FLAIR FOR FUN

Thomas Welte’s joie de vivre is infectious. Any luxury item can be considered worthy of the expense “if you get something out of it, not only materially, but also mentally”, he declares. “I’ve so much fun with everything I buy, particularly the things I buy for others.” For him, even a fashion emergency can be an adventure, if the right people are involved.

I recently travelled to London for a conference and only realised that I’d left my suit in the airport lounge after I’d landed. So I went to an Ermenegildo Zegna store and got myself a wonderful suit. I really loved the experience. The guys in the store were simply awesome, they understood exactly what I needed. When I’m shopping, I can only focus for maybe 20min. So I like to go into a store where they have preselected a few things for me, and I can just start trying them on right away. Or if I go into a store, and the service person takes one look at me and makes a decision about what to recommend to me—that’s the kind of service that I enjoy. It’s a kind of art actually, to read someone’s mind like that. The store environment is important in the sense that you need to feel comfortable. But if you ask me whether it’s important to have trendy furniture, I don’t really care about that. It’s more about the people and the ambience that they create.”

Giza cotton shirt, wool sweater and wool jacket, all by Ermenegildo Zegna; Tiffany Hardwear wrap necklace in yellow gold by Tiffany & Co; Classic Fusion Chronograph Italia Independent Tartan King Gold watch by Hublot