Итальянский бренд Fortela возрождает подлинный американский стиль с использованием исторических технологий пошива

It’s one of menswear’s sweeter ironies that if you want seriously authentic Americana these days, Italy is a very good place to get it. The mass fashion economy in the States tends to favor affordability and comfort over authenticity, meaning you might find the look of classic American-made clothes but rarely the feel. Italy’s ace up the sleeve is its manufacturing know-how, meaning brands like Fortela—the Milan-based label founded by vintage nut and street-style poster boy Alessandro Squarzi in 2015—have become essential purveyors of rugged American style with all the heft and hardiness that enthusiasts demand. Squarzi, 60, keeps a vast vintage archive with more than 10,000 pieces (century-old Levi’s, westernwear, military uniforms) in his hometown of Rimini. It was that archive and the conviction that few brands were getting Americana right that prompted him to open Fortela. The collection ranges from southwestern-flavored knits to classic jeans, chinos, and workwear. There’s a dash of Ralph Lauren in there—Squarzi calls him “the maestro” and cites him as an early inspiration—but the details and historical references are distinctly Fortela. “Back in the day, men wore clothes to work in,” Squarzi says. “They lived in their clothes. So everything that went into those clothes—the cloth, the buttons, the thread—was functional and built to last. Fortela is all about making clothes the way they once were made. Even the thread we use to sew our jeans is just like the thread used decades ago.” It’s the sort of approach you’d expect from a guy who named his brand after an inversion of the Italian phrase tela forte, or “strong cloth.” Lead image: Cardigan ($1,275), shirt ($450), jeans ($465), suede belt ($295), leather belt ($375), and bandanna ($110) by Fortela; shoes ($110) by Converse x Noah; socks by Hanes; necklace ($1,250), vintage Navajo bracelets ($850 each), ring with turquoise ($450), pin ($350), and pin with turquoise ($250) by Vicki Turbeville; blue braided bracelet ($160) and orange braided bracelet ($65) by Scosha; wrap ring ($1,000) by Title of Work; Hydroconquest watch ($2,400) by Longines. Photograph by Evgeny Popov Styling: Alfonso Fernández Navas Grooming: Roberto Alvarado Jr. using Charlotte Tilbury Model: Jimel Mincey at Two Management