Maurizio Altieri

Maurizio Altieri graduated with degrees in economics and jurisprudence and decided to pursue his real passion: clothing. Working under Richard Stark of Chrome Hearts, Altieri learned the basics of manufacturing and leather treatment and left the label in 1996 to start Carpe Diem. His design philosophy was to create timeless, utilitarian, hand-made clothes from the finest materials, placing an emphasis on transforming his creations through unique treatments and washes. Experimantation and Rebellion became his core values and he refused editorials and advertising as he believed his pieces spoke for themselves.

Maurizio Altieri demonstrated his commitment to craftsmanship through series of various collections, collectively known as “Continues Collection”. The label began manufacturing leather pieces, only using the finest fabrics (horsehide, cowhide and anaconda) that were washed, distressed, crushed and buried in soil for months. Each piece was deliberately destroyed as a statement of a less obvious form of luxury. Carpe Diem later instated three other collections—L’Maltieri (knitwear), Sartoria (made-to-measure) and Linea (jackets, trousers and T-shirts)—to diversify their offering. During Carpe Diem’s twenty-plus year history, the label pioneered a variety of experimental design staples including twisted seams, dropped-crotch trousers, asymmetric plackets and J-cut pants. Although the label is defunct nowadays, Maurizio Altieri and his cohorts went on to individually to establish their own brands and further explore the path that Maurizio Altieri set out with Carpe Diem in 1996.