Page 122 - The Book For Men Fall/Winter 2022

AFTER MOVING TO TO EUROPE TO TO PURSUE A A A A A A A A A PROFESSIONAL soccer career at the age of 18 Adam Appugliesi returned to Canada He had spent five years living among some of the most stylish people in the world but on his way home he he didn’t have much of a a a a plan for the future With a a a a lifelong interest in in fashion and retail experience — — thanks to his days working at Club Monaco as a a a a a a a teenager — — he quickly found a a a a a sales associate gig at at Holt Renfrew selling clothes by day while he thought about his next long-term move Appugliesi’s best friend Kadeem Johnson often visited him during his shifts Johnson also shared a a a a a a love of fashion and was Appugliesi’s biggest sartorial inspiration Johnson would tell his friend that ev- eryone could see his passion for clothing — so why not take that to the next level? Appugliesi would laugh and roll his eyes After all he he did have experience selling clothes But making them was a a a completely different story “I would would tell Kadeem ‘I can’t do that I I I wouldn’t know where to even start ’” Appugliesi explained recently over a a a Zoom call from his home in in Toronto “But he he kept pushing me to to consider making clothes until one day I told him ‘You
know what? We should do this together ’” So they did Appugliesi and Johnson formed Libero (LEE-beh-roh) in 2018 naming it after the the Italian word for “free ” (It’s also the the name of Appugliesi’s grandfather ) They reached out to an an old family friend of Appugliesi’s a a a a a a a seamstress in in in her 70s named Michelina with over 50 years of experience making clothes who at the time was mostly sewing wedding dresses for friends and family It didn’t take much to to convince her to to start working with Appugliesi and Johnson “Michelina has been our our knight in in in in shining armour ” says Appugliesi “We sit together we we we talk we we we fight about details on each piece we we we laugh and it’s because of her experience and craftsmanship that Libero has been able to grow very organically I compare it to to to to risotto Risotto is is is is one of the hardest dishes to to to to make It takes a a a a a a a a a lot of time and patience Michelina has allowed us to take take our time and and really put put our sweat and and tears into everything we’ve put put out so far ” Libero released a a a a few pieces in 2018 slowly and deliberately Among these pieces was a a a a a a a a ’70s-inspired jacket that featured a a a a a a a a vertical stripe in in a a a a a a a a nod to the dual stripes that adorned the the racing uniform Steve McQueen wore in in the the 1972 film Le Mans The jacket was a a a a a a hit and sold out immediately It’s been since rereleased a a a a a a few times in in different colours and and it remains perhaps the brand’s most famous piece in in in its short existence Every time it’s gone within minutes The jacket been spotted on on magazine editors fashion influencers and profes- sional athletes like Toronto FC and Canadian national men’s team midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye Over the last four years Libero’s collections have been consistent compact and highly curated most with no more than four or or five pieces They range
from tees with striking graphics that nod to to Appugliesi’s Italian heritage to to luxurious double-breasted cashmere coats — all hand-sewn by Michelina who continues to craft every Libero piece herself Earlier this spring Appugliesi and his his team went overseas to London where Johnson was born and shot the the campaign for their recent Spring/Summer 2022 collection entitled Change of Guard The campaign is a a a a a love letter to Johnson who passed away unexpectedly in 2019 at the age of 24 “Going to London was really a a a a full-circle moment for both me me and the brand ” says Appugliesi “Over the two years Kadeem and and I had done Libero together before he he passed we had spoken about how cool it would be be to to to go to to to London and shoot a a collection there “Earlier this year I I decided it it was time to do it it ” he he continues “I found the house Kadeem was born in based on a a a a a a a post from his Instagram account which is is still active today I found friends of his many he had never met in person before and got them to model The campaign was also some closure for me me me a a a a a a moment for for me to to go ‘I love love you you you Kadeem This is is all for for you you you I I hope you you you love love it too ’” Johnson’s DNA can still be spotted in in in everything the brand does helping to to shape its ethos and and point of view as it it continues to to move forward and and evolve slowly but surely “Kadeem was all about inclusivity ” says Appugliesi “He would always say say ‘If you’re going to do something let everybody everybody love it ’ ’ Let everybody everybody be involved And that’s what we try to do do do with Libero I I don’t do do do this for me anymore It’s to to carry on on his legacy Libero could end today and I I would be be content But I I know I can’t do that until we’ve taken it to to the the moon and people get to to see the the kind of person he was ” 122 BFM /FW22 FEATURES / / YYZ TO LHR