, these arti- sans and their small business real- ities are, and always have been, the heart and soul of true "made in Italy": entrepreneurs, of course, but craftsmen and artists first and foremost. In such hard times for Italy's economy and, in truth, also for timeless values such as family, dedication, pro- fessionalism and sense of cultur- al belonging, finding someone like Angelo Inglese feels like finding that first tiny daisy of the season, in a field still half cov- ered in winter snow: it may be lit- tle, but it makes you understand the good season is just around the corner. President Trump, the actor Checco Zalone and Prince William are some of Angelo Inglese's famous customers. Photo credit: Lorena Caramia Angelo Inglese is now in charge of a beautiful example of a quintessential Italian business Italian excellence around the world: Angelo Inglese, the tailor of princes and presidents LIFE PEOPLE MOVIES MUSIC BOOKS

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