Explorations

The Society Of Fake Needs

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Unpacking the illusion of necessity in contemporary culture


Human needs: are they real or fake needs? Apart from the basic ones – essential to grant a decent life – human needs involve things that should improve our lives.

But, century after century, individuals have become needier. Or, to put it another way, we have just become spoiled. And if we add a high dose of ignorant and selfish behaviour, easy to detect in our society, the big picture becomes worrying.

We live for instant satisfaction, disregarding the effects of our actions. Among those side effects there are issues like global warming and garbage, so much that droughts have increased and the oceans are full of plastic.

Whether it is a sign of malaise or a sign of stupidity, this behaviour isn’t healthy. Therefore, some questions arise: do we really need all the products we consume? Or are ads just building fake needs to make money?

Advertising makes people believe so many things, and they buy without questioning. For instance, according to adv, we need vitamin supplements (all packed in plastic boxes). But the only thing we need is balanced nutrition, unless there are health problems, of course.
They make us believe we need expensive anti-wrinkles, even if nothing will erase a single wrinkle. Only plastic surgery can do that, another one of the reckless modern needs. And, it seems we cannot miss things like water added with hyaluronic acid or yoga pants. It’s a mystery how people could have practised yoga so far!

Also, they make us believe we need a new smartphone every year, so congrats on Chris Evans, who kept the same iPhone for seven years. Hey, seven years! We thought we were the only ones!

Do we need all those things advertising tries to sell?


So, human needs: are they real or fake needs? Do we really need all the things advertising tries to sell us? Surely not. Indeed we built a society of fake needs. And it is the byproduct of a capitalist model, which puts a cage around us. But, at the same time, we talk about sustainability. Or a worldview that, if taken seriously, has nothing in common with capitalism.

Now is the time to open our eyes and learn to discern rather than blindly believe what we’re told. Discernment requires thought—a valuable exercise in itself. If we want humanity to thrive, we must embrace conscious purchasing and thoughtful consumption habits.

Dedicating particular attention to the impact of our actions on the environment is crucial. It will help us understand that with fake needs, we go nowhere.

Learning to make better choices is the way out.

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Style and Fashion: Do They Overlap?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Understanding how they work together (or don’t)


Style and fashion are not equivalent concepts, they do not perfectly overlap, yet they may intersect sometimes. Fashion is about trends, so it changes frequently and involves your wallet. In contrast, style is timeless and goes deeper than money.

We happen to hear people say: “I’m not interested in fashion.” And the funny thing is that they say it with a deprecatory tone of voice, perhaps willing to show a kind of superiority.

Maybe those people ignore that everything that surrounds them relates to fashion. And not only clothing or shoes. But also furniture, food, music, technology and so on. Fashion is everywhere.

On the one hand, considering how the fashion industry presents itself these days, that disgusted reaction can be understandable. Yes, they aren’t entirely wrong. But, on the other hand, if we dig deeper and see how they present themselves in detail, in most cases, that attitude just reveals a total lack of style.

You don’t need to follow fashion, but style is another thing.

Style, not fashion


And so, style is the concept to explore, to value more. Style may have something to do with fashion, but you cannot identify it with fashion. Both are not equivalent concepts, yet they may intersect. Where fashion flaunts, style whispers. By the way, they cross each other less and less frequently.

Style is about gestures and manners. How you speak, how you live and what you wear. It’s about taste, dignity, and choices made with an effortless posture. It’s an elegance of thought reflected outside. In the end, style is about who you are.

Cool style is doing things when other people don’t. Those unconventional choices that your attitude puts into place with ease.

Most importantly, you can buy fashion, but you cannot buy style.

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Are Women Free To Make Decisions?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Apparent Freedom: women and the struggle of playing a man’s game


We have recently touched on the connection between fashion and patriarchy to demonstrate that women aren’t really free to make decisions for themselves.

If, in the Arabic world, freedom is a male prerogative, what happens in the western world is not much different. Women believe they are free, but their image reflects a male perspective. There’s a filter in women’s brains, a male setting made of centuries of cultural domination.

Look at what happened in the U.S., where some older men just passed an abortion ban, sending the country backwards and triggering big debates worldwide. The joke is that perhaps Americans went to Afghanistan to train with the Taliban. But when the sad laugh ends, the concern grows. Indeed, you can see that patriarchy is still very much alive.

Being a female-led company, we suffer every time we hear women saying: “I cannot buy this dress because my husband doesn’t like it.” Of course, it’s not about the dress itself but because we are the only ones who can decide if we like something or not. We cannot allow someone else to rule us, knowing that someone else is often a man.

Likewise, women must be the only ones with a voice in matters concerning our bodies.

Are women truly free?


