You should already know his name but if you don’t then it’s a good time to make a note. This man is one of the most powerful in the fashion industry, involved in every aspect of it. Marcelo Burlon is building an empire and now is a good time to join his tribe.
Your clothes are mainly about strength and virility. How tribal is your approach to elegance?
The concept of County of Milan is completely tribal. Every new season the theme is about a new tribe, combined with the esoteric symbols of Patagonia, which are always the basis for ‘County of Milan’. For example SS15 is about Motocross, so this time all the Patagonian elements are crossed with the biker aesthetics. Previously, I mixed the Patagonian imagery with rave iconography. I find there is a lot of elegance in street wear in general, which may be casual by nature, but is enhanced by the graphics.
Are you creating your own tribe?
Absolutely yes. I am building my own County of Love.
There’s something almost shamanic about your prints. What inspired their creation? Is there a message behind the prints or is it just about beauty?
It’s about showing my roots – from Argentina to Club Culture. I grew up in clubs, that’s me, so yes, I am mixing all these aspects. And yes, there’s a real shamanic situation going on here! Even the logo of ‘County of Milan’ itself is the Guardapampa, which for the Teuelches, the natives of Patagonia, is the key of the universe. You use it to unlock the spirit world and connect with the cosmos.
Do you have a totem animal?
Personally, I don’t really have a totem animal but my favourite beast is the Puma, a super powerful creature.
Ayahuasca is currently a very hot topic. While some countries have labeled it a dangerous drug, others are calling it a healing medicine. What are your thoughts?
During the past five year, Ayahuasca has become a very commercial drug. Many people are making money out of it, which is natural I suppose. Today you can hardly experience the real thing anymore. I have never tried it and I know it’s a female spirit. I have a feeling that if I finally try it, it will eventually help me face and conquer my dark side.
Cities like London, Berlin or Tokyo produce many inner city tribes. Would you say that Milan does the same?
You can’t really talk about cities in this manner anymore because the Internet, especially social media, has interconnected all cities. Fashion is more global. I’m not sure Tokyo and London are so different these days. I remember observing the French kids at the beginning of grunge and compare the way they dressed with the teenagers in Milan. In Paris they were already doing the Cheap Monday trousers and oversized hip hop t-shirts in mid 2000, embracing American street culture, while the Italian youth didn’t get it at first. It took them a while to make it their own. Now, because of social media such as Instagram and Tumblr, they have the visual references right away and they can immediately order those clothes online. It doesn’t necessarily mean that everybody looks the same, because it’s all about discovering unique and interesting brands. I think there’s more of an international tribe. For instance, people who buy my clothing, they feel like they belong to something. They belong to my tribe, a tribe they can connect with and recognise themselves in.
What is it about Milan that you fell in love, enough to call it home?
Because Milan is a city that gave me so much. I moved here from my small town in the middle of the Marche, close to Riccione. In the 1990’s, Riccione was one of the clubbing capitals of the world, even big designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Marc Jacobs used to come over, and that’s when I became a club kid. Then I moved to Milan and it was love at first sight. The food is amazing and the quality of life is great. There’s hardly any crime and you can walk everywhere, almost like in a small village but huge.
You’re not a fan of the title designer and always brush it aside, how come?
Because I’m not a designer, really! I’m a creative director. I am also a PR, a stylist, a DJ and a video maker. I combine so many creative disciplines into ‘County of Milan’. I direct designers into bringing my vision to life.
What’s the secret to your success?
Being an Argentine, I have a completely different mentality or way of communicating to the Italians, who can still be a bit old school and locked into one discipline or profession. First of all, I was in the right place at the right time. That’s quite important and I’ve created myself. My parties were and still are successful. I think it comes down to the fact that my mailing list was so diverse. I could bring together in one room such different crowds – from the club kids, to the fashionistas, to the bourgeois and the artists. And that’s when I started thinking about and creating the ‘County of Milan’.
What kind of music do you listen to?
I love Argentinian folk music but also hip-hop and R&B. I grew up with the deep house of the 90’s. I can still listen to Nina Simone all week long and then move to Beyonce at the weekend. As long as there’s quality.
Do you practice yoga?
Actually, before the brand came about, I thought I would become a yoga teacher. When I go back to Argentina, which is about three times a year, I have a yoga instructor come to my house and practice daily. In Milan I do Cross Fit instead.
Burlon means joker in Italian. How much of a joker are you?
I like to make people laugh and I smile a lot, even to people I don’t know on the street. So yes, I am an adult with a bit of a Peter Pan syndrome I guess. Sometimes I feel like I’m still a nine year old.
What’s next for Marcelo Burlon Enterprise and Marcelo Burlon the man?
As far as the enterprise goes I am focusing on my events agency. I am organising events in New York and London as we speak. As for me, I am buying some land in Patagonia to set up a farm and fill it with animals and kids! Two fortune tellers have told me that in two years time I’m going to be a father, and I know I’m going to be a good dad.
Interview & photography by Andrea Vecchiato