Portraits of Antonio De Matteis ‘Toto’ CEO of the Kiton Group and Creative Director of Menswear at the offices/ factory in Naples, Italy. Kiton is one of the world’s finest and most prestigious clothing firms. Based in Naples that is particularly well-known for its high-quality menswear and impeccable suits, which take 25 hours to be cut and are sewn entirely by hand.
I was asked to travel to Naples, to the headquarters and factory of Kiton to photograph both Antonio De Matteis and also to document the hand made processes for which the brand is so famous. The landscape orientated image was taken in the “Kiton factory corridor”, a notable feature within the brand’s HQ, showcasing a collection of historical garments, including pieces from the wardrobe of the Duke of Windsor. A portrait orientation crop of this image was used as the title cover image when the feature was published.
Meeting and interacting with Toto is an interesting experience; as described by a friend who has known him for a long time, when you shake Toto’s hand it feels like you are being dismissed; it is the oddest feeling.
After the photography was complete I was invited to lunch in the staff canteen to eat with the rest of the managerial/ upper echelon of the brand. Lunch at factories in Italy is a social experience, every brand I have visited has, without fail, a canteen for their staff when the factory floor closes for everyone to break bread. In this instance the workers ate first with the management eating afterwards. I sat down with the management and for the duration of the meal no one spoke to me; instead they all spoke to each other in Italian. Such an experience is not one I would care to repeat.
