Today we’d like to introduce you to Maurizio Bortolussi.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was younger, I always had an eye for fashion. I would look at my mom when she would go out and tell her to change her heels or her accessories. My mom always was the fashionista of the house, wearing beautiful dresses; her unique style helped me be able to have my own creative and unique style for myself as well as in fashion. As a fashion designer, I always looked up to a close friend of mine who is a Mexican designer by the name of “Sánchez-Kane”, she has always been a mentor and someone I have admired. I studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta and got my degree in Fashion Design. Before going to college, I created my own brand “Bortolussi” in which I would hand paint clothing and do custom patchwork and hand stitching details to clothing pieces. Once I got to college, I learned how to sew and started to create my own clothing and came out with my first collection in 2019. After creating various collections, I met a stylist by the name of Kris Shelby and because of him my clothing was in various music videos from artists such as YFN LUCCI, Trouble and other artists. After working with such big artists, I was able to make clothing for Mexican rappers such as Dagda and Alemán.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Fashion is always something that is tough, what you create has already been created in a way or someone will take your designs, especially big fashion houses. I’m the type of designer who doesn’t watch fashion runways, I like to get my inspiration from experiences or from my culture. It’s definitely been interesting creating garments in 2017-2019 and seeing luxury houses now creating those pieces I once created, I don’t think luxury houses copy designers it’s more of an inspiration for them and for me because I feel like I’m being seen by big brands.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work in various fields in the fashion industry. I make womenswear, menswear, unisex wear, accessories and leather goods. Personally, what I think sets me apart from other designers is the way I work and the materials I use, I like to work with exotics such as Alligator and python. My last collection that was for Savannah College of Art and Design was based on creating the modern Aztec with an infusion of mixing the punk style. I used fabrics such as cactus leather, denim and animal skins from non-trapped animals such as Kudu, Wildebeest, Gemsbok, Springbok, and Reindeer. This collection was definitely something I’ve never seen.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
As a fashion designer with my own clothing company, I see myself opening stores in unique places around the world. I don’t plan on opening stores in fashion capitals, I want people to enter my store and say to themselves, “How have I never heard of this brand?”. Probably in ten years, I’ll have a team as well, as of right now I’m the only one who designs all the garments, accessories and leather goods.
Pricing:
- Jeans: $400-$1.200
- Jackets: $800-$2.000
- Accessories: $400-$2,000
- Leather goods: $100-$600
- Shirts: $400-$800
Contact Info:
- Website: bortolussi.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official.bortolussi
Image Credits
Models: Zayna, Clementine, Jordan, Mara Photographer: Xavier Thompson, Cory Jones