In analysing whether women are truly free to make decisions, we understand that being a woman isn’t a free choice. The vision of a woman is a male representation because those who hold the power and who make the rules are men. And so, they impose beauty standards, the clothing we should wear, and dictate our rights too. Even whether women can study or have an abortion is up to their whim. In other words, women, by engaging in or conforming to societal structures dictated by men, inadvertently perpetuate those systems of control.

If we allow men to decide what we can wear and how we should look, we hand them the power to make decisions about our lives.

This story is about men who want to control women and women who, by playing their game, enable it.

Wake up, women! It’s time to shed patriarchal layers and choose what we want for ourselves.

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A Conversation with Cinzia Cortesi

Reading Time: 3 minutes


Cinzia Cortesi Couture is a new Italian beachwear brand we introduced this season. In fact, after much research, her refined style and timeless aesthetic attracted our attention. There’s a touch of couture in her work.

Since we wanted to know more about the brand to introduce it to our audience, we interviewed the designer, Cinzia Cortesi.

The interview with Cinzia Cortesi


• When did you launch your brand?
“In 2019, my first release was during the pandemic. Can you imagine? I said to myself: if I can do it now, nothing will stop me. Despite the lockdown, I delivered all the orders, and customers were happy with my brand. Indeed, over time they increased their orders.”

• Can you tell us something about your background?
“I come from clothing, high end/luxury brands. I’m a pattern maker, and I consulted for many years for Genny, Prada, Bally and other brands. Being a pattern maker, I’m obsessed with the fit, it must be perfect. And I have a sense of giving structure to my garments.”

• Why beachwear?
“I started from scratch, alone. So I wanted to do something manageable, and beachwear has one release a year. But, I intended to make something more structured, more habbillé than pure beachwear. I wanted an essential and researched line to perform my pattern making skills.”

Cinzia Cortesi Couture
Cinzia Cortesi Couture

About quality, fashion and social media


• What kind of materials do you use?
“I put a lot of attention to the quality of materials. My swimsuits are made of lycra sensitive, which is the top quality lycra. In fact, it’s very soft on the skin. Specifically, it’s a high-quality fabric that will not wear out over time. The hand is dense and looks like a crepe. But, even if solid, it has good drying properties, and is comfortable to wear.”

• What do you think of the fashion world today?
“Now fashion is only about logos, everyone is doing the same. There are beautiful things, but there’s a lot of garbage, really a lot! And even because of social media, I see many improvised brands. I’ve been working in fashion for over 30 years, and it’s always more complicated. But I like beautiful things, and I like making beautiful things. This is why I still work in fashion.”

• You touched on social media. What do you think about that?
“I keep an eye on social media, I have to… but I understand they must be dosed. Because if you follow them, you get caught up by a caravan that wants to dictate fashion. And, if you do that, you cannot express yourself, your authentic style.” 

• What do you think about sustainability?
“As it is now, it’s just marketing! A way to clean our conscience.”

In conclusion, her company is small, allowing her to keep everything under control. Production is handmade and done exclusively on a made-to-order basis. The quality of the materials is excellent, and the fit is absolutely perfect. This is Made in Italy!

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A Circle Out Of The Mainstream

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Breaking the mold: words to inspire change


With words, we aim to foster a culture for a circle out of the mainstream. Our style may not reach the masses, but it isn’t meant to, it’s not for them. They prefer just pictures.

In our posts, we touch on several topics we like to discuss with our community, not necessarily related to fashion, hoping to provide a thought-provoking perspective. Also, we offer descriptions of the design, the quality, materials and colours of the garments we select. Those detailed notes represent a way to celebrate the brands’ creativity and the uniqueness of those pieces, things you don’t find everywhere.

Though we try to give detailed descriptions, one thing is difficult to provide via the web: the touch of the fabrics, as the feel on your skin. Which, for us, has become a real fixation. Indeed, those who had the chance to buy our selections over time are familiar with our obsession with materials. So, when we say “it feels good on your skin”, they know what it means. But, in the case of those in touch with us, it’s a matter of trust, which we build on actual conversations and needs time to grow.

For people who happen to read our blog posts or maybe find us on Instagram, that place where everything is possible, perhaps it’s not easy to perceive the quality. Impossible to feel the hand of the fabrics.

However, searching for specific standards for clothing and lifestyle choices means coming from a certain mindset. You don’t take everything, but you are selective. And you are part of that tiny niche that doesn’t want to be the photocopy of others.

And so, this is for you–suite123 Milano is not a place for ordinary choices. The world is full of that! You don’t need our expertise and research to get mass products.

Through words, we want to promote an alternative culture, a circle out of the mainstream. And we research meaningful garments in limited quantities as a way to express it.

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