The Celine Edit

In a fashion landscape increasingly divided between heritage and reinvention, Italian designer Marco Castelli stands apart — shaping a singular vision of contemporary luxury, evolving fluidly between Milan, Paris and Miami.

At the crossroads of craftsmanship, image and cultural narrative, Castelli's work breaks free from the traditional codes of luxury, offering a more instinctive, deeply emotional approach.

In this exclusive interview, Marco Castelli looks back on his vision of modern luxury, his Italian heritage, his collaboration with Faith Connexion and the visual storytelling of his Miami campaign, captured by Greg Lotus.

Your work navigates between fashion, image and lifestyle. How do you define your vision of contemporary luxury today?

« Most of what is called luxury today seems empty to me.

I didn't grow up in that world, so I never learned to associate it with status or excess.

For me, luxury is something that is built — over time, through difficult times.

If it creates neither emotion nor tension, it remains decorative.

I'm not trying to please. I'm trying to make an impression

*Photo credits: Photographer* *@Greglotusfoto, Model* *@castellimarco* *Stylist* *@mbuccellati_, Grooming* *@Gianlucamandelli1, Rental Villa Eva Miami* *@devcon2023, Assistant* *@lizlaz* *@ximenarojass_, Clothes:@marcocastellicollection* *@Faith connection*

You come from an Italian sartorial heritage, yet your work is profoundly global. How do you reconcile tradition and modernity?

"I don't believe in balance. Balance is reassuring.".

I come from a very real place in Sicily, then I was exposed to a completely different world. My work is born from this contrast.

Precision and instinct. Structure and sensuality.

It is in this tension that everything becomes captivating

Photo credit: Clothes:@marcocastellicollection

What does Paris represent for you creatively?

"Paris is the place where I understood that nothing should be accidental.

There is a discipline that requires you to be precise — to edit yourself.

What you take away becomes just as important as what you create

What was the starting point of your collaboration with Faith Connexion?

"It wasn't strategic — it was instinctive.".

Faith Connexion carries a raw, instinctive energy. My work is more controlled.

I was interested in what happens when control meets instinct — when things refuse to resolve themselves completely.

The mix-and-match approach emerged naturally — by combining pieces, textures, identities.

It is this tension that gives it life

The Miami campaign, photographed by Greg Lotus, is both cinematic and sensual. What story did you want to tell?

"I've known Greg for years — I've always trusted his gaze.

With him, nothing is forced. There's no need to over-explain — we work by instinct.

This trust allows the image to be more honest.

Miami is not just a place — it's a state of exposure.

Light, body, energy — everything is amplified.

The body is never neutral. It becomes an integral part of the narrative.

We were drawn to the tension — between control and instinct, exposure and restraint.

These images are not meant to reveal anything.

They are there to hold people back

Photo credits: Photographer @Greglotusfoto, Model @castellimarco Stylist @mbuccellati_, Grooming @Gianlucamandelli1, Rental Villa Eva Miami @devcon2023, Assistant @lizlaz @ximenarojass_, Clothes:@marcocastellicollection

The Agape bag appears as a central element. What does it represent for you?

"Agape is deeply personal.".

It is born not only from love, but also from loss — from difficult times, from understanding what remains when everything breaks down.

For me, Agape is unconditional love — something universal, something real.

I don't design parts that are meant to be replaced.

I create pieces designed to last.

That's why it had to exist as more than just an object—something that carries emotion

*Photo credit: Clothes:@marcocastellicollection*

You are both a designer and a model. How does this dual perspective influence your work?

“Being a model shows you what endures.”.

You understand what is real — in the light, in the movement, in the tension.

I do not separate the body from the design.

If a part doesn't exist on the body, it doesn't exist

What's next for you?

“I’m not interested in creating more noise.”.

There are already too many.

I want to build something more focused — more essential.

Something that is instantly recognizable, without explanation

In Marco Castelli's universe, luxury is no longer defined by possession, but by permanence — a silent tension between emotion, memory and form.

Interview with Marco Castelli — Towards a new language of contemporary luxury