Since our beginnings, we have always strived to maintain a closeness to our designers, whom we have selected for the quality of their production and the stories that they tell.

We try to showcase designers who produce their collections employing artisanal ways, who work with ever more innovative, sometimes even patented methods.

Like a work of art, each item (whether a piece of clothing or an accessory) becomes an exceptional object; wearing a designer piece thus bestows a certain emotion, based on a sense of exclusivity.

To Each Designer Their Own Singularity

In the vast clothing marketplace, and among the different worlds of brands that we offer at serie ||| NOIRE, our ‘ultra niche’ group of designers are Boris Bidjan Saberi, Isaac Sellam, Guidi, A1923, Label Under Construction and M.A.+

Discover their stories…

Guidi

The Guidi & Rosellini Tannery is an Italian tannery established in 1896 in Tuscany, (a region famous for its leatherworks since the 14th century). This family business produces prêt-à-porter items, shoes and accessories. Guidi exclusively uses calfskin, a traditional material known for its thickness, resistance and strength. In its production process, Guidi uses natural tanning methods, without any dyes or colors, to preserve the natural beauty of the leather. The quality of Guidi’s shoes and their sweatproof properties ensure that the shoes can be comfortably worn both in summer and winter.

Archives & Craftmanship

Isaac Sellam

For the last fifteen years, Isaac Sellam has been specializing in experimenting with leather, his favorite material. He was an experimental designer even before launching his own label, Isaac Sellam Experience, in 2002. There is a frequent use of asymmetry in his creations, for example in jackets where panels are not divided into equal parts. Isaac Sellam focuses on details and finds his specificity in the marked emphasis of the stitching and large metal accents of his pieces, as if inspired by a surgical style.

Boris Bidjan Saberi

Boris Bidjan Saberi is a designer of German-Iranian descent, and the influence of his cultures is the inspiration behind his creations. This designer easily finds a rich language for his creations in European and Middle-Eastern cultures, a heritage of fusion between raw materials and precise cuts. He prides himself on an artisanal attention to detail and an inexhaustible passion for his work. Signature pieces are his leather jackets, the cotton hoodie sweater and bambas sneakers. Discover the world of this designer here.

The Designers Behind M.A.+ / A1923 / Label Under Construction – Previously Under The Carpe Diem family

M.A.+ was founded in 2006 by the Italian Maurizio Amadei, famous for his folding techniques and cutting work. The M.A.+ silhouette is minimalist: most items are composed of one piece of material, with no stitching visible. After a meticulous quality inspection, a cross motif is stitched by hand onto each piece before it is sold. The most exceptional materials are selected so that the beauty of each piece is enhanced by the passage of time. Since his beginnings at Carpe Diem, Maurizio Amadei has created his calfskin pieces to fit like a second skin. Influenced by Japan and its Zen culture, he finds his inspiration in nature. Putting on a M.A.+ piece becomes a moment of tranquillity.

A1923 is the result of the work of Simone Cecchetto, previously footwear designer at Carpe Diem. Based in Rome, Ceccheto launched his own label in 2006, developing his artisanally-designed and produced footwear and luggage collection. He blends tradition and innovation, and is always in search of new materials and innovative manufacturing processes. His flagship models are his cream boots, ultra black oxfords and faded calf length boots; his favorite leathers buffalo and pigskin. Ceccheto’s designs are unique, exclusive and timeless.

Luca Laurini created the urban minimalist Label Under Construction. His flagship pieces are his irregularly-edged soft white t-shirt, long black t-shirt with back seam and drop-crotch pants.

On the picture: Ma+ details

The Construction of Clothing

Even if black remains the principal shade of this season’s collections (apart from the electric blue of Boris Bidjan Saberi), a wide range of material and production techniques is still involved.

Like a work of art, this niche of designers make each piece that they create unique because they are craft pieces. Thus, the assembly of a piece of clothing can be compared to an operation: the creation of pieces by hand and careful attention at all stages of its production and finishing.

For example, Boris Bidjan Saberi fits his leathers before the dyeing process. He wets the garment and puts them on himself to give his pieces a true anatomical shape.

Each garment is perfectly fitted inside and out, sometimes even making it reversible.

The search for quality is also seen in the complexity of materials – rare, unique and sometimes very extravagant (such the crocodile leather used by Isaac Sellam).

The designers work in close collaboration with their suppliers, crafters and tanners to find the finest materials and skins. This close collaboration enables them to produce the most unusual of items.

This uniqueness is seen even in the packaging of products: M.A.+ wraps its clothing in a raw thick fabric, A1923 marks its boxes with ‘Do Not Handle With Care’.

All collections are obviously produced in limited quantities, which make them all the more singular.

A Clientele Completely Opposed To The Current Dominance of the ‘Fashion System’

With the exception of Boris Bijan Saberi, who presents his collections in Paris each season, these designers do not show and never communicate via so-called ‘mainstream’ magazines.

Just like them, their clients refuse to simply follow any given trend of the moment. They consider themselves in total opposition to the overly media-hyped brands and their mass-production methods. In their choice of clothing, these clients seek a certain essence, an emotion, a profound feeling.

This unique market is burgeoning thanks to forums such as stylezeitgeist.com, which, according to its founder Eugene Rabkin, attracts considerable traffic and is read by an influential audience of insiders. Passionate professionals and consumers discuss their experiences of products and brands and together create a rich repertoire of knowledge.