Today we’d like to introduce you to Denis Frison.
Hi Denis, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Originally from Milan, I’ve been working in Fashion industry since I was 16 years old, left school and dedicated myself to my greatest passion; I’ve worked for more then 10 years with a consulting firm in Milan where we designed several brand such as Loro Piana, Malo and built a few of our own brands; Stefano Durelli the owner of the studio took me as his own son and he taught me everything from research to developing a brand. In 2012 I found my inspiration in one of my biggest interests of all time, Tailoring; I went to a Milanese tailor and I learned the rules of the oldest artisanal manufacturers in the fashion industry, he taught me how to build a pattern and how to work with the artisan on the creation of a Jacket; when I was ready to walk my own I decided to move to the United States, my biggest dream in life..
I opened my first boutique in Los Angeles in 2015, I wanted to be the first Italian Tailor in town.
It was absolutely not a bed of roses and I ended up sleeping in a car for 2 months and rented my apartment out in order to pay the rent and try to survive; then through my business partner at that time a good friend I was introduced to several people in town and one night I was at dinner and Al Pacino was there, we had talked about movies and of course the godfather and the all dinner ended up with a promise to stay in touch; I went home with the idea that will never happen and after two weeks I’ve got a call from his assistant and believe it or not he was my first client!!
From there a lot of celebrities including Wolfgang Puck, Sylvester Stallone, Tommy Hilfiger, Robert De Niro and more plus personalities from TV and entrepreneurs became clients and friends.
During Covid I decided to open an interior Design company specialized in hospitality and restaurant with my vision and we design a few Restaurants including Saraghina in Brooklyn and Caramà by Wolfgang Puck in Las Vegas, collaboration with Architects around the world, uniform design projects for La dolce vita in Beverly Hills and Langosteria group in Europe and soon 2 new projects in NYC, where I spend half of my time, it’s the second location of the Brand and the main location of DF Design.
In 2024 we designed the wardrobe with our client and friend Sylvester Stallone for the show Tulsa King.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I moved here with a little savings and an Italian business partner who decided to leave the project after less than one year and from there I had to face all the obstacles by myself. Move to America it’s a great country and seems easy and the country is very welcoming but then you know it’s a country that gives you a big opportunity but you have to surf the wave with all your strength in order to stay and make it happen.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Well the decision to build a brand based in LA with and imprint on a very traditional niche of fashion that is not so common for LA, I believe was the best idea to be under the spot. We are a tailor business made in Italy that offers the gentleman Italian way to dress with a modern twist.
We offer a unique selection of fabric from Italy and England most of them they are open to build special designs and materials for me because of my long relationship with them for when I was a designer for other brands. Each client has their own pattern and we make the first fitting in my tailor shop next to Milan. Then they ship it here and after fitting the client we send it back to Italy to be finished. We also offer to our client an entire bespoke wardrobe including leather jackets, cashmere, and shirts, all of them are handmade in Italy and are one of a kind for our clients.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I have a book collection that counts more than 200 books from style, fashion, fashion icons, and research from the 20s until today. Also I love to get inspired by the Italian entrepreneurs from the 80s and create my own mood boards that are in a constant evolution. On a digital world, I like to research images on Pinterest and read books of successful people.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.denisfrison.com
- Instagram: @denisfrison & @dfdes_ign
