Around 120 Italo-Australian professionals and fashionistas flocked to Cremorne restaurant Ms Frankie for an insight into the fast-paced world of fashion.
The three guest speakers on the night are some of the biggest names in the industry: Richard Costanzo, director and general manager of Dolce & Gabbana (Australia); Joey Scandizzo, owner of Joey Scandizzo Salon in Toorak; and Anthony Montesano, designer and owner of Signor Mont.
Guests were dazzled by a delicious Sicilian-inspired menu featuring antipasti, arancini, croquettes and fresh spaghetti cacio e pepe.
ALTO’s newly-appointed president, David La Greca, began the evening by thanking guests for their support and participation.
“This event was sold out in just over a week,” he said.
“Our events attract some of the biggest names in the Italo-Australian community, and tonight is no exception.”
Xavier Livingston, Monique Battaglia, Makayla Caccamo and Stephanie Guzzardi from the University of Melbourne Italian Social Club (MUISC)
La Greca extended a special thanks to Ms Frankie co-owners Melinda and Wani for providing the perfect venue, along with Anthony Montesano who styled the event as well as being a guest speaker.
The microphone then moved to the evening’s MC, Michael Zappone, a prominent media personality who has covered high-profile events such as the Rio Olympic Games and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Zappone introduced the first guest speaker, Richard Costanzo, to a captivated crowd, starting by asking how he ended up helming the Australian branch of fashion giant Dolce & Gabbana.
Costanzo had worked for Versace for almost two decades when he obtained the rights to open a retail store for Dolce & Gabbana in Australia.
“I thought the product would be well received in the market,” he said.
Grace Licciardello, Serena Parisi and Clara Mongelluzzi
Having introduced Australians to Dolce & Gabbana and opened its first store in Collins Street, Costanzo was approached by Versace and asked to be a partner in a joint venture with the brand.
“We were a franchise of Dolce & Gabbana in Collins Street and then we took over the existing business of Versace with stores at Crown Casino, Westfield Sydney and Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast,” he said.
“We’ve re-established Versace in the marketplace by opening up a store in Collins Street and we’re planning to open another at Chadstone [Shopping Centre] later this year.
“We also have two Dolce & Gabbana stores – in Collins Street and at Chadstone – and we’re looking to secure a suitable location in Sydney.”
Celebrities who’ve walked through the doors of Costanzo’s stores include Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Victoria Beckham, Lionel Richie and Shaquille O’Neal.
“Elton John was our first client when we opened Versace at Crown Casino in 1997,” he said.
“Out of all the celebrities I’ve dealt with over the years, no one has had that ‘wow factor’ like Elton John; he’s in a league of his own.”
Costanzo concluded with some humbling advice for aspiring fashionistas:
“The key to working in this industry is to not be consumed by it; once you start becoming consumed, that’s when it’ll start to spit you out.”
MJ Maglitto and president of the Victorian Italian-Australian Tertiary Association (VITA), Mikayla Stow
After a brief intermission, hair guru Joey Scandizzo was invited to speak.
Scandizzo began by tracing his evolution from a rowdy schoolboy selling chocolate bars and chips at the local footy into a celebrity hairdresser and founder of hair-care brand Eleven Australia.
“High school wasn’t for me, and my teachers decided I needed to find a job,” he recounted.
“I tried plastering but lasted about 15 minutes … I didn’t like carpentry either.”
In the end, it was Scandizzo’s father who convinced him to give hairdressing a go, with just six words: “You get to meet beautiful women.”
A young Scandizzo had his hair cut by his cousins in the backyard and knew nothing about the industry when he walked into it.
At 15 years old, he started an apprenticeship at an East Bentleigh salon and around six months in, he attended a hairdressing conference which set him on the path to success.
“I realised I could do something with my life and it was about time I had a crack,” he said.
Scandizzo transferred to a salon in Glen Waverley and worked there for nine years, travelling the world and learning the tricks of the trade.
Anthony Montesano and Ms Frankie co-owner, Melinda Aloisio, with guests
After saving up for almost a decade, an ambitious 24-year-old Scandizzo aspired to open a salon in South Yarra, the “hair hub” of Melbourne.
The stars aligned and Scandizzo found the perfect space to breathe life into dreams.
Fast-forward almost 15 years, and Scandizzo has 10 salons around Australia, while Eleven Australia is sold in 37 countries.
He’s styled the locks of Elle Macpherson, Priscilla Presley, Charlie Sheen, Paris Hilton and his most memorable client, editor-in-chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour.
Scandizzo owes his success to the support network surrounding him and the work ethic he inherited from a young age.
“It wasn’t an overnight success,” he added.
“And I haven’t even scratched the surface yet … there’s so much more to come!”
The final guest of the night was the man who helped put a golden touch on it, Anthony Montesano.
Alessia Donato and Anita Bortolotto
Firstly, Montesano declared his love of individuality, which is the essence of fashion in the candid yet charismatic designer’s eyes.
“I don’t like commercialism and being a follower in fashion,” he said.
“If something becomes mainstream, there’s nothing special about it.”
Montesano’s love affair with fashion began when he was just four years old and he’d hand-sew dresses for his sister’s Barbie dolls.
While his passion didn’t dwindle with age, he spent his early working years worlds away from where he is now, as a primary school teacher.
“I wasn’t actively discouraged from pursuing fashion, but there was a bit of shame around it,” he said.
While Montesano tried to suppress his lifelong love, it was only a matter of time before he gravitated back towards fashion.
The crossroads came after almost a decade of teaching, when he watched the documentary on singer Katy Perry.
“I can pin-point the very moment I was watching her on stage and I thought that if she could build a multi-million-dollar empire just by being herself, then I could too.”
Just like that, Montesano enrolled in a fashion course.
“The breaking point was when I was at school listening to other teachers fight about which class could use the playground on Wednesdays … I resigned the following week,” he laughed.
Ms Frankie co-owners Wani and Melinda
Montesano started off designing for his family and friends, then crowds came running for a slice of Signor Mont magic.
Montesano used his long service leave to furnish his first store.
“It’s tough starting a business, but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he said.
Montesano’s style is inspired by classic Italian baroque and the Renaissance.
These elements are embodied in his most coveted piece to date: his sister’s wedding dress.
Montesano tracked down 170-year-old lace from Venice and spent two years collecting every piece of Burano lace he could find, even drawing on the skills of a local woman who still practises the ancient craft.
“That dress is a piece of art that has 170 years of history,” he said.
“All the lace was hand-made in Italy over many years.”
Montesano ended the evening with some words of wisdom: “Find your own style and be yourself.”
The venue was styled by Anthony Montesano
It’s a message which seems to have threaded itself throughout the stories of each guest speaker.
Though they’re all on their own mission, one thing unites them: they’ve all stayed true to themselves and taken a risk in the name of their passion.
This, along with a whole lot of ambition and determination, seems to be the secret to success … and we should all take a leaf out of their book!
