John Travolta’s return to the Cannes Film Festival carried the weight of cinema history. The star of Pulp Fiction, Grease and Get Shorty arrived on the Croisette to present the world premiere of Propeller One-Way Night Coach, his first film as a director, and received a surprise honorary Palme d’Or.
He was accompanied by his daughter Ella Bleu, who also appears in the film. Together, they commanded the red carpet. Yet beyond the emotional significance of the occasion, another element immediately captured international attention: Travolta’s striking new image.
The berets, the glasses, the sharply constructed tailoring and the unmistakable air of an old-school filmmaker transformed his Cannes appearance into one of the most discussed menswear moments of the festival. GQ, Vogue, Vanity Fair and Harper’s Bazaar all took notice, placing Travolta among the best-dressed figures on the Croisette.
Behind the transformation was an Italian designer.
Born near Verona and now working between Los Angeles, New York, London, Dubai, Singapore and Italy, Matteo Perin describes himself as a lifestyle designer: a creator who does not simply design garments, but constructs an entire personal language around the people he dresses.
Travolta is among his most celebrated clients. Perin’s portfolio also includes figures such as Al Pacino, Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, Marisol Nichols, Sofia Milos and Clive Davis, alongside entrepreneurs and private clients from Silicon Valley, venture capital, technology, professional sport and Formula One.
Travolta once described Perin’s work in unequivocal terms: men should have his clothes in their wardrobes because he understands how to personalise a look without imposing a formula. His approach, Travolta observed, is collaborative, allowing the wearer to feel confident in both formal and informal settings.
Perin’s fascination with style began in childhood, inspired by the immaculate elegance of his grandmother and the memory of his exceptionally well-dressed great-grandfather. The first sketches came later, in Montana. Then followed commissions in North America and Canada, an entry into Hollywood and growing interest from the Gulf.
Every idea, however international its destination, remains anchored in Italian materials and craftsmanship. The fabrics, leathers and specialist workmanship are sourced from Italy, where Perin continues to find the technical knowledge and creative discipline on which his work is built.
Matteo, where did your relationship with fashion begin?
It began with the dreams I had as a child. I would watch television and imagine myself there, among those people. I did not yet know what my role would be or how I would reach that world, but I always felt that I would eventually arrive.
I was not particularly fashion-conscious as a child, partly because we did not have the means for that kind of lifestyle. Yet I was always observant. I have always enjoyed what people call “people-watching”: looking at what someone is wearing, how they wear it and whether the person is wearing the clothes or the clothes are wearing the person.
That distinction is fundamental to me. A garment should never be more prominent than the person inside it.
Is there a particular story that captures your relationship with John Travolta?
John and I have worked together for many years, so by now we know each other well enough to speak very openly.
I remember my first flight on one of his planes. The chef prepared an extraordinary dinner for me; afterwards, I slept for a while and spent some time drawing. John then landed directly at his home and parked the aircraft as another person might park a car. The difference, of course, is that his house is designed like an airport.
He asked me how the flight had been. I told him he had ruined my life. I take more than one hundred flights a year, and after travelling that way, the greatest luxury was not having to arrive at the airport two hours early or go through the usual security procedures.
There was also the evening when he called me while I was sitting on the sofa at my home in Los Angeles, drawing. He asked whether I wanted to go out for dinner but refused to tell me where we were going.
A little later, I found myself at a table with Al Pacino, Michael Keaton and Tom Hanks. I remember thinking: here I am, a boy from Verona, having dinner with Tony Manero, Tony Montana, Batman and Forrest Gump.
It was profoundly surreal.
Travolta’s appearance at Cannes certainly did not go unnoticed. How did you create such a distinctive new image for him?
I wanted to help create a moment of genuine emotion and achievement for John.
He was going to Cannes under very different circumstances. This time he was not attending simply as an actor. He had written the original book, produced the film and directed it. I wanted his appearance to reflect that transition and to remain recognisable in the historical record.
I spent a great deal of time researching directors from the past. One recurring element connected many of them: the director’s cap or beret. Since John already wears glasses, we decided to retain them and make the combination part of a more distinctive identity.
Finding the right berets for every look was not easy. In some cases, I personally dyed them by hand to achieve the precise shades we needed.
You describe yourself as a lifestyle designer rather than simply a fashion designer. What is the difference?
