MILAN — He may have a charming British accent, but his deep brown eyes definitely reveal his Italian roots.
Antonio Berardi was born and raised in the U.K. by Sicilian parents, who managed to guarantee a better life for themselves and their children far from their native island. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Berardi cut his teeth in London during that city’s energetic fashion moment in the Nineties, when he started showing his collections and was part of the “Cool Britannia” wave that saw the likes of Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan shine. In 1999, he moved his runway show to Milan and 10 years later went back to London on the occasion of the British Fashion Council’s 25th anniversary. Now the designer is returning to Milan, the city where — almost two decades ago — he chose to work and live with his life and business partner Alfredo Girombelli and their bull terrier, Bruno.
Here, Berardi discusses his decision to come back to Milan, his new show format at 1:15 p.m., his being a man designing for women and the new need for more intimacy as an antidote to the craziness of contemporary fashion.
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