Lara Perbellini

Tailor

©SusannaPozzoli

©LaCaffettieraVideo

©SusannaPozzoli

The tailored suit as a portrait

Lara hand sews timeless men's garments
Each of her creations reflects the personality of the wearer
She chooses natural materials of the highest quality

Lara Perbellini graduated as a Fashion Designer from Milan's IED design institute, and embarked on a 20-year journey of learning, study and research. She moved first to Paris, where she delved into historical cutting, then to Rome, the hub for bespoke tailoring in Italy. She arrived there after an encounter with master tailor Giuseppe Da Campo, who embodied the Sicilian school, in Verona. He taught Lara the basics of men's tailoring, and introduced her to the Accademia Nazionale dei Sartori. Having earned diplomas in men's tailoring and cutting with expert tailor Mario Meo, Lara went on to work in several tailors' shops before landing at Tommy and Giulio Caraceni's. She also worked alongside Franco Puppato in Venice. It was in Venice that Lara settled to open her own atelier, creating garments of understated, timeless elegance that combine English and Italian cutting methods.

Interview

©LaCaffettieraVideo

©LaCaffettieraVideo

What lessons did you learn in Paris?: After studying in Milan, I trained in Paris. Thanks to a graduate course in historical cutting and period garment making, I discovered an approach that views garments as a neutral surface that is an opportunity to convey messages on multiple levels: you can disguise people by creating a persona, or convey the very essence of the customer.
What does having a made-to-measure suit entail?: First of all, it involves a relationship which takes tangible form in the passion required to craft a suit the customer identifies with. The materials and colours are chosen and I jot them down in the measurements sheet, which is added to over the years. This record helps me match each garment to the previous ones, or ensure it is altogether different from them.
How do you reconcile physical changes with clothes that are made to last?: The quest for harmonious lines designed to fit unique and imperfect bodies is every tailor's challenge. The cutter knows that everyone's life changes, and the tailor must foresee this by leaving enough margin for change in the right places.
Why sew garments by hand rather than with a machine?: Making a garment stitch by stitch, the way they were made before the advent of machine sewing makes for a more elastic seam, and ensures that curved lines – the unmistakable hallmark of tailor-cut garments – are crafted to perfection.

Lara Perbellini is an expert artisan she began her career in 2004