Tommaso Cecchi de Rossi is creating contemporary alchemy

Cecchi de Rossi is an Italian born fashion label appealing to those looking for a traditional touch, delivered on contemporary terms. Exclusive, unique and entirely handmade. Craftsmanship and savoir-faire are an integral part of the brand, living criteria in the Cecchi de Rossi atelier, which is right here in the idyll of the Tuscan countryside. We met with the founder and designer of the brand, Tommaso Cecchi de Rossi.

Tell us about your background and how you became a designer. 

A series of fortunate events, a lot of goodwill and passion transformed me into what I am today. I don’t see myself as a designer, I never went to school to become one, what I do comes to me spontaneously and births from the inside.

How did Tuscany and your surroundings influence you? 

My roots go back to 1600 in the land of Tuscany and even if I travelled and lived abroad, Tuscany remains a land I can’t live without. 

I was born in wine and oil, I studied to produce them and maybe it’s from there that I get the inspiration for my work. 

In which direction do you see the fashion industry going? 

I’m nobody to know where fashion is headed, I know that the events of this year and Coronavirus have given fashion the help for a revolution that for years needed to happen.  It wasn’t fashioned anymore what until March 2020 we were putting in the market, it was a run against time to be present everywhere while losing track of what we are and present.  The product had lost its value and the production timings were outside the constructive logic that a good product needs. 

Fashion will never stop. It changes. It contracts and expands, but is a part of us, is a part of human beings. 

What are your views on sustainable fashion? 

I always start from the stance that an object needs to be liked.  Sustainability is not a choice at this point, it’s an obligation because today we don’t have the luxury of not being sustainable.  Fashion lives because we exist as human beings and sustainability is the only way to continue being.  Tell us about your approach to sustainability (for example, how you incorporate the concept in your collection, materials included). 

I developed the material-tinting patent “Pellevino” that is sustainable, I use wine as a solution and mordent of coloured natural extracts, such as Curcuma, tannins and many others.  The materials of Cecchi de Rossi are developed specifically for the brand and are all from Italian and French breeds.  The same goes for fabrics, I’m always searching for innovative materials, for example, the last one I added to the Shade line is made out of plastic bottles (PET), obviously as I said it’s not sufficient that the materials are sustainable, first of all, they must meet my taste and satisfy the durability standards of the product. 

What are the most interesting markets for high fashion? 

If the question is which markets have more budget, the answer is surely Asia. But luxury is for the whole world, I have clients everywhere.  Cecchi de Rossi offers an « intimate » luxury product, for those people that search for quality

and durability in a bag constructed to be always worn.  Without the possibility of going to Paris, Milan, London and New York for the Fashion

Week, how did you organize the presentation of the new season? 

We luckily had already started a process of digitalization that cost us a big sacrifice, long before the impossibility of travel, therefore we just accelerated the process to be in the market. 

Also, thanks to our agents, distributors and retailers we managed to grow. 

Anyway, I hope that Fashion Weeks will be back soon, possibly concentrated in a smaller time frame. All operators must meet at least twice a year, collaborations, friendships and creative ideas are born from Fashion Weeks. 

Tell us about your last collection and what inspired it.  The last collection, in stores from January, is dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Cecchi de Rossi. We decided to do a sort of remake of the OG models of the brand, revisited and

presented in a unique colour, white. To provoke and invite the client to participate by choosing the colour from an eight colours chart. 

Tommaso, what is your mission as a brand? 

To become a brand! Right now, what matters is to build day by day our distributional and production future.  Surely, the mission is to take our idea of beauty and luxury in all countries. 

How would you define your style? 

This is a very complicated question because we don’t follow a true style.  They say our products are Minimal Chic.  But I don’t like putting limits, I listen to all genres of music and I eat all sorts of food, I don’t see why I would limit myself in my passion. 

What is your favourite creation? 

It’s like asking a mother what’s her favourite child. I could never do a fault to my models, on the contrary, I can tell you that I’m displeased when one is not liked or understood, because I made them with all my love. 

From the more basic lines like Poppin to the more complex ones like Armor, built on form, I have a visceral love that doesn’t allow me to prefer one to the other.  I am fascinated by the Armor collection, you could tell the process that takes your creations from concept to realization.  Armor are the soul of Cecchi de Rossi and like it, they have a leather shield. They are built with an ancient technique that goes back to the Romans that were using it to fabricate armours, reutilized later on by Florentines to realize small objects for the pocket or office. 

I worked a lot to find the perfect curvature and from there I studied multiple shapes. The beauty of Armor is that you never get tired of looking at them because even in their rigidity and shape, the curvature of the angles leaves space to infinite perspectives. 

What makes your products unique? 

The tincture surely makes a difference, but what is most appreciated by our clients is the utility and lightness. 

If you had to choose a travel bag, an everyday bag, a night bag and an accessory, what would you recommend us? 

I would suggest you to look carefully because in the collection you will surely find your favourite.  I regularly use the Armor Trolley for my travels, the Handle Back for every day, the Bicorne Clutch for the evening and the Armor Belt as an accessory. But, luckily I change often.

You just celebrated the 10th year of activity. What should we expect from the years to come? 

Surely, you will see us more often because we are working on being more visible. 

Lastly, I adore interior design, so who knows, we might start producing design pieces for homes across the world. I’m already conceptualizing lamp fixtures, sinks and other creative approaches to furnishings.