A Quick Q&A with Federico Poletti
If you have ever attended a Men’s fashion week they you have probably spotted Federico Poletti making the rounds. He is the founder and editorial director of MANINTOWN.com and his striking red hair, long and lean frame and wide smile are hard to miss. His site, as the name suggests, explores the evolving style of men in metropolitans around the world. Its a universe that is also distilled via a paper edition that comes out twice a year during the Men’s Fashion Week in Milan
Here Poletti opens up about the discipline of fashion, his book The Fashion Set: The Art of the Fashion Show and his love of animals.
The Manintown homepage.
I studied history of art and after my degree and PHD in arts I came to Milan to follow a specialization course in fashion communication powered by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. At that time I remembered the great art&fashion exhibitions curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, Stefano Tonchi and Francesco Bonami for Pitti Immagine. So I tried to combine my art background with a more cultural approach to fashion. That’s why I started to study fashion. For me it represented the perfect mirror of our times, a discipline where many creative expressions and social issues are distilled together.
What made you finally decide to launch out on your own and create your own website?
Talking to many insiders during Pitti Uomo, everybody was complaining that in Italy we lacked menswear publications especially compared to other countries. So I started seriously thinking about it and I put together a small group of friends among journalists, fashion editors, stylists, photographers. And in 2015 I launched the beta version of the manintown.com website during Pitti Uomo.
The Fashion Set: The Art of the Fashion Show published by Roads.
What was your big break?
I had the chance to work with truly inspirational people, like Federico Marchetti founder of Yoox, Carla Sozzani from 10 Corso Como and Franca Sozzani. From their voices I really learned a lot and had incredible breaks. Recently I received an email from Colin Mc Dowell, who wrote me an enthusiastic comment about my last book The Fashion Set: The Art of the Fashion Show published by Roads. This has been the best reward for all the work and research done for this book curated with Giorgia Cantarini, a close friend and talented journalist.
Who inspires you?
Traveling is the best part of my job as a journalist and talent scouter. From my travels in remote countries of the world I got great insights also from people I met who sheared their vision and experience.
Bathing suits designed by Delaunay in the 1920s
Who living or dead would you love to be able to have dinner with?
Among the dead, I would have loved to meet and have dinner with Sonia Delaunay who has been such an unconventional person for her times, achieving to merge art and fashion in her works and performances. Exactly what I’m trying to do nowadays.
What is your favorite trip?
I went to Thailand for holidays and I loved the nature and the spirituality of this nation. To stay on some remote islands between forest and sea recharged me so much.
When are you happiest?
What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing?
A recent post on the manintown.com Instagram feed.
What is your secret talent ?
What is your motto or the best piece of advice you ever got?
What emoji do you use the most?
What is the latest Instagram feed you decided to follow?
Jessica Michault is the Senior Vice President of industry relations at GPS Radar by Launchmetrics. She is also the editor-at-large for ODDA magazine and contributes to publications like the New York Times, the Business of Fashion, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Mixte magazine.
Jessica Michault
Jessica Michault is the Senior Vice President of industry relations at GPS Radar by Launchmetrics. She is also the editor-at-large for ODDA magazine and contributes to publications like the New York Times, the Business of Fashion, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Mixte magazine.
this is happening on 
Related articles