FERDINANDO CARACENI, YVES SAINT LAURENT'S TAILOR

There’s an Italian tailors dynasty founded in Ortana a Mare at the beginning of the XIXth century - unless it goes back to more ancient times : the Caraceni family.

Ferdinando Caraceni was born in 1923 in Ortana a Mare. He share with it his name and his birthplace, but no family link. The clothing tradition is very strong in Ortana, partly because of the Caraceni family’s presence. Ferdinando grew up in that world, and at 16 years old was able to make an entire jacket.

He started as an apprentice at Alessandro Cavaliere in 1936. The man is considered the town’s best tailor after the departure of the Caraceni family. Tailors’ secrets were then well kept, but Ferdinando was observant and learn the skills anyway. He’s then invited by Agostino Caraceni to work at his service, in Milan.

May 1st, 1967, he opens his own house in Milan, and becomes Yves Saint Laurent’s tailor. To him « chic has nothing to do with perfection, it is nonchalance… ».