Lapo Elkann
Lapo Elkann is known as a style icon and representative of the business world. It seems almost unbelievable that in 2001 he was a personal assistant to former us Secretary of state Henry Kissinger. Although... why not? Lapo was born in new York on October 7, 1977 in a family that owns a large business and occupies a high position in society, revolves in aristocratic circles and has connections with the establishment and the higher society of the world.
Elkann — grandson of the former President of Fiat by the late Gianni Agnelli and Princess Donna Marella, Caraciolo di Castagneto, a Neapolitan ladies of the highest nobility. His stepfather is the Russian nobleman count Serge de Palen, and his uncle is the ninth Prince of Castagneto and the third Duke of Melito, who founded Gruppo Editoriale L'espresso, one of the largest publishing groups in Italy.
His mother is Countess Marguerite Agnelli de Palen and his father is US — born Italian writer Alain Elkann; his brother John Elkann is the current Chairman of Fiat and Chairman and senior Executive Director of Exor, an investment company controlled by the Agnelli family, which owns, among other things, the football club Juventus.
It's hard to start with such a high start, and yet Lapo Elkann has found his face on the global business scene. After cooperation with Kissinger, he started marketing Ferrari and Maserati brands, and in 2003 he was appointed marketing Director of Fiat — coordinated rethinking of the company's classic models — Fiat Punto and Fiat 500.
Then, after leaving the family business, he created his own company Italia Independent, "a creative and stylish brand for independent people who choose fashion and design approach, tradition and innovation" (covering such diverse industries as clothing, home decor, glasses and cars). Later in 2007, Lapo founded the Independent Ideas advertising and news Agency.
He has worked with companies Fiat (in 2011 supported the car project 500 by Gucci) and Ferrari (Luca Cordero di Montezemolo launched the project Ferrari Tailor Made, enabling clients to customize their supercars).
Passion for cars in his blood. Once Lapo said: "I love everything that moves and has a good move. Cars are in my genes. That's why I always try to bring to my creations a feature that is somehow connected with the world of cars. In Italy, the car is the most important after home. My job at Fiat was to try to free the soul of the car, the soul of those who drive it, and those who build it."
Another passion is Lapo design. "I have been engaged in design since the time of work on the new Fiat 500. If we talk about drawing, my hands are growing clearly from the wrong place. But the ideal image of the final product is born in my head — I know what I want to get at the output. In my opinion, today the term "design" is somewhat worn out. Great designers are masters moving towards the beautiful through the simple: that's what always works on the attractiveness of the project."
One of today's projects of Lapo, which amazed the imagination of his fans, is the big Bang Unico Italia watch and sunglasses that come with them, created together with the company Hublot. The bright blue watch case is 45 mm in diameter, made of texalium, the denim bracelet is decorated with titanium rivets, the watch comes with a pair of sunglasses. Available in blue or grey, the edition is limited to 500 copies of each series.
Another area of current interests Lapo project Independent Everywhere. The action of the new video " be independent. Everywhere..."unfolding in Russia. "The audience goes on a journey along the wide, grey avenues, past the Golden domes, luxury mansions, gorgeous architecture, walking past the marble stations of the Moscow metro, churches, Royal palaces, bridges and canals of Saint-Petersburg and the collapse of the street that sells Russian folk dolls and Souvenirs of the Soviet era".
He is known as the" Luxurious Lapo", his name often appears at the top of the list of the most elegant and best dressed men in the world. But there is another, less "decent" part of the life of the famous designer — if the tattoo can still be considered "indecent" in the 21st century.
"Tattoos are the only thing that will stay with me forever. Each of them is connected with one or another happy or difficult moment of my life ... I have an Italian flag on one forearm — a reminder of the country I love — and the Juventus emblem on the other (a tattoo I did after Juventus was transferred to the second division). I have two Japanese characters meaning "I live" and" always look forward", a Chinese character for" never back", a fast — forward sign, the word" outsider", the statue of Liberty and the star of David (father Lapo Elkanna is Jewish and mother Catholic). Let's see what the future holds for me."
Everything that Lapo Elkann takes part in is permeated with independence and style. "This is what I believe: if you want to follow the fashion, you will always be in the tail. If you want to create fashion-become too self-confident. If you get free and you have your own style — there is a chance that the fashion is moving forward."
