saelf is a very young brand (born in 2023) that is carving out a niche in the world of sustainable fashion with simple and elegant lines. These days, this is a challenging but not impossible feat, as the story of Catheclisma has also shown. The brand’s values focus on sustainability, ethics—in social and environmental terms—and a zero-mile production chain, made in Italy, where all garments are made on order. We met Giulia Spitalieri—co-founder and creative director of Saelf—during Pitti at Björk, a concept store in the center of Florence, just a few months ago. Among pieces of design, industry magazines, and niche brands, we immediately became acquainted with the simplicity and elegant lines of Saelf. In this interview with Giulia Spitalieri, we talked about the genesis of Saelf, garments that are also for men and genderless, the ideal capsule wardrobe for winter and summer, the future of the brand, and much more.

How did you decide to embark on this journey of building your brand?

Today, building a brand is an extremely complex challenge that requires constant commitment and considerable mental effort, especially at my age and as a young woman in Italy. The initial decision was instantaneous: I realized that, through my brand, I could express not only my creativity but also the culture related to the act of dressing, a daily gesture that we all perform, more or less consciously. My brand aims to promote this awareness. Subsequently, I decided daily. By delving into topics such as sustainability and production processes, both working at a luxury brand in Milan and engaging with different entities dealing with pattern making and production, I developed an increasing determination to challenge change. By collaborating with artisans, I quickly learned the importance, indeed the urgency, of education in sustainability in fashion and work ethics. In short, I would say I chose this path because dressing people excites me: it gratifies me to see a niche of people identifying with our creations, and I love working closely with artisans.

What shapes do you prefer in women’s silhouettes and which in men’s?

saelf’s Men’s collections are designed to be worn by women as well. Currently, this formula applies mainly to winter or four-season collections, as they primarily include suits and outerwear, the brand’s most representative pieces. For women, we favor contemporary, structural, feminine but assertive silhouettes. We do not consider ourselves a romantic brand. For the no-gender collections, however, the silhouettes are soft, oversized, with a tailored approach both in aesthetics and construction. The idea is to create no-gender garments that are also global, hence extremely versatile. This same approach was used in the exclusive capsule we created with Björk, putting our creativity at the service of the customers’ needs.

What pieces would you choose to create the ideal winter capsule wardrobe and which for the summer?

For winter, without a doubt: a 100% tailored wool coat, very structured and strictly oversized, wide low-rise pants, fluid and adjustable at the waist, and a fitted turtleneck. I would also add some knitwear pieces, but we have not yet found the right partner to take on this challenge. For summer, the keyword is linen. We are looking for a linen that does not wrinkle too much, although true enthusiasts of this fiber understand its limitations. I like to play with transparency, stitching, and relaxed fit pants.

What were the main inspirations for building Saelf’s identity?

To answer, it is necessary to start from the word saelf. We wanted a name that written meant nothing, but whose pronunciation was full of meaning. This meaning encompasses our inspirations: identity, femininity, the desire to stand out and emerge, and «satisfy the obsession of feeling special while remaining normal.» Many inspirations come from the artistic world, to which we are closely connected. We are working to develop a model that allows us to share these inspirations because for us it is important not only to dress people but also to encourage, support, and make them allies of their own reflection. The art that inspires us has always conveyed these messages. We draw inspiration from fashion brands we admire, especially regarding the product from every point of view: packaging, fit, development.

What do you see in Saelf’s future?

In Saelf’s future, I see a lot of love and many connections. One of the long-term projects is to create experiences involving very different sectors, such as food, good wine, and art in all its nuances. I see many challenges and relatively slow but valuable growth, with well-made clothes. Also, I am sure that our collections could be highly appreciated in other European and non-European countries. For this reason, I imagine a future of expansion into foreign markets. Engaging in dialogue with concept stores that understand our role and together with us create ad hoc collections for their customers. I often imagine the moment when someone will say: «saelf? Ah yes, I know it! I bought it too». This will mean that we are working well.

Capsule Collection: saelf x Bjork
Photo Director: Luigi Cianfarano
Art Direction & Styling: Francesco Baldassari
Models: Paula Charlotte & Sasha Gorbunov / Next Management
Creatives: Giulia Spitaleri & Alessandra Caponegro