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New Collab: MC x IU... Who is Ilaria Urbinati?

November 23, 2022

New Collab: MC x IU... Who is Ilaria Urbinati?

When two worlds that work closely together collide, a perfect storm forms in a congruence of sophistication and elevated style. Here's what you should know about the person behind our latest collab, Hollywood's #1 Men's Celebrity Stylist, Ilaria Urbinati. 

 

Who is Ilaria Urbinati?

Ilaria is the most sought-after celebrity men's stylist in the world, and the visionary behind the wardrobe of some of the most well-known actors,  public figures and musicians of our time. 

Her clients include Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Chris Evans, Rami Malek, Ben Affleck, Charlie Puth, Donald Glover, James Marsden, Adam Scott, Aaron Paul, Baz Luhrmann, and the A-list goes on & on. 

Ilaria has the rare ability to consistently get her red carpet clients on every "best dressed" list. So much that The Hollywood Reporter has had her on the "Most Powerful Stylists" list six years in a row, put her on the front cover three years in a row, and was recently photographed alongside her client Dwayne Johnson for their "Most Influential Stylists of The Decade" Issue. 

Many people might not realize it, but her style selections have a direct impact on men's fashion. From it hitting the red carpet, being written about and rated on 'best dressed' lists, being posted/shared throughout publications and social media, to consumers looking for these styles-causing brands to create and fill that demand. It’s safe to say that her footprint on men's fashion can be directly correlated to the trajectory of where men's fashion goes. 

Today, Ilaria is also the Editor-in-Chief of the men's editorial platform, LeoEdit.com, that serves as a newsletter and website curated for men's style, fitness, travel, sports, and even dadhood; basically your one-stop-shop for anything and everything related to a man's lifestyle.

She has had a number of partnerships and collections with many well-respected brands throughout the years including companies such as Porsche, Montblanc, David Yurman, Rebecca Minkoff, Strong Suit brand exclusive for Nordstrom, many more... and now MARK CHRIS. 

 Chris Evans in the olive "Leopold" loafers     |     Dwayne Johnson in the oxblood "Lou" loafers

 

Mark Chris represents more than quality product and beautiful design— it’s a lifestyle that goes beyond the material realm.

To hear more about who Mark Chris is, we recommend reading one of his first interviews back in 2016 - here: Sole Discretion

 

How was the MARK CHRIS x ILARIA URBINATI collab born?

"I’ve always designed my shoes from the inspiration of classic silhouettes, while also being innovative in refining and redefining them to have a tasteful, boldness flair to them - which I believe creates this fine line of eternally old world, yet new age - or as I say, Timeless." says Mark. 

When discussing what brought about the idea for a collaboration, Mark says, "What I was drawn to with Ilaria is how she styles her clients similar to how I design. She will push the boundaries of fashion forward, while also going back to historic retro styles, creating new combinations of sophistication. Our visions and creative expression complement each other very well."

As a men’s celebrity stylist, Ilaria has been putting Mark Chris shoes on her clients for years and felt a collaboration would be a natural fit. "I love the quality of his materials and how his shoes can create the whole outfit. I was inspired by autumnal colors in a retro silhouette that manage to feel like a shoe you’ve owned forever.” says Ilaria.

Karamo Brown in the cream horsebit "Wylder" loafers

 

Mark Chris is known for the stories behind the names of the shoes he designs, choosing names that inspire him, which often includes the names of family members. When sharing this with Ilaria for our capsule collection, we decided on the perfect names to keep this tradition going. 

The capsule collection entails three new styles, each named after Ilaria’s three children. Two tasseled styles in butter soft leather—one in oxblood (The Lou), one in olive (The Leopold)—are designed to be worn with everything and anything, be it a suit or more casual trouser. A third style (The Wylder) in a vintage cream with gold horsebit hardware and slightly more heightened arch has more of a ’70s flair.

“Being from Rome, the tassel loafer reminded me of the Italian gentlemen I grew up with. Always effortlessly cool and little bit suave,” says Ilaria. As for the horsebit loafer, she says, “A lot of my clients love to have a little bit of height in their shoe, so I designed this slightly higher arch with them in mind. With pants getting a bit more flared these days, I thought this was a perfect shoe for that silhouette. The color just gives it a little bit of swagger and is a warm, vintage cream you can pull off year-round as opposed to a starker white leather.”

 

Check out Ilaria's article on Leo Edit about the Mark Chris x Ilaria Urbinati Collab!

 

Shop the MARK CHRIS X ILARIA URBINATI collection page. 

 

 

The LEOPOLD Loafer (olive green)

The "Leopold", Olive Green

 

The LOU Loafer (oxblood):

The "Lou", Oxblood

 

The WYLDER Loafer (cream):

The "Wylder", Cream

 

 

 

 





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