More often than not, it's the details that people remember. The pop of colour, the flourish of pattern, the tactility of an unusual fabric. That's not to say that all you have to do to make an impression is dress with the eccentricity normally reserved for mad old English aristos. You can after all be remembered for all the wrong reasons too. In order to ensure you remain in the memory of people long after you've left their company, the chic yet subtle embellishment of a striking pocket square, tie or even braces should be your modus operandi. If these accessories are sartorial gold, then Francesca Serafin, founder of Serà Fine Silk is the alchemist. The Rake caught up with her recently to discuss her unusual path to pocket squares and why she is so passionate about silk.
How did you come up with the idea to start Serà Fine Silk?
I actually started in my career working in corporate law. After graduating from Bocconi Law School, I travelled all over the world practicing law, spending time in the United States, China, and of course Milan. Over these years, I became increasingly passionate about fashion and decided to pursue my master’s degree in Fashion Law. After acquiring this degree I decided to leave the legal field and become an e-commerce buyer to further integrate myself into the fashion industry.Throughout my life up until that point, I had always been passionate about fabrics but especially silk. Outside of my work, I would make a hobby of purchasing fabrics and come up with ideas for my own clothing. I have a very classic style and I always admired well-dressed gentlemen.
The idea of creating silk pocket squares for men occurred to me one day while exploring a flea market that was selling vintage silk. After the market, I created a few pocket squares for my boyfriend at the time and the response was incredible. Following this, I was inspired to put on an event for friends and family, and I sold a surprising amount of items. Then, I went to Pitti and decided to gift some famously well-dressed gentlemanwhose style complemented the pocket squares I created. After this, my pocket squares began appearing everywhere—GQ, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Grazia! People began asking for these elegant accessories and before I knew it, the business took off. I felt confident after this to start my own silk accessories company as a side-hustle alongside my full-time job. I named the company SeràFine Silk, as a play on words of my surname, Serafin, and fine silk, the main fabric used for the collections.
