by Scott Conant
What I love about Italy from a design perspective are the textures of the country. Whether it’s reclaimed wood, stone or brick, or the glass used on certain storefronts, I have always been intrigued by that and have tried to incorporate those elements into the design of my restaurants. It’s what I identify with being Italian. Like the juxtaposition of very clean lines with something extremely rustic—I find that very sexy, and very Italian!
In terms of clothing, it’s very much like my approach to using Italian concepts as a starting point. I don’t want to look like I walked out of an Italian catalog, and yet I am drawn to certain designers because the products are just better. I wear Italian suits because I love them. I wear Italian shoes because they are
the most comfortable. And for a while I even drove an Italian car. But these choices to celebrate all things Italian were driven first and foremost by an admiration for the quality of the product.
