CLOTHES THAT WORK

The enduring vision of Lawrence Steele.

Photography by Leonardo ScottiStyling by Elisa VotoText by Caroline Issa

“I love what I do,” says Lawrence Steele. “The other night my mom was like, ‘We’re worried about you, because your whole life is passing by, and we think you’re a workaholic.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, mom; I am’.”

Lawrence Steele is matter-of-fact. He answers questions directly, perhaps because he’s had many years and enough experience to refine and define his own vocabulary of fashion and on what he now wants to spend his time.

He was appointed to Aspesi as creative director in November 2020 after four years at Marni, returning to the label where he worked as a consultant between 2004 and 2017 alongside its founder, Alberto Aspesi. Since his arrival, he has quickly set about implementing his vision of uniting the label’s successful menswear range with a more focused womenswear offer. Steele’s biggest challenge continues to be how to push this Milanese stalwart of classic padded shirts, crew-neck cashmere sweaters and twin sets and erase gendered clothing to offer a unified collection that anyone can layer into their wardrobe. 

“I’ve always wanted to push the brand,” Steele told me in January after the presentation of his Autumn/Winter 2022 menswear collection (which contained many pieces women will want, too). “Being an outsider, coming from the United States and landing in this brilliant Milanese company, I’ve always seen a potential that I’ve wanted to express. That comes with the terrain that was prepared by Mr. Aspesi, who had an amazing communication style, which was pretty much not to communicate at all. His view was perhaps based on having been born and raised in northern Italy and having lived 25 kilometres from the factory, whereas I grew up travelling the world from the day I was born, and living extensively in many different countries, including Germany, Spain, Japan and the United States. My point of view is really very different. I’ve seen a lot of what makes the world different, and a lot of what we have in common. When you’re thinking about trying to create a language of archetypical clothing, a wardrobe that is timeless, but that has a universal appeal, and your universe is that big, you have a lot to put into it; I mean that culturally, but also in terms of age. I’m a different generation to the founder; I’m passionate about what fashion is, not just what the classics are. I’m trying to express how I see and look at things through my sensibility, which is global and comes from many different experiences. I definitely still feel like an outsider, and it’s the most comfortable way to feel for me. I need to see things from the outside; I have been moulded by my life experience to like, prefer and understand better from that viewpoint. I will always be an outsider, regardless of how much time I spend here in Italy. I cannot be Italian, but I can cook like an Italian, and making clothes and cooking is kind of the same thing. Once you understand the basic ingredients, get them from the right places and play around enough, you end up versed in taste.”

Steele’s unifying mission is driving Aspesi towards a new visual language of commonalities, with womenswear shot on men, menswear shot on women by photographer Vanina Sorrenti and modelled on their muses and friends. There’s a freedom to Steele’s vision for Aspesi, lifting the gates and keeping the fundamentals free of boundaries. “I have to say that it feels very comfortable,” he explains. “I had to leave Aspesi, and then come back to be able to do this. I had to have different experiences and actually kind of work through myself. I love timelessness; I love the idea of creating a dress that will last a long time in a woman’s wardrobe. We’re presenting quality, a standard.”

That standard is high. On only its second fully presented season, Steele’s Aspesi has already created a wardrobe of beautifully crafted fundamentals – the perfect rugby shirt, khaki trousers, and belted trench coat. These fine-tuned, yet slightly twisted classics still feel relevant for today, a distillation of Steele’s worldly adventures and keen observational eye, which can be seen in a bias-cut gold slip dress alongside a slightly louche Prince of Wales check suit. “The idea is that the pieces are timeless and universal, so anybody can come into a store and decide for themselves how they want it to look; this season that meant taking away gender-related sizing. Whatever you are projecting onto the piece, you feel it’s yours.” ◉