On the occasion of Franklin & Marshall's launch of the American Icons capsule collection, we had a chance to interview Head Designer & founding member Andrea Pensiero.

Please tell us about Franklin & Marshall's background. 
F&M started in 1999 because we wanted to have products inspired by vintage and American sports. In the late 1990’s, no brands could satisfy this need in Europe. Hence, Giuseppe Albarelli and I came up with this idea to create Franklin & Marshall, a vintage brand for sports inspired by the American culture.

What was the igniting moment that got you into fashion? 
To be honest, there is no precise moment that made me want to work in this field. My desire started when I worked as a shop assistant in a clothing shop... Actually, the very moment would be in 1986 when I joined Fiorucci’s product design office – one of the most famous companies of that time. This can be identifies as the igniting moment… but I never had other passions other than fashion and clothes.

What is the design DNA of Franklin & Marshall?
The F&M DNA is really clear; our whole staff is passionate by American sports and its culture. We see it with our Italian perspectives, and the mix between of those two cultures is probably the winning weapon of our company.

Do you use color forecasting or trend consultants? 
Colors and inspirations come form traveling all over the world. We love vintage markets where we track down a lot of secondhand stuff. The most interesting places are surely in the USA, but you can also find stuff in Japan because they’re so passionate about the American culture.

What is inspiring to you?
The most inspiring designers in my life are most definitely Ralph Lauren and Massimo Osti ( Stone Island and C.P. company designer during the 1990’s). I am now very fascinated by everything that is related to the street world. I’d say that Supreme is one of the most interesting brands… Music and Art are also clearly a big source of inspiration.

What are the essential pieces in your studio?
Books are the most important things for my job since they are an endless source of inspiration… and also all the secondhand clothes from my personal collection… I have more than 5000 items from all around the world.

What do you do as recreational hobbies to refresh yourself from desktop work?
My main hobby right now is photography. I always have my camera with me when I travel. But my other hobbies are fishing, playing tennis or golfing. I also like reading magazines on the world and fashion.

What stays in your hand luggage when you travel? 
My camera… and all my technological devices, from iPad to iPod, including my last purchase: portable wireless speaker to take my music everywhere.