As the summer red carpets continue to roll out, we are graced with new, innovative style stars from around the globe. This time it’s Entrepreneur and Style Maven, Di Mondo. A great example of how fashion evolves in one’s personal style, Di Mondo kicks it up every chance possible. Not for the cameras, but because he believes that men can express themselves through fashion and still look well put together.
Recently, he was awarded Best Male Mask for the Swarovski encrusted mask he created for David Webb jewelry. He’s an ambassador and spokesperson for 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards, demonstrating that jewels aren’t meant only for the ladies, and has a fascinating theory called “The Fusion”.
This year in true Di Mondo style, he attended the David Webb jewelry wearing a custom Marlon Gobel jacket, David Webb jewelry and arrived in a chauffeured David Webb ’. While he prepared for an evening with fashion icons and celebs at The Standard, High Line, he gave us the inside scoop on what Di Mondo is truly about.
You’re wearing a Marlon Gobel jacket, Rolls Roycejewelry and arriving in a chauffeured2012 Rolls Royce ‘Ghost’, what inspires you to you create something different like this?
My Mission is to move fashion forward without sacrificing elegance. I know that by my example I’m inspiring others to take chances. For over a hundred and fifty years men’s fashion has been stagnant. My experience and observation is that as feeling human beings, we connect emotionally to clothing. Men’s emotional disconnect is reflected in how we’ve been dressing. I hope to break down barriers; nothing is more powerful than liberating other people. I see myself as a catalyst in this ongoing process. Between the amazing Marlon Gobel 10,000 encrusted Swarovski crystal jacket, the amazing David Webb Cuff and coordinated ring of aquamarine and diamonds, and along with a David Webb from Precision Concierge, I’m really excited for my image and arrival at the CFDA’s to be fully cohesive of myself and my vision.
What are you most looking forward to tonight (CFDA)?
In 1965 David Webb won the Coty Award which was the precursor to tonight’s event. It took a couple of decades more for American designers to claim their rightful place on the world stage when in truth Americans are the worlds true creative pioneers. David Webb exemplifies this and I am very honored to be wearing his magnificent jewels.
As a man I do not take lightly feeling so many people’s enthusiasm and support for my wearing fine jewelry. My understanding is that I am helping to define the beginning of a new era, one in which men will feel completely comfortable expressing all the varied aspects of themselves. We are truly entering a phase where we will find balance in equality. In the past century men enabled women’s empowerment by holding themselves back and in order to assert equality women adapted masculine elements in there dress. Now we are all beyond that point and both genders can comfortable claim elegance, sophistication, beauty, innovation based on socio-cultural conditions and inner awareness. No one needs to feel stuck… God gave me imagination and I plan to use it.
StyleCartel is all about fashion for a cause. What causes are dear to you?
I don’t think we are focusing enough on local issues in our own back yards which I like supporting organizations that work to improve the condition of young people’s life’s. Yoga is an integral part of my life, it is an instrument which enables and empowers people to transcend the challenges we all face. Bent on learning is an organization that teaches yoga to over thirty three hundred students weekly in the New York’s public school system. This is an important step in reshaping how we think of education. The focus is self-awareness, fiscal fitness and a balanced emotional state. We need to give everything we can to these young people to help them become solid citizens and contributing members of society.
Are there any future collaborations in the works?
At the moment there are none. I am fully dedicated to my own work.
Anything else you want to tell our readers?
At age 4 I had my first fashion moment, I wore one red and one blue sock to go to school.
DI MONDO TEASER from Vacation on Vimeo.
“The Fusion”
As feeling human beings we connect emotionally to clothing. For over a hundred and fifty years men’s fashion has been relatively stagnant, reflecting their emotional disconnect. While men have empowered women, they have held themselves back by adhering to all too strict masculine ideals.
In order to assert equality in what they deemed to be a man’s world, women adapted masculine elements in their dress. The women’s liberation movement gave them ever-expanding roles while creating the need for greater wardrobe choices. Now that women have assumed leadership positions socially, politically and economically, we find ourselves in a phase where there is an ever-increasing new balance of power.
Men are ready to let go and be free of self-imposed constrictions, allowing them to embrace a much greater variety in their dress code. The incorporation of jewelry is an integral part of this new freedom of expression, which can range from simple adornment to bold displays of extravagance, which we have not seen on men since the Maharajas’ and Royals of past centuries.
With this new balance of equality, Di Mondo envisions the future of fashion; an intensification of self-expression and individuality through opulence, elegance, sophistication, beauty, and innovation based on new social-cultural conditions and expanded inner awareness.
He is coining this New Fashion Movement as “The Fusion”, not specific to either gender, but appropriate for both. The most important meaning behind this phrase is the idea of UNITY, individuals living their lives
in an authentic manner to how they really feel inside of themselves.