From the Dolomites to Deloney Avenue

As the crow flies, Verona, Italy, is just over 5,300 miles from Jackson Hole. But now, some of the most sophisticated and compelling designs that the Italian city has to offer can be discovered just steps from the Town Square. 

Internationally-celebrated Lifestyle designer Matteo Perin’s journey from his hometown has been lengthy, but he feels that his arrival in the Tetons is something of a homecoming in itself. “When I was a child, we lived near the Dolomites. My dad being a rock climber, we spent a lot of my childhood up in the mountains,” Matteo recalls. “I love the mountains more than I like the sea.”

Even now, the rugged Wyoming peaks capture his heart and offer him inspiration. Matteo has spent over two decades traveling the world, designing and creating exceptional bespoke items for his exclusive clients. Though, he says, more often than not, they become more friends than clients. After several visits to the community on design projects, Matteo realized that Jackson Hole was the ideal spot to implement his vision of a design studio and store. 

Not only does he find endless inspiration in the landscape and the wildlife that surround the valley, but he recognized a need for his caliber of goods; they simply weren't available locally. “After exploring Jackson during my first visit, I felt there was room for something new. While there are some great stores with excellent offerings for men and women, I felt there was an opportunity to introduce a selection of thoughtfully curated, higher-end designs.”

Matteo’s ethos is as simple as it is elegant: designs inspired and informed by a client’s unique needs and style, brought to life by his constellation of world-class Italian artisans. 

It’s this guiding star under which he has opened the doors on his new, downtown location. On the main level, guests can explore men’s and women’s clothing and accessories as well as a variety of home-related goods. Upstairs, Matteo has plans to establish a fully-bespoke haute couture design studio. “It will be a special area where we can design jewelry, home items, and clothing by appointment.”

One-of-a-kind design has long been Matteo’s forte. “The sky’s the limit. We can make anything,” he says, adding that he’s even designed custom fabric for clients.

“I like understated, sophisticated luxury. I’m not a big logo guy. I’m designing for the person, for their lifestyle,” he says. “Everything I design should fit who they are, instead of me trying to make them who I am. I design lifestyles, not pieces.”

On his journey to create distinctive elements for a client, Matteo delves deep into who they are and what they’re seeking. He researches the climate of where they live, the activities they pursue, what their unique needs may be. “Everybody is different. It’s very personal what people appreciate. Some people value having something that nobody else will have.”

If uniqueness is one side of the coin for Matteo, unsurpassed quality is the other. “I am a huge supporter of the artisans that we have in Italy. As a young man, I was lucky enough to spend time with a dear friend of my grandmother, a prolific tailor in Rome. Since then, it’s been my mantra. I’d rather someone has less things, but of a higher quality because they last longer, timeless pieces that can even become heirlooms.”

It’s something we’ve long understood in the West, since the days that cowboys traversed the plains and settlers scraped out a living in the harshness of the wild: quality supersedes quantity any day of the week. 

This commitment to superb craftsmanship underpins everything that Matteo creates. “Everything is made in Italy, by Italians — great artisans who have worked for me for many, many years. Together, we strive to give people the highest quality we can in design and in manufacturing.”

Matteo’s style, distinctive as it has ever been, includes subtle nods to the American West, but he’s certain that it won’t eclipse his Italian authenticity. “I have a love for the West, and I’m hoping to bring my Italian vision with a hair of Western inspiration. I want to stay true to my heritage, but bring a little Western fusion.”

At the heart of everything that Matteo creates is this sense of inimitable identity — of the individual he’s designing for, of his own passion and dedication, and the wellspring of creative influences that guide him. 

“I’m being true to myself, but have inspiration from the land and things that I love.”