Email
Print10 Top Westchester Fashion Pros: Rick Fortuna, Owner of Italy Direct Menswear in Katonah
 |
|
Photography by Toshi Tasaki |
Rick Fortuna
Owner of Italy Direct Menswear, a menswear shop in Katonah
Inspired by: The men in Milan and Naples—they have a knack for making classics look new. They’re all about the quality and cut of the garment—and everything fits properly. Style mantra: Always wear a jacket, whether constructed or unconstructed. To me, ‘dress down’ means a pair of jeans with a sport shirt and jacket, even if it’s just a blazer. Favorite item in closet: Six custom-made shirts that really fit properly. I was testing a manufacturer from Naples to make them for the store and, unfortunately, the cost was too high for me to carry them. Top recommended fall purchase: An un-constructed sport jacket that can be dressed up or down. Biggest fashion splurge: Twelve hundred dollars for a pair of shoes handmade in Milan and four hundred for the matching belt. I bought them in a small store there in 2001, and I still wear both of them. Daydreams about splurging on: A custom-made Attolini suit with a Neapolitan shoulder for around four thousand dollars. Favorite shopping companions: My three daughters—ages twenty-seven, twenty, and seventeen. I like shopping with them in Forever 21, Zara, H&M, and Urban Outfitters to spot trends that might translate into the men’s market in the future.
Fortuna is wearing a navy blue twin pencil stripe suit with peak lapels by Italy Direct Menswear Private Label ($525) and a cotton white spread-collar shirt by Rosso Fiorentino ($75), both available at Italy Direct. His accessories include brown Oliver Peoples eyeglasses ($395), available at Eye Gallery of Scarsdale; and an Officine Panerai watch (about $7,000), available at T&R Jewelers in New Rochelle.
