Giovanni Careva

Giovanni Careva (born September 5, 2259) is an Osarian tailor and fashion designer of Cobre descent, known for his trademark twist on tailoring and bespoke style, which incorporates various elements of historical Cobre culture.

Early life

Careva was born in Pareille, a relatively wealthy city in the Cocento district of Fourge. His father, Luca Careva, was a programmer specialising in cryptography and accounting software, but worked for Osarian Intelligence during the Temporal War. Luca was killed in 2270, after a Kryosi strike on an Osarian Intelligence facility. His mother, Miriam, was a seamstress running a small tailoring business, and often asked young Giovanni, as well as his two sisters, to assist her.

Giovanni opted to serve an apprenticeship at his mother's shop rather than pursue higher education, but would later attend Firewood University and graduate with a BA in Fashion Design after the war ended. While at university, he tailored bespoke suits for himself and a few friends, catching the eye of other students. These bespoke pieces led to requests, and from there, invitations to fashion shows. At one such show, in Domino in 2277, Careva was approached by Uomo – a high-end menswear store based in Piedmont – who subsequently bought the collection he was displaying. This led to Careva opening a studio later that same year. In 2284, Careva staged his first catwalk presentation during Domino Fashion Week, becoming only the second tailor to do so.

Career

In 2280, Careva was approached at a fashion show by Pierluigi Caruso, who offered the younger man some advice and mentored him for a time. After his presentation at the 2284 Domino Fashion Week, Careva was able to open a store on Clement Row in Domino, known for its raft of bespoke tailors. Taking a contemporary approach to menswear design, Careva's presence helped propel Clement Row into the wider consciousness of the nation, particularly among younger men.

2288 saw Careva move into larger premises on Clement Row, which became the flagship store for his eponymous brand.

In the 2290s, Careva produced suits for several prominent athletes and other public figures in Cobrio and Osarius, cementing his position as a leading figure in men's tailoring in the nation. The popularity of his designs led to a limited release of ready-to-wear designs in 2300, with a summer design and a winter design released each year since.

In celebration of thirty years of Cobre independence, Careva was called upon to design and orchestrate a show at the newly opened Cobre Culture Museum in Camaron, drawing on historical Cobre garments, and introducing a new style, known as inkra manu (loosely translated "cloth spirit") which combined contemporary fashion with the historic traditions and significance of the Adinkra.