Below is the insightful interview with President Stefano Secoli, conducted by Fulvio Aniello for the online fashion magazine Fashion Times.
When you meet Stefano Secoli, you immediately realize that the moments spent listening to him are special. These are lessons to be absorbed and made your own. You instantly grasp the caliber of the man from his genuine openness.
2014 was a significant year. Istituto Secoli celebrated 80 years of activity. Let us briefly retrace the history of this prestigious fashion school. In 80 years, many companies have been born and have passed away. Unfortunately, the vast majority of businesses established back then no longer exist today. Typically, the lifespan of a company is measured in a few decades. This is especially true for small businesses where the passing of the founder often marks the end of the activity itself. We have moved forward. We have been here for 80 years. This is likely because there is a reason, an idea, and a purpose behind it.
How much has this ‘purpose’ evolved? It is a purpose that must adapt to the times in which we live. The school was founded for tailoring, then industry took off, followed by prêt-à-porter… so it is evident that the founding principle of knowing how to make a well-crafted garment has evolved from the idea of a bespoke tailored piece to an industrial one, and finally to prêt-à-porter with strong fashion content, without forgetting the use of increasingly sophisticated tools (such as CAD and computer graphics). Today, this knowledge must be combined: on one hand, by returning to our roots—reclaiming high craftsmanship—and on the other, by utilizing powerful communication tools. If you think about it, these are the two sectors growing the most. Just consider e-commerce and online sales, but that is only the tip of the iceberg of an organizational structure that decisively utilizes the possibilities offered by these new tools, creating a strong remote connection between producer and seller with a logistical organization that was previously unthinkable. This is effectively what happens in the world today, and if you want to remain at a certain level, you must immerse yourself in this reality, without forgetting a significant return to craftsmanship to stand out.
When your father founded the school in the 1930s—which at the time was a cutting school—could he have imagined that one day his idea would reach such an important milestone?He certainly hoped so, because he dedicated his entire life to it. I imagine that when a person gives their whole life to something, they hope the project will continue… he had that hope… then turning that hope into reality (Stefano Secoli smiles)… we are happy to have made that hope a reality.
What is the most important thing your father taught you? One of my father’s characteristics that left the deepest mark on me was his openness toward people, which was unique and selfless. This is something I carry with me, with its pros and cons, because sometimes when you are so available, there is a risk of spreading yourself too thin… but I believe it is important to maintain a certain standard of behavior toward others. The other thing is that while inevitably looking at the economic side, he never placed it among his top values. In his scale of values, other things came first… such as honesty, fairness, and ethics.
What is the great lesson that Istituto Secoli leaves to its students and the professionals who attend your courses? On one hand, professional knowledge. Let us not forget that behind this ‘know-how’ lies significant technology. The other thing is precisely fairness, honesty, and respect. These values—simple, fundamental, human—which you sometimes realize not everyone in our world possesses. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel in life. The important things in life are always the same. Values are fixed; they don’t change. What is difficult is behavior: are you consistent with these values or not? In work, in training, in being available to others. Throughout life, one always teaches by example, and education is also a shared experience that leaves you with what you did together, but above all, how you did it.
Are you able to convey these same values to international students, or do you have a different approach? I believe there is no other way to do it. Students may change, years may pass, and even professors may change, but humanity remains the same and the values we transmit are the same for everyone. Furthermore, we do not have the means for massive international communication to reach huge numbers of foreign students. Those who come from the other side of the world to study at Istituto Secoli do so through word-of-mouth from satisfied people, and I must say that international students have been increasing lately, so I assume they are satisfied, including with the values we convey.
Could it be that your approach to a school of Italian ‘know-how,’ based on strong human values, is more appreciated than other offerings that have focused on internationalizing their proposal with a colder approach toward the student? That could certainly be the case, but I must say that Italian schools are very good. We try to offer something different by combining tradition with a contemporary context. I think those who come to our school perceive this. They understand it is not just a business. The person who comes here understands they are learning by doing, by creating. This is true learning. Because when you create something, it becomes yours. Listening to a theoretical lecture is different. If you manage to make things and you make them together, that moment becomes yours. The students here create garment construction or pattern-making manuals that stay with them for a lifetime. They become owners of the method because they created it themselves. Even simply learning all the ways to make a pocket… with techniques that are rarely seen anymore, but which you own in a dossier you made yourself, is a wonderful intellectual property. This method trains you to master technologies, and when you go to work, you can even enrich the company you are working for, bringing great authority to the subject.
To achieve these results, I imagine you need interlocutors with professional and human characteristics that match what has been said. How are the professors chosen? They must be former students and must have gained experience; they must have assisted in our courses. In short, they must follow an entire path before reaching the teaching chair. It is not a path that happens overnight. It is a selection that we don’t make ourselves, but which becomes natural when a person shares this way of thinking, of acting, this ‘purpose’ behind it, these values… otherwise, they wouldn’t fit in the group. The group is not just the company. It is not Mr. Secoli who chooses. The company is made of people, and if you don’t have certain values, you cannot be part of the team.
What are the next challenges? I have my own ideas on this. I have been working for forty-two years, and in all this time I have always tried to be consistent, because I believe that when someone speaks and then does not behave in accordance with what they said, it is a defeat. In my life, I have always valued young people, because they are not just a resource, but a necessity. We cannot do without them. I don’t say “I’ll make an investment and hire a young person,” no! The point is quite different. I cannot do without having young people. But not so much to have them as supporters, but to create strategies. If we let people who are 60, 70, or 80 years old develop strategies, where will we end up? Strategies must be made by the young. Then, when they have experience, they should support other young people. This is my vision. The sensitivity a young person has toward the future, today’s icons, ecology, or the issues of generational conflict—between those who had everything too easily and those who now have to fight for the same conditions. If you ask me what my strategies are, I have them, but I must discuss them with the young, and then it will be up to them to make the decisions.
This seems to be a very important factor for you. Could you explain your point of view further? It is a vital key point and also a major limitation of our society. If you don’t do this, the risk is that young people simply endure: they do things, but others have decided them. Since we are talking about the future, giving the strategic helm to those with experience can be very dangerous. Experience is a very important factor, but also a very negative one. Experience makes you distrustful; you no longer have great perspectives… Look, nothing great in history was ever done by old people. Changes cannot be made by these people. You do new things also because you are reckless, because you believe. This is the system to move things, otherwise they won’t move anymore. This was somewhat the limitation I had with my father, because the past generation was very authoritative. That’s why if you ask me about the next challenges, I cannot answer you. I have spent my life saying that these strategies belong to the young, and so I will do. I have my ideas, I know the school will do things in the next twenty years, but it is not up to me to decide how. It is up to my children. I care deeply about this aspect. Consider that when I visit a company, the first thing I look at is the average age. There are companies where, as soon as you enter, you realize it is a dead company, regardless of the product… because there is a founder of a certain age who is centralist… and the company dies, it withers away, because you no longer see young people or any future. It is a terrible form of selfishness.
I feel like having those who manage fashion in Italy listen to your interview… Look, Alexander conquered the world at 18… the greats are all young. Just look at who started the world’s largest companies. Those with experience can do many other things, but certainly not win challenges. Only a turnover toward the young can guarantee a future for the company. I am happy because at Istituto Secoli, the choices of the last 5-6 years have been made by my son, and the results are visible. We hope to celebrate the 100th anniversary as well.
