Sartoria Marconi Bononia started out as a fun project for Italian designer Paco Giuliani in mid-2014. At the time, he had been going to the same Italy based tailor for some time when he was asked about the American market for men’s fashions. After pondering the question, Giuliani realized that it was difficult to find styles that he really liked in America. But once he did find them they would be really expensive. That was a very different experience in Italy though. Styles, fabric and fit were a combination of what Paco found difficult to lock down in American fashion. Specifically, the American fit tended to be looser than European styles and didn’t highlight male body features well – simply stated, the American fit lacked tailoring. Based on that knowledge, he and a friend toyed with the idea of launching a small clothing business. Paco had already helped a few companies launch successful Kick Starter campaigns in the U.S., so he and his business partner decided to launch their own campaign. After reaching their funding goal, their business was in full effect. They created a web site; people started to take notice of their blazers and they met with interested buyers.
Sartoria stands for the sartorial aspect of clothing or the way that pieces are crafted. Marconi is the last name of the famous Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the radio, who is also from Paco’s hometown Bologna, Italy. And Bononia is the Latin name for Bologna. Giorgio Armani is a designer that Paco followed when he was younger, but now his interests are with smaller companies not necessarily tied to a specific designer. “I like designers that are rooted in very high quality and hand crafted traditions,” says Giuliani. He points out several small tailor shops located in Napoli where one can experience gorgeous fabrics and craftsmanship that has been passed on for generations. His work has evolved from being designed focused to labor and craftsmanship focused.
Paco views fit as the biggest difference between Italian and American fashion. He thinks that the American consumer is more interested in function and comfort than appearance and style. He feels that this tends to be reversed in Italy, as Italian consumers are willing to suffer through something less comfortable that looks good on them. Giuliani also feels that it shouldn’t be either/or when it comes to fashion. “I think people can achieve both comfort and style once they start to understand how different fabrics feel as they wear them. I’ve coached some friends from loose fit jeans and t-shirts to more fitted styles. At first they were resistant, but after trying the clothes on they actually felt pretty good,” he added.