ALESSANDRO DELL'AQUA

Alessandro Dell’Acqua is once again proving he’s a master of the game, carving out a distinct signature that fuses the timeless codes of fashion with the pulse of the moment. Since his debut at Milan Fashion Week in 1996, Dell’Acqua has steadily shaped the story of modern Italian design — one that’s bold, self-assured, and deeply refined.

We meet over Zoom, and from the first moments of our conversation, it’s clear: he is both grounded and romantic, a creative force whose ideas flow from an intimate relationship with cinema and the female form. “Everything began with film,” he tells me with a spark of nostalgia. “Italian neorealism, those unforgettable actresses… I thought maybe I’d become an actor and be immortalized on screen. But I was a shy child, so I turned to fashion instead. I hope my work offers some of the beauty I saw in the great directors’ films.”

That relationship between fantasy and reality — and the fine tension that holds them together — defines Dell’Acqua’s vision. His clothes don’t just clothe a woman; they speak with and about her. From his earliest days, he had the support of key industry voices, including Franca Sozzani and Edward Enninful. “Back then,” he says, “I wasn’t sure I belonged in such a demanding industry. But I knew I had to be authentic — and I’ve never strayed from that.”

His eponymous label rose quickly. But by 2009, disillusioned with the direction and quality control of the brand under its production company Cherry Grove, he made a bold move: he walked away, issuing an open letter to the press explaining why. “I had no choice,” he says. “I had to protect my name, my customers, and my team.”

When one door closes, another opens. In 2010, Dell’Acqua launched N°21, named after his lucky number and birth date — a brand that finally gave him the creative freedom he had longed for. The same year, he briefly joined Brioni as creative director for womenswear, and later took the reins at the storied house of Rochas, where he stayed for six years. “Working across different brands gave me a flexibility I didn’t have before,” he reflects. “One moment I was designing studded leather trousers for N°21, and the next, an embroidered satin duchess gown for Rochas. It was almost schizophrenic. At the time, I felt it pushed me to be better, faster. But in hindsight, I couldn’t give either the full attention they deserved — and that was a mistake.”

Indeed, Dell’Acqua’s legacy is built not on viral moments but on substance. He rose to fame before social media’s reign, in a time when talent, perseverance, and the opinions of fashion journalists shaped a designer’s fate. “Today, everything depends on followers,” he says, candidly. “Being photogenic might be enough. Back then, reviews took days or weeks to arrive, and they were always thoughtful. Now everything’s instant — and often meaningless.”

His take? Fashion needs a reset. “We’re in a moment of crisis, yes. But we need a shake-up, a return to roots. People are tired of comfortwear that flattens day into night. They want to feel elegant and sexy again.” For Dell’Acqua, that means refocusing on clothes — their craft, their story, their sensuality.

The current N°21 collection is a masterclass in this philosophy. It balances precision tailoring with sensual shapes: sloping shoulders, cinched waists, hourglass silhouettes that honor the body without constraining it. Corsetry elements subtly infiltrate jackets and knits, lending structure without stiffness. “I didn’t want to reference anything overtly,” he says. “I just wanted to return to dressing the body, letting the design grow from there.”

The collection plays with texture and tactility: draped leather, mohair, tweed, feather-light cashmere, loosely-knit sheers. There’s sparkle too — sequins, rhinestones, neoprene surfaces, and Hawaiian palm prints — all in muted tones of brown, taupe, and sand. Faux furs nod to animal activism. The result? A sensual, modern wardrobe that feels sophisticated yet thrillingly alive.

“The mix of masculine and feminine, the unexpected clashes, the intentional ‘mistakes’ — that’s what excites me,” he says. “I want the people who wear my clothes to have lived, to have stories. I’m not interested in ‘young’ for the sake of it.”

As for street style and the mainstream embrace of sportswear? “It’s been dominant for years,” he says. “But it’s time for something new. We need to bring back values — real quality, real emotion. Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent is doing that beautifully. He’s reimagining classic dressing with a completely modern hand.”

I tell him that the idea for this interview came from Thalia Karafyllidou, who fell in love with the F/W ’22–’23 N°21 collection after attending the show. He smiles. “When I launched N°21, I had to shed the identity of ‘Alessandro Dell’Acqua’ — a name synonymous with red carpet glamour. N°21 was born during the global financial crisis. It’s more real, more wearable. I wanted to offer modern fashion with control, quality, and a fair price point.”

The brand started with just a few pieces and grew organically. Now, Dell’Acqua relishes the freedom. “I don’t plan ten years ahead,” he says. “But I hope N°21 continues to feel like me. That’s what matters most — knowing that anything with my name on it is something I truly stand behind.”

As our conversation draws to a close, we return to how fashion has changed in a post-pandemic world — and what it means to be a designer today. “We’re asked to address so many needs in a single collection,” he says. “But maybe, just maybe, it’s time to slow down. To rediscover beauty. And to remember why we started in the first place.”