Tommaso Motti: The Rebel Tailor Bridging the Past and Future of Fashion

Photography by Serena Gallorini

In a small Milanese studio, where bolts of fabric and broken sewing needles tell the story of relentless experimentation, Tommaso is crafting more than garments—he’s weaving a manifesto. The young designer, who moved to Milan six years ago with little more than ambition and a sewing machine, is on a mission to redefine Italian fashion. His work is striking: oversized puffer jackets stitched from dozens of pieces, alien-like silhouettes that challenge the human form, and intricate details that quietly suggest deeper narratives.

For Tommaso, fashion is a vessel for both preservation and provocation. “Italy has such an incredible tradition of craftsmanship,” he says, reflecting on his heritage. “But I worry that tradition risks becoming a form of gatekeeping.” He describes an industry dominated by legacy brands, their names synonymous with luxury and excellence. Yet, for Tommaso, these icons of the past can feel like barriers to innovation. “I want to honor our artisans by incorporating their expertise into something entirely new,” he explains. “Tradition should be a springboard, not a tether.”

Photography by Asia Michelazzo

Resilience in the Threadwork

If there is one word that defines Tommaso, it’s resilience. His journey to becoming a designer is stitched with late nights, failed experiments, and a refusal to quit. “I moved here with big dreams,” he recalls, “but the reality was grueling.” One of his signature pieces—a massive puffer jacket constructed from 30 unique sections—tells the story of his determination. “I sewed it on a regular machine, breaking hundreds of needles in the process. That jacket is my resilience in physical form.”

This resilience also shapes his worldview. In a society driven by speed and disposability, Tommaso pushes back. “Fashion reflects the zeitgeist,” he says, “but I feel rebellious towards today’s culture. We’ve lost touch with what truly matters—love, nature, and connection. My work is about rediscovering those values.”

Photography by Serena Gallorini

The Alien Among Us

Tommaso’s designs often feel otherworldly—fitting for a creator who draws inspiration from the cosmos. “My past collections are clearly influenced by aliens,” he admits, smiling. Oversized hoods resemble elongated skulls, while his exaggerated volumes feel as if they belong to an ancient civilization from a distant galaxy. These extraterrestrial aesthetics aren’t just about visuals; they carry a story.

“If my designs were a storybook, the central characters would be ancient beings who come to a collapsing planet to teach love and mutual respect,” Tommaso says. This narrative infuses his work, from the names of his pieces to hidden symbols sewn into their padding. For Tommaso, these touches are more than decorative—they’re a way to connect the wearer with the garment on a deeper level.

Timelessness in an Age of Impermanence

Tommaso is the first to admit that timelessness feels elusive in today’s fast-paced world. “Even great ideas last only a day now,” he muses. Yet, he is undeterred. By focusing on craftsmanship and innovation, he hopes to create garments that linger in memory. “Timelessness comes from shocking innovation—something truly groundbreaking,” he says. His current obsession is padding, a recurring element in his work, which he uses to explore texture and form in new ways.

Tommaso’s fascination with permanence extends beyond fashion. Asked about his dream collaboration, he doesn’t hesitate: “A marble sculptor,” he says. The idea is audacious: a hand-carved marble puffer jacket that merges the precision of sculpture with the fluidity of fabric. “It’s about connecting the past with the future,” he explains, “blending traditional techniques with modern design.”

Soul in the Stitching

In an industry dominated by mass production and fast fashion, Tommaso’s process is deeply personal. “I make every piece myself,” he says. “There’s a part of me in every garment.” This connection is palpable. His designs often feature subtle, symbolic details—stitching patterns believed to evoke positive energy. “It’s a small gesture,” he says, “but it connects the garment to the wearer in a meaningful way.”

Looking Forward

For Tommaso, the future of fashion isn’t just about what we wear—it’s about how we live. He envisions a world where garments tell stories, inspire reflection, and foster connections. “Beautiful clothing has lost its true value in this age of excess,” he laments. Yet, his work is a quiet rebellion against that excess, a reminder that creativity flourishes in restraint.

As our conversation winds down, Tommaso reflects on the lessons he’s learned from adversity. “Failure only happens when you give up,” he says. “Hard work is my greatest asset.” In his Milan studio, surrounded by fabric scraps and the echoes of broken needles, it’s clear that Tommaso Motti is just getting started.

Written by Oona Chanel

Designer Tommaso Motti

Fashion Editor Jessica Iorio

Photography by Serena Gallorini & Asia Michelazzo

Sons of Man

OONA: “Italy has a rich tradition of craftsmanship and artistry. How does your Italian heritage shape not only your design philosophy but also your worldview as a creator? How do you transform the weight of tradition into a springboard for innovation, rather than a tether?”

