A growing staple in the London social scene, top model and businessman Carlo Sestini is now making his presence known throughout Europe.
With his chiseled good looks and infectious personality, it is difficult to look away from this dapper man of the hour. Candid's Jeff Conway sat down with Carlo Sestini to discuss his humble beginnings, his journey toward success and his deliciously surprising cravings.
Carlo, you were born in Florence within a very traditional family, but now you are living a fast-paced lifestyle across Europe. Do you feel you've kept some of your Italian roots, or has the culture around your professional life become your focus?
Of course I am still very attached to my roots. Even though I have lived in many countries, Italy is where I was born and then in Switzerland from ages 12 to 19. With London now being my base and home, Italy still has my heart.
Initially moving to Switzerland for school and to be a ski racer for your home country must have been quite the transition at a young age. What type of schedule and regimen did you keep during that time in your life?
Well things were very tough, but I loved every second of it.
Unfortunately, now I don't really have the time sadly to be on the slopes. I miss it more than anything.
The regimen was a lot. We would start in November by skiing at the glacier and going to the gym to prepare our body for the races.
January is the time we would race and sometimes, I would miss school for a week and weekend practices and competitions. I would go crazy keeping up with homework. The Dean would not accept any late homework, unless it was a very big race, which makes sense, but I just didn’t have time.
Being so strict with training and managing time seriously has made me so punctual and good at managing my time. But I'm still trying to improve myself everyday.
Photograph by Azusa Takano
You are now based in London, with a heavy hand in luxury and fashion. What exactly are you working on these days?
It’s very rewarding to see all the hard work I have put into place flourishing now. I am working on some very exciting projects, including one incredible confidential announcement that I cannot wait to share in the upcoming months.
You have worked with some of the most high-end fashion brands on the market today, including Versace, Hugo Boss and Tom Ford. What have you learned from working alongside these industry leaders?
Yes, I’m super lucky to be able to work with the most amazing brands I could ever imagine. I have learned so much from them and am still learning.
I have learned that such brands need to re-invent themselves always and keep on pushing boundaries, in order to be the best and to keep updated with what’s going on. For example, gender neutral clothes like Gucci does fur-free, like many brands are doing right now.
The sustainable side of fashion, I find, is also super-important and I’m so happy to see so many big brands taking care of this area, too.
Also the charity side, like Louis Vuitton and UNICEF, do a few projects together and it’s always good to see the brands giving back to the people in need.
Photograph by Azusa Takano
Which men's styles are trending right now, in your opinion?
Street style is quite big at the moment; however, to be honest, it's ‘not my cup of tea'. I feel that ‘chic' is coming back and with a bang, which I’m very happy about! That's more my style.
Your social media posts are very visually appealing. You feature your love for sun, travel and staying in shape rather well. How important has social media played a role in enhancing your brand and notoriety?
Thank you! I love what I do and I think this is important for my audience. Every single post has a lot of work and love put into it.
Social media is everything in my business and I’m so happy to be able to share a bit of my experiences every day. I am hopefully able to inspire some people.
For others out there trying to build their image and business through social media, what advice would you give them?
You have to be true to yourself but also adapt to what’s going on but in your own way.
Also, you need to be different. You need to have something that no one else has. The market is so saturated. Anyone and everyone wants to be an ‘influencer'. Ask yourself, ‘Why would people follow you? What’s your unique selling point?'
Photograph by Azusa Takano
You must hear often that you have very distinct eyebrows. I'm curious, as a fellow gentleman, how do you approach your own grooming habits (even beyond the eyebrows)?
I used to be bullied for my eyebrows and now they are a trend.
My grooming routine consists of lightly threading them once-a-month. I also wash my face daily with an enzyme cleanser by Dr. Barbara Sturm, followed by a cream from Dr. Sturm. I also put on SPF50 everyday.
What would you say is your biggest short-term goal in life right now, Carlo?
I’m a big workaholic. I’m always planning and thinking of my next steps.
I want to continually travel and explore many different cultures and places.
I also want to keep being healthy and training, including yoga for the mind and body.
I'm trying to be a vegan!
Before we leave you, tell us something about you that would surprise people. Do you have a ‘guilty pleasure' snack, activity or TV show that you simply cannot live without? We want to hear about your playful side.
I have countless guilty pleasures. For me, my favourite thing to do is when I have a day off, which doesn’t happen that much, I eat whatever I dream.
My usual list is Doritos, then a Shake Shack double cheeseburger with extra cheese and a pepperoni pizza, followed by a mouthwatering bottle of chianti.
Then, watch a good movie! I know it’s a lot, but this is simply 'cause I never have the time to be alone and sit back & relax. When it happens, it really happens!
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