Roma Cult Files: Jacopo D'Andrea

Rome, early morning. The skyline of Valle Aurelia is standing in front of my eyes, illuminated by a bright yellow light, that dazzels me. From the outside this place has nothing to do with the familiar Roman cityscapes; huge grey buildings, one close to the other, contrasting with the blue sky. The atmophere is similar to those american blocks we are use to see in the movies. Yet when the eye bypass the simple overview and starts paying attention to details, there the ture heart of Rome manifest itself in people faces, in people conversations you hear down the streets, in the writing on the walls. Here I meet Jacopo D’Andrea, the talented young designer behind More Pain. He has dreamer’s eyes, yet he speaks like someone who knows how life can be though. This is the place where he has born and grown up. He embraces his origins and bring them with him wherever he goes, because he knoes that origins are something that we are uncapable to let go.

#1 How did you come up with the idea of More Pain and what is the philosophy behind your brand?

JDA: More Pain is about my vision of life. I think that life is pain and everyday life adds more pain to the pain. The first time I actually thought about the brand I was in middle of a really bad moment of my life. Then I discovered that pain can be a very good propeller, bacause pain is a strong energy. Nothing good can be created without pain and childbirt is the perfect metaphore fori this. More Pain wants to be an alchemic process to transform pain into creativity.

#2 Today mock ups are really usual in fashion, with More Pain you have explored this concept multiple times and deeply, what do you think is the actual limit between ironic mock ups and actual ripoffs? Also why moke ups are so fashinating for young creatives nowadays?

JDA: The limit is in the intentions. If your intention is clearly to make irony out of something iconic everything is ok, then if you start being ambiguous and let other people believe they are buying the original, then we are not cool anymore. Moke ups are nothing new, is like when Andy Warhol used to reproduce Brillo soap boxes or dipict Campbell soup cans. The difference is only in the icons I found interenting to explore. I did it with Gucci first and Then Off-White. There is also a bit of an iconoclast intention in what I do. But, you know, mock ups iconize and deiconize their subject at the same time, that’s why they’re are so interesting. 

#3 Fashion is becoming a sort of mass-obsession, especially for younger generations and also Italy is getting totally involved in that process. What do you think about it?

JDA: Obsession is good if it brings passion with it. I see a lot of enthusiasm in these younger generations and that is filling me with hope. Italy is one of the best known countries for fashion, because of what great designers did in the past. Now is this collective enthusiasm can bring out a new generation of fashion geniuses, I’m totally with it. Also fashion is a business, so it also need a new generation of enthiusiastic customers (laugh). From my point of view, if someone is happy supporting and wearing what I do, I can do nothing but being grateful.

#4 Who is your most enthusiastic supporter?

JDA: Actually there is one guy, or i might say the guy, that bought every single item I ever released from the first drop to the last. I won’t make any names, but I will mention him in my Insta stories, once the interview is out.

#5 How do you see the Future of More Pain?

JDA: Unlikely what you could expect I would like t-shirt and hoodies to slowly become  a marginal part of my work. I would like to concentrate on building up a total look with a strong identity, to make sure to be as free as I can in the act of creating. I’m also very interested in the world of sartorial garments. My style will stay the same because it represents who I am, but I need to find more ways to express myself.