Written by Manuele Menconi in Interviews on the 29th July 2015

A young dandy living in Rome whose passions are strictly connected to his work, de Navasques is one of the upcoming figures of the Roman fashion world. His activity is as inspiring as is his way of life. His vision of fashion is, indeed, an interpretation of it. In his cultural background there is a degree in Architecture and, certainly, a life lived among beauty. In Rome he is best known for being one of the creators of A.I. Artisanal Intelligence (his feminine counterpart is Clara Tosi Pamphili), a platform for new designers staged during AltaRoma, and for his presence in the mundane life. However, his relations with Diane Pernet and her ASVOFF and his activity as a journalist reveals much more than he shows.

There seems to be a lot of fashion people coming from architecture. 

“Architecture is a mind-set, a way of thinking about things. The planning, namely the idea of the project where each item must have a sense, is a principle that I follow in everything I do from planning and curating exhibitions and events up to writing. It's an approach that I look for even in the collections that I see and that fascinate me. It's immediately recognizable when all parts of a thing make sense together. The construction of a dress is made of united geometries and levels, it's a textile architecture developed in 2D and 3D.”

A.I. is a platform for emerging designers enriched by a dialogue with art. How did you and Clara Tosi Pamphili first conceive it and how has it evolved during the years? 

“A.I. Artisanal Intelligence is a project born from an idea of Clara Tosi Pamphili and designed with me for AltaRoma, with the intent to promote young fashion designers and artisans describing their work in a different way. In 10 editions of the project more than a hundred designers have participated and some who have exhibited their collections as a first step to show, now have success and are sold all over the world. Their works have been supported by the comparison with contemporary artists such as Miltos Manetas, Sissi Olivieri, David Dormino and historical pieces from the archives of Fashion and Costume tailors of Rome. An incredible heritage that we make discover in fascinating and little-known locations of the Eternal City. The latest edition ‘A.I. Creative Crime’ took place at Palazzo delle Esposizioni from 10 to 13 of July, during the Roman Fashion Week ‘AltaRoma’ and it has been a sum of all the editions: the artisans have been registered and have told where they have arrived with their artistic careers. Eight new stories were presented to the press and buyers flocked to Rome.” 

You are also very close to Diane Pernet and her ASVOFF. Are you working together on a new project? 

“Diane Pernet is a muse for me, a person of a wonderful humanity and a great expert of the fashion world, her life mission is to keep searching and promoting new talents. We (Alessio and Clara Tosi Pamphili Ed) are organizing with her the next edition of ASVOFF in Rome, the festival dedicated to short films and videos of Fashion that every year happens at the Centre Pompidou and then travels the world. Soon it will be in Rome with an issue that will have many connections with the history of Italian cinema.”

Broadly speaking, fashion has a lot of fetish and a lot of fetishists. As a journalist and a person devote to ‘the good life’ is there something you notice as pathological? 

“Fashion is fleeting, is something so intense, something that the second after is already old, this is its beauty and its ugliness. Each of us has his own perversions and I don't want to judge anyone, but let's say that irony and not taking yourself very seriously is one of the keys to surviving in this world. As someone once said: ‘...anyway we are talking about rags.’” 

What are the must-haves in your wardrobe? 

"An old blue blazer suitable for any occasion. If you choose a classic you're never wrong. I also love soft colour shirts in light fabrics and in winter vintage overcoats."

We chat to the creator of Artisanal Intelligence during AltaRoma, Alessio De Navasques, who is a dandy living in Rome.