Die "Tour de Mod" kann weitergehen! Mit Daniele Savarè, einem Mod aus Mailand...
Daniele verkörpert meiner Meinung nach wie kein Zweiter den Mod-Lebensstil mit allem, was dazugehört:
Kleidung, Scooter, alten Austin Minis und einer großen Vorliebe für Jazz...
Doch nun zum Interview:
How and when did you get interested in the "Mod"-Lifestyle? How did your style evolve since then?
My first interest in the Mod lifestyle dates back to 1982, when I was in my late teens. In those days our approach was very naive, we relied mainly on the few clues filtering from fanzines, specialized press, records' sleeves and few second-hand witnesses. The Italian scene in those years still looked at the 1979 Mod revival as the foundative moment of the whole Mod thing, so the outlook was something that nowadays we'd define very 'clichè' (I've made more than a 'faux pas' but at least never indulged in some horrors often seen around back then.. and today as well) In the years I've learnt to develop a more individual approach, tried to find my own path mixing different influences and picking what I judged being the best from different periods and styles. I've been mainly focused on the 'suit look' for a long while, now I'm more into combos and smart casual clothes (casual and sportsjackets, suede, fine knitwear are currently the base of my outlook).
Where do you get your inspiration from? Movies, Magazines, the internet?
My first influences came from 1950s and 1960s movies, expecially Italian (think of 'La dolce vita', or 'La notte'), I was fascinated by that mix of sleek suits, nightlife, jazz music, cool cars (passion for scooters came years later) and sunglasses worn nightime. Also old magazines and records fuelled this attraction for a certain lifestyle I couldn't name yet. Once discovered 'the Mod' and with the passing of the years these early, originally almost unconscious influences, contributed to create my personal take on the thing and addressed some of my following style choices.
What is the core of being a "Mod"? Is it just clobber or a whole lifestyle for you?
For me is a whole, totally absorbing lifestyle, in which the sense of style (generally intented) is the driver. At the beginning came the clobber, alongside with the music, and then gradually turns into a sort of snowball that day after day, year after year, enlarges to every single side of the lifestyle. It's so genuinly exciting!
Do you think it is different to be a Mod in Italy to other countries? Is there a vibrant scene where you live or is it just a bunch of very few hardcore stylists? Does your origin has an impact on your style?
Thinking of Italy normally come to mundis imagines of generalized coolness and elegance, but, as for the local Mod scene, this is not always the case. In my town there are a few like-minded people I like to spend my time with; generally speaking, I like to live my life as an individual, riding my scooter along with my stylish girlfriend Camila, and hanging about with few friends, doing the things we like. I and Camila travel abroad as often as we can, attending rallies and clubnights. My origins probably influence some of my sartorial choices and a certain 'sprezzatura', but as for the rest I'm quite 'internationalist'.
How important is Music for you and who is your All-Time-Favourite?
Music is extremely important, I'm mainly into jazz. Difficult to name a single all-time-favourite, I had to list almost the whole Blue Note catalogue between 1957 and 1967!
Do you have some favourites amongst celebrities who claim to be "Mods"?
I'm not too careful to what 'celebrities' claim, but among these, Mr. Bradley Wiggins undoubtely has style!
And now, last but not least: Paul Weller or Steve Marriott?
If we had to consider the vocal characteristics and the overall achievements during their respective heydays, I'd say Steve Marriott; but Paul Weller had (and has) an amazing artistic career lasting for almost fuor decades now, during which he explored the boundaries of mod-related music and was never afraid to experiment. A proper Modernist attitude, in my book.
Gäbe es mehr Mods wie Daniele, dann hätte die Mod-Szene nicht das Image des Parka-tragenden, ewig jung bleiben wollenden Brit-Poppers à la Liam Gallagher...
oder wie es es ein Poster auf "Film Noir Buff" einmal sehr passend schrieb:
"That Cat has got style!"
NACHTRAG:
Daniele hat in der Zwischenzeit ein Label für hochwertige Herrenstrickoberteile im Stile der 1950er und 1960er-Jahre gegründet:
