cesare cunaccia
I’ve been gifted by ”The perfect Gentleman” ( Sherwood James -2012 De Agostini, introduction by Terence Stamp), a book which is a pleasent and interesting reading. As I’m very visual, most times I love to watch at pictures. I really like them: men in perfect dresses, so my mind goes automatically to Cesare Cunaccia.
I don’t know any other person with such style, when it comes to the outfits. Mentioning Tziporah Salamon‘s words, as she said in one of our interviews : ” italians have more style..”So is his style italian? In the three minute interview, Cesare told me that in fact it’s more English and neapolitan. This man has not only style, he treasures love for beauty and Venice… of course.
He works for several fashion magazines and other publications, he writes about art and architecture, but as fashion expert he never underestimates this important accessoir, the glasses, no matter if optical or for the sun. When he’s got to choose some for himself, he just goes for black frames, but he’s also tempted by other very elegant colours, such as petrol or dark blue. Cesare knows his own taste, his facial features and the aesthetic of accessories very well. When he first came to my shop, to buy a pair of Oliver Goldsmith model Chas, that made him look like Aristotele Onassis, he also gave me many inspirations about eyewear design. He told me how he would have loved to design his own style of spectacles. I said, making bespoke glasses is not a problem. So we developed the design for a pair of optical glasses for him, which we presented during an exhibition of photographs by Mustafa Sabbagh . The glasses were issued in a limited edition made of buffalo horn in the beginning and later re issued in acetate of 6 different colours. One year later, we completed this project with a pair of sunglasses with a renewed ’50 look.
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The glasses we have designed together were thought for you. This was mandatory in my project #CELEBRATION: the disegner does his work as he was the final user of the frames. Both models were mesnglasses, but both had a very good feedback, also from the female audience.
In this era, where deodorants and toothpaste have female and masculine versions, what do you think about UNISEX in fashion?
Personally , it looks to me like a big mess. Giorgio Armani said once, men should dress like men and women like women. Sure , any license is fair, especially if you posses a great autonomy of style and your personality allows it.
Searching on internet for pictures of you, in many you wear sunglasses by Mikita ( Alexandre HERCHCOVITCH).
Could you tell us what you like about these glasses?
I lost them, unfortunately. They really belonged to me. The shape was extremely modern, I loved the slit in the upper part of the rim. I think they really suited my face very well. I ‘m still in love with these frames. Can somebody help me finding them again ? ( he’s laughging)
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You’ve been probably asked many times to sign some products, as you’re considered an authority in the fashion world. How did you feel as a designer of eyewear? Knowing that you had amazing feedbacks from both, clientele and eyewear experts, oesn’t if make you fell like repeating this experience ?
Why not? It felt very comfortable in the different phases of the work . The partnership with Boudoir, which I know since long time, was perfect. Alessandro, like I do, always goes for the the highest standards of quality and design.
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When I call you on the phone, the first question I ask you is always ” where are you?”. Capri, Milan, Paris, London, Athens, Florence… you’re always on a trip, sometimes for business sometimes not.
Often you are in Venice. Which reasons bring you here? What do you get from this place, that other cities can’t give you?
Venice is, first of all, a psychic space for me . It’s a different rhythm of life . As I wrote in an article recently, Venice puts you immediately in a different dimension. sometimes it’s an escape from ourselves and from the everyday life. I think especially because of the watery soul, so mysterious and hard to catch. On top of that, some of my dearest friends are based in Venice.
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Asking you about good kitchen and restaurants, would probably take too much time.
Instead I would love to know if and how, your relation towards other people changes after you’ve shared some time with then sitting around a table.
It depends on the quality od the converations they’re able to offer. In this I’m even more picky than with food. I must confess that I’m a little greedy.