The Matera Città dei Sassi Fashion Award has just concluded. In 2026 it reached its fifteenth edition. One of the designers whose creations were showcased in Matera’s San Francesco d’Assisi Square is Rocco Albano, a designer of Lucanian origin who has established himself at national and international levels with his ARIS brand of genuine leather products. The garments conceived and made by Rocco Albano represent the best of Made in Italy. Being handmade, they promote artisans’ fashion focused on sustainability, uniqueness and luxury
We interviewed the designer to discover what lies behind the creation of leather products in today’s fashion.
Rocco, how was your passion for fashion born?
It was born as a dream almost thirty years ago. I started as a subcontractor with the family business and it was precisely by producing for others that I fell more and more in love with the product, with leather, with the gesture. My dream has always been to create something of my own that could represent my image and my soul. That’s where it all began.
What studies did you do to become a designer? Why did you choose to train professionally in that way?
I trained on the job, with my hands. I graduated in design from private schools. The real school was my atelier/ workshop. I kept going on despite the difficulties and obstacles, because when you have a dream you believe in it even during the long times when nothing happens. I learned from the master artisans of Basilicata, from the material, from mistakes. Only that way do you learn to respect leather.
Which brands did you create? Can you tell us the story behind your creations?
I gave life to “ARIS La Pelle” in 1997. Today ARIS is a 100% Lucanian brand. Born as a small artisanal reality of leatherworkers, but with a great love for fashion and for Lucanian and national craftsmanship. For about thirty years we have been creating leather jackets and everything that could be made in leather: bodices, sheath dresses, trousers, skirts, shorts, boleros, cropped jackets. We range across different souls: “rock, strong, urban”, but also “glam and chic”. For us, leather is a timeless classic that adapts perfectly to every shade of life. We have three key words: style, innovation and sustainability.
How did you choose the brand’s logo?
Since I was a child I have always been fascinated by Greek mythology and I chose Aris which in Greek means “the best, the excellent”. But for me it is also an exclamation: “ARIS!” as in saying “wow, it’s beautiful” and at the same time these are my initials Albano Rocco IS. I wanted a short, strong, international name that spoke of beauty and craftsmanship. A name that you shout when a garment moves you.
What philosophy is behind your creations?
The philosophy is “dressing freedom”.
These are unique garments, created through work based on a tradition that is always artisanal. It starts with the careful selection of raw materials, with impeccable attention to detail.
It is the perfect combination of tradition and refinement, which is reflected in every creation. At its core is the research of new trends, born from an understanding of the territory and the people around us. My three pillars: Style, Innovation, Sustainability. In every stitch there is a bit of Basilicata.
What is your strategy for promoting your art as a fashion designer in Italy and around the world?
To bring ARIS where there is beauty. To locations with a soul, as we did with the latest collection in Santa Maria di Leuca (province of Lecce, Italy)) and now in Matera. To tell the “behind the scenes”, the hand of the artisan on social media. And to work with direct relationships: clients, buyers, events. To make the brand travel while remaining rooted in Basilicata region, to create a true and authentic interaction with our customers and to design together a garment that represents the true soul of the persons who wear it for we put our know-how at their disposal.
What is the structure of your production supply chain?
It is short, artisanal, 100% Italian.
Design, hand cutting and assembly are always done by hand. We focus innovation more on tanning techniques. The garments are made in my atelier in Basilicata. I select high-quality Italian leathers, with attention to sustainability.
What are the key fashion events you have taken part in over time?
Among the most recent: the presentation of the “Bohémien” collection in Santa Maria di Leuca, in the setting of Costa Divina and Torre Vado. And now the 2026 Fashion Award in Matera. For me, every event is a way to let people touch the quality and experience the ARIS emotion.
What are your goals in fashion for the near future? Would your art be more valued as handmade craftsmanship or could it also transform into large-scale production?
My goal is to grow ARIS while remaining artisanal. Large-scale production takes the soul out of the details, and for me the detail is everything. I would like to have atelier-showrooms and collaborations with selected stores in Italy and abroad, but always with limited-edition productions. ARIS was born and must remain handmade. That’s where the true value lies. Choosing ARIS means wearing uniqueness. So, we want the niche market where we can establish a personal interaction with the customer. True, consistent and authentic interaction. It is our mission and luxury evolution of the recent years: we have created the brand extension of ARIS which is Rocco Albano Luxury in order to reach that client who comes to us to get an exclusive and unique garment. This is what we have already been doing for some time, dressing many show-biz personalities who, precisely, share our idea of fashion sustainability: we use food by-products in our production. Where everyone does their part and diversity makes us unique. This is exactly our ARIS concept.
Wishing Rocco Albano further professional success, we let our readers discover his brand and order genuine artisanal leather fashion garments made by Aris Rocco Albano.
photo by Vincenzo Testa
Olga Matsyna