TOMMASO: Italy is clearly known for its tradition and I personally met many artisanal that have an incredible knowledge that I’m afraid it’s gonna be lost in the future. My vision is to preserve that expertise by incorporating it into my forward-thinking creations, forging a tradition that looks boldly to the future. Many of the Italian brands that we all know are symbols of excellence all over the world and they’re the ones who created the tradition. I hope the future allows more room for new brands and designers. Otherwise, tradition risks becoming a form of gatekeeping—if it hasn’t already.

OONA: “Fashion mirrors the zeitgeist. Do you see your work as a reflection of today’s cultural soul, a rebellion against it, or perhaps a dream of what could be? How do your creations speak to the collective consciousness?”

I feel pretty rebellious towards todays society to be honest, both ethically and economically. I’m fascinated by ancient traditions and civilization because back then it was more understood that what the humans really needed was just love and nature. In this capitalistic world, I often feel like a fish out of water, still searching for my own sense of balance. 

Especially because what I do is just purely driven by passion and willingness to spread positive and interesting themes hidden in my creations. My hope is to spark curiosity in others, encouraging them to see the world from a different perspective. 

3. If you were to design an outfit to embody a single emotion—joy, longing, resilience—what emotion would you choose, and how would you distill its essence into fabric, texture, and form?

I think that resilience might be the best one for me, I moved to Milan 6 years ago to chase this dream, went to university for 1 year and then spent the other 5 years working day and night trying to affine my craft and create clothes more and more complex to express myself. 

Resilience to me looks like a huge puffer made by 30 different puffed pieces sewn with a normal sewing machines, breaking needles and thread 100 times, this pretty much embodies what I went through 

4. As a designer, you exist between the fleeting pulse of trends and the enduring power of timelessness. How do you navigate this liminal space, and what does “timeless” mean to you in an age of impermanence?

Honestly I don’t get too stressed about this, when I create something it often comes in a blink of an eye, I usually say that I take ideas from the ether, the highest and purest part of the earth atmosphere. 

I don’t want to look too much into everyone’s new collection, I’m trying to build the foundation now and my key points are padding and exaggerated volumes, often alien inspired. 

Now that everything is so fast and even great ideas last for one day it’s difficult to define what timeless really means, one of my future goals is to try to create a new kind of garment that could be remembered. I believe that only shocking innovation,something both groundbreaking and universally useful,has the potential to achieve timelessness in this era.

5. Creativity often flourishes in the face of adversity. Can you share a moment where failure or an unexpected challenge unlocked a new layer of your artistry or deepened your perspective as a designer?

I’ve always tried to put myself in face of adversity, setting personal challenges that seemed stupid to most of my friends. Yet, these challenges helped me gain strength and a deeper awareness of my capabilities.

Over the past five hard years I’ve always tried to create as much as possible, driven by curiosity and pushed by the belief that failure only occurs when you give up on your dreams.

Working as much as I can has always been my only asset in this saturated market. 

6. If your designs were a storybook, who would be the central character, and what universal truth or lesson would their journey reveal? How do you infuse this narrative into the textures, patterns, and silhouettes you create?

My past collections are clearly inspired by aliens, puffer jacket with massive elongated hoods evoke the shapes of alien skulls. If my designs were a storybook, the central characters would be an ancient god-like civilization arriving on a new planet near the collapse to teach them new technologies and help them flourish basing life on love and mutual respect and taking out all the wickedness.

I imagine these otherworldly beings dressed entirely in my silhouettes.

I infused this narrative in some of the pieces either with symbols or by naming products in certain ways 

7. In an era dominated by fast fashion and disposability, how do you infuse your work with soul? How do you create garments that foster a profound connection between the wearer and the craft itself?

Since I personally craft every piece there’s some Tommaso Motti in each one of them. 

I’m strongly against fast fashion and mass production sonceboth perfectly reflects todays capitalistic society. Beautiful clothing have almost lost its true value in this era of excess and I often find myself questioning where we’re headed.

Besides creating my pieces I often include some small symbolic details, stitched in the padding pattern, that are believed to evoke positive energies around the people who’ll wear it. It’s a subtle but meaningful way to connect with the wearer and add a layer of intention to each creation

8. If you could collaborate with one non-fashion artist—whether a filmmaker, musician, or painter—who would you choose, and what universal theme or emotional truth would your partnership explore? How would this interdisciplinary dialogue shape your work?

I would love to collaborate with a marble sculpture to create a unique marble puffer patiently crafted by hand, like my creations.

I m deeply fascinated by sculpture because it requires a lot of precision and dedication, qualities that resonate closely with what sewing represents for me.

The universal truth would be exploring the connection between past and future, blending traditional art techniques with modern a modern innovative design  for the puffer jacket.

Interview by Oona Chanel

Designer Patrick P Yee

Photography by Sons of Man