His first high-end fashion retail was at one of the most known street brands, where he was serving a very particular clientele – typically, young guys more interested in brand signifiers than self-expression. When his colleague got a job at MODES, Mattia was attracted to the idea of working in a multi-brand context, too. “I wanted to express myself more,” he says. Plus, he sensed that MODES was more than a job. “It was a career opportunity. I started a year and a half ago as a client advisor. I wanted to grow up, and they encouraged me. Now, I’m manager at the Milan store.”
As a client advisor at MODES, he says, “you’re a stylist; you are an expression of your own creativity.” Mattia loves the diversity of the clientele – “architects, lawyers, personalities from around the world who you can reach out to” – and has expanded his network and interests through the connections he has made there. One of them even landed him an Etro campaign, and Mattia continues to pursue modeling opportunities on the side.
His other passion? “I love tattoos,” says Mattia. He’s planning on full-body coverage, but doing it “Japanese-style” – meaning that when you’re dressed up in a slick suit, no one can see any ink. The last tattoo he got is a large back piece of Leonardo da Vinci’s Renaissance masterpiece Lady with an Ermine (1489-91), an art historical reference chosen for his grandmother, whose first name is Erminia.