Strictly speaking, I am a fashion designer.
The expression “lifestyle designer” was given to me as I began working internationally, partly because the Italian word stilista is often translated incorrectly as “stylist”, which is an entirely different profession.
With many of my clients, I am not designing a few isolated outfits. I am creating looks for their lives, their work, their personal occasions and their public events. Over time, people began to describe me as an architect of their lifestyle, and I believe the definition is accurate.
I admire many fashion designers, but they often design according to their own creative identity. They produce extraordinary pieces that may not always be right for the person wearing them.
I have seen people on red carpets wearing clothes that completely overwhelmed them. They believed that they were the ones appearing on the red carpet, but in reality the clothes were the protagonists and the person had been reduced to a mannequin.
For me, that reverses the proper order of importance. I dress the person. The purpose of the clothes is always to place that person at the centre.
As an entrepreneur, which markets do you address? What is the core of the business today?
We no longer operate within a single market.
Over the years, we have expanded beyond clothing and introduced high jewellery, entirely handmade, as well as interior design. I am fortunate to work with a team of extraordinarily skilled people whose technical knowledge is at the highest level.
Three years ago, we opened our flagship boutique in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. People who do not know the area often ask us why we chose it.
Jackson Hole lies at approximately 2,100 metres above sea level, close to the entrances of Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. It is surrounded by extraordinary, unspoilt nature and attracts an exceptionally affluent community.
The people who spend time there appreciate art, privacy and discretion. They want tranquillity without relinquishing the pleasures and comforts to which they are accustomed. It is therefore a natural setting for our work.
What does luxury mean to you? Is it inevitable at a certain level?
Luxury can mean many different things.
For one person, it may be a way of living. For another, it may mean possessing a garment or an accessory that is more expensive than anything owned by others.
Because I travel constantly and move between different cultures, I see how profoundly people’s priorities can vary. At the highest level, however, luxury is often expressed through subtle details. Sometimes those details are almost imperceptible, yet they make life calmer, easier and more harmonious.
Money does not create happiness, but when used intelligently it can allow people to enjoy certain moments with greater serenity.
The luxury we offer our clients lies in the knowledge that they have a team prepared to do everything possible to make their experience seamless and personal. We remove the stress surrounding their clothes and appearance, allowing them to remain present and enjoy the occasion itself.
After the success of Cannes and your work with Travolta’s team, where will we see you next?
Cannes 2026 required months of work.
For the moment, we are preparing to spend part of the summer in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and at the Yellowstone Club in Montana – if you know, you know – together with friends and clients.
We have also organised a series of private events for July and August.
Italian identity appears to be central to your work, particularly in your choice of materials. Is that non-negotiable?
We are extraordinarily fortunate to be Italian, especially in the world in which I work.
When it comes to fabrics, artisans and technical knowledge, Italy remains incomparable. At the same time, I believe our government should offer far greater support to small and medium-sized businesses, particularly in fashion.
Italian companies and artisans contribute enormously to the world, yet they are not always supported as effectively as their counterparts in other countries.
This matters deeply to me. One of my ambitions is to help restore dignity and stability to the lives of our artisans and to encourage a new generation of young people to enter these professions, learn their disciplines and carry their knowledge forward.
What does it mean to dress John Travolta?
To dress John is to dress an icon of world cinema.
When you are closely connected to someone’s life, you understand things that the public cannot know. I often see people criticising some of the roles he has chosen in recent years, without having the slightest idea of the personal reasons or circumstances behind those decisions.
We should all be slower to judge, particularly when we do not know what lies beneath the surface.
When I am with John, I see the man. It can feel as natural as meeting a friend at a café. Then you step outside and remember that you are not simply with an ordinary person. You are with someone who has entered the hearts of millions of people throughout a career spanning half a century.
He has played every kind of character: the romantic hero, the good man, the villain and even Edna Turnblad in Hairspray.
Dressing him means dressing a part of cinema history.
John has been dressed by some of the greatest designers in the world, yet he has chosen to work with me since 2013. That makes me immensely proud.
For Cannes this year, many designers approached him, hoping to create his wardrobe. He declined them all.
The reason is the level of care we bring to the work. Elsewhere, a client can become a number. For me and for my team, no one is a number. The person matters – not because of the fame attached to their name, but because of the trust they have placed in us.
That trust is the true beginning of every piece we create.
