Introducing Velasca, the footwear and clothing label that showcases fine Italian craft
Underpinned by a commitment to timeless style, the brand pays homage to the peninsula’s workshops and ateliers
Words: Josh Lee
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Italy is a country famed for its enviable style – from the structured suits of the north to the grain leather of Santa Croce, all the way down to the unlined jackets seen throughout Naples – and it’s a place that brings to mind time-honoured craft traditions that have long been adhered to in the ateliers and boutiques that run across the boot-shaped peninsula. It’s a ‘gigantic open-air workshop’, says Velasca, one of those Italian labels that’s celebrated for its commitment to the artisanal and the handmade.
Velasca, launched in 2013 by Enrico Casati and Jacopo Sebastio, two young Milanese entrepreneurs who founded their venture on a ‘Made in Italy’ philosophy, began life as a purveyor of handcrafted footwear made with high-quality materials and designed in an elegant style immune to the constant fluctuations of fashion.
In order to kickstart their pursuit, Casati and Sebastio extensively toured Italy to find the district in which they felt would be best to create their bespoke footwear, a task that lead them to Montegranaro, in the Marche region, an area adored for its medieval hilltop towns, its dramatic, rocky coastline that bleeds into the Adriatic Sea, and, most importantly for the duo, its storied shoemaking traditions.
With the intention of facilitating a craft renaissance – an industry that has long been buffeted by industrial manufacturing – it is from the Marche region where Velasca’s first model, unveiled in 2013, and all subsequent footwear have been made, courtesy of 14 families of artisans (comprising roughly 150 people) who imbue their creations with meaning and a considered eye across all stages, from initial sketches to the selection of the leather, stitching, and the application of the sole. The result is footwear that not only remains timeless, but also gains an aged quality that gets better with years of wear.
The ‘Giacalustra’ Oxford shoe, for example, is crafted from smooth calf leather, and features a double-bound blake-rapid construction, which guarantees durability and allows for an easy re-sole. For summer, there’s a ‘Piugiàtt’ loafer, made in greased suede leather, which showcases both a velvety quality and a chiaroscuro effect. And the ‘Artista’ ankle boot, defined by its waterproof suede upper, is a versatile creation that can pair with a formal two-piece suit or an off-duty ensemble.
But equally as appealing as Velasca’s refined silhouettes are the reasonable costs per product, the result of which comes from a direct-to-consumer supply chain that cuts out the middle man, allowing for a fairer deal with the brand’s collaborators; a price tag that’s easier on the wallet; and immediate feedback from the consumer, which facilitates easier and quicker ways to improve the products.
Since its founding a decade ago, the company has opened 18 shops – ‘Le Botteghe’ – including 15 in Italy, from Turin to Palermo, as well as three abroad (London, Paris and New York). “The goal of the brand is to preside over every iconic corner of big cities, creating not only simple shops but real places of meeting in which the atmosphere, the design and staff evoke those values of authenticity, simplicity, dedication”, Velasca says.
Expansion, however, has not solely comprised growth into brick and mortar, but the offerings have swelled, also, into a handcrafted-clothing line. Revealed in 2022, the ‘Total Look’ collection for men is an extensive range that runs the essentials gamut – from knitted blazers, bombers, field jackets and parkas, to chinos and jeans – and also draws upon the same ethos that dictates the footwear range (a firm dedication to Italian craft, including textiles from Canclini, Albini and Grandi; and a design spirit that eschews fads in favour of a refined aesthetic).
We’re particularly drawn to the ‘Toppo’ field jacket, a deconstructed and unlined piece that utilises stretch-cotton gabardine; the dark-blue ‘Barga’ jacket, which can be dressed up with a cotton button-up shirt, or made more informal with white minimalist sneakers; and the ‘Casoli’ trousers are a wardrobe essential, not only for their summer-appropriate cotton-linen fabric, but also for their neutral colour palette that allows them to be worn year after year, a notion that sticks to the Velasca philosophy of creating items that are ‘free from the dictates of fashion.’
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