A Little Recognition From Italy Means a Lot
Sometimes a compliment runs deep inside of you. For me, this is one.
I’m incredibly thrilled (and genuinely honored) to have Va Bene Style recognized by BASTA!, an Italian Lifestyle Newspaper. Any recognition is gratifying, especially when you’ve poured your personality, opinions, time and probably too much espresso into building something. But when that recognition comes from Italy, it carries a little extra weight for me.
I am enormously proud of my Italian heritage. Italy has never simply been a place on a map or a family history to mention when convenient. It has influenced the way I see style, food, design, craftsmanship, hospitality and, frankly, life itself.
The Italians understand something that I have always believed: style is very much about how you live.
Italy somehow makes beauty look effortless. A perfectly tailored jacket in Milan. An old Alfa Romeo winding along Lake Como. A tiny restaurant where Sunday lunch lasts three hours. The architecture of Rome. The shoemakers of Florence.
A vintage Rolex, a glass of Barolo, an espresso at the bar or simply an impeccably dressed gentleman walking down the street.
It’s not necessarily about money. It’s about taste, appreciation and taking the time to enjoy what surrounds you. Italians (especially in Italy) do this better than anyone on earth.
I have tried to weave that philosophy throughout Va Bene Style.
We talk about men’s and women’s fashion, watches, travel, automobiles, cigars, design and the business of fashion and luxury. But underneath all of it is something bigger: an appreciation for craftsmanship, individuality, quality and living well. And yes, we occasionally have an opinion. Okay, we usually have an opinion. Maybe even always. That may be the most Italian part of the whole thing. Italians are never shy.
My Italian heritage has taught me to appreciate beautiful things without apologizing for it, to value craftsmanship over hype and to understand that style should be personal, not dictated by an algorithm, influencer or marketing department. The right scarf casually knotted around your neck, talking with your hands, stopping in the middle of the day to enjoy a coffee, smoke or conversation, complimenting a stranger on their outfit or pouring doses of love into everything you cook for others. Do just one of those things well and you have mastered the Italian way.
So to BASTA! I simply say grazie mille.
Dress well. Play hard. Be blunt. Or perhaps, in this case: Vesti bene. Vivi intensamente. Sii diretto. 🇮🇹
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