THREADS OF BRILLIANCE
Among other talented members of his Italian family, Naples clothier Dominic Lacquaniti grew up with a deep appre- ciation for art and traveled to Florence to study the Renaissance masters. The iconic Gianni Versace is among Lacquaniti’s favorite designers, and when his travels to Italy take him near Calabria, he pays a visit to Versace’s studio to touch the Medusa emblazoned on the door. The insignia pays homage to the Greek mythological figure whom Versace chose to signify his place in this world.
Like Versace, Lacquaniti has taken his rightful place in history as a keeper of the craft, earning richly deserved respect and accolades. Enamored with art history and the fascinating people who create it, hon- oring the individuality of his clients is in the blood.
“It is not about being a master at anything, but rather taking time to get to know my clients,” says Lacquaniti, who nurtures these connections with
a cup of coffee, or glass of wine, and meaningful conversation. “I learn a client’s likes and dislikes and when I present a design, it’s for them alone.”
Lacquaniti is descended from legendary clothier Rocco Lacquaniti, a master tailor in Naples dating back to 1968. “My dad always told me, your clients are paying you to design and make clothes for them alone,” says Lacquaniti, who calls his famous father an incredible person and totally unique. “Since I was a kid, I was raised in the business with my dad, and I would sleep underneath his table with all the fabrics.”
Lacquaniti’s footwear is as iconic as his clothing. While his father gained international recognition for his tailoring, his uncle was a master shoe craftsman. Lacquaniti’s clients relish the shoes he designs for them, handcrafted only for their feet.
“By the grace of God, I fell in love with a small company who handmakes my shoes right outside of Rome and in their 400 years of history, they just make shoes,” says Lacquaniti. Even in the face of disaster, Lacquani- ti’s compassion for others shines through in the unthinkable loss his hometown of Naples suffered after Hurricane Ian.
“My father always advised me not to look at the dollar amount of a project, but instead to take care of the client and that will take care of the business side,” says Lacquaniti. That turned out to be prophetic advice. Honoring the Lacquaniti craft and caring about his clients has come full circle. Hur- ricane Ian all but destroyed Lacquaniti’s shop, but his community has stepped up to rebuild it. And to help others who lost so much in the storm, this past October, Lacquaniti hosted a two-day shoe giveaway of the items he was able to save from his store.
“We gave away 350 plus shoes, and I just thought, the best thing would be to give them away to people who actually need them more than we do,” says Lacquaniti. “It felt really good to help our community, to give people a little bit of hope and a little bit of happiness.”
