MEET ALESSANDRA ALOE

“My fashion journey started back in the over-the-top 80s, rummaging through the closets of Elsa, my mom’s best friend. I had free rein in her walk-in closets, playing dress-up with haute couture gowns, flashy jewelry, and all the fabulous accessories—shoes, bags, scarves, you name it.

As a kid, I loved dressing up my friends, especially my sister. Looking back, I guess you could say I was already doing styling! I dreamed of living in a world of fantasy and spectacle, obsessed with stages, designing clothes, and organizing shows. It felt like my path was set from the start.

Fast forward to 2004, and that’s when Aloe&Wolf was born—just for fun at first. I never thought it would become something serious, and maybe it still isn’t, because it continues to bring me so much joy. You know how we often think serious things have to be boring? Well, not this! Aloe&Wolf is my little haven where I get to express emotions, ideas, and thoughts. I love curating the pieces we display, arranging them around the store, and seeing how people wear and love them. Sometimes, it even turns into a spontaneous little show, with the dressing room curtain as the stage curtain!”

FRIENDS

“ Aloe&Wolf is one of the top vintage shops in the world. It has been featured in the Financial Times and other magazines too but, mostly, it is a Mecca for designers seeking inspiration. Infact, you can always find amazing pieces from the best designers, with an emphasis in Italian ones. Mostly, you can search in the Archives Alessandra also have.

Often, you can bump in Rosetta Getty or even Kate Moss or her friends too.

They have been invited to do highly successful pop ups in Dubai and in Firenze at “ La Rinascente” too. They will be returning shortly to Dubai where they have been asked to do an expanded offer, which will also encompass working with the Institute Marangoni to have Alessandra teaching students on understanding vintage. It is early days for vintage apparel and there is a need to help with education and awareness. Indeed, they are very keen on being more than just a sale channel and have a real interest in introducing people to the joy of the vintage shopping, its craftsmanship and sustainability elements if approached correctly.”

– Sian Westerman

“It’s not just a vintage clothing store. It’s not just a carefully selected collection of jewelry, hats, shoes, belts, vintage bags to go crazy for. It’s not just an archive of accessories featuring all eras and styles. It’s not just that every object you touch has a magical history of time and fantastical characters.

So what is it? Aloe&Wolf is a sensorial experience. A journey through time, I dream about locking myself inside one of the most beautiful vintage shops ever visited, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

When I walk through Aloe’s doors, I am not always sure what to buy, but am certain to take a journey through time and more importantly, fashion. Let’s be transparent: this odyssey allows me to enter hundreds of closets; I stand next to elegant ladies subtly perfumed with face powder or lay on a sunny beach wearing a Pucci sarong listening to the ebb and flow of the waves. I am at a café in Pigalle with that unmistakable Kelly, listening to the music of clinking glasses and subdued customer chatter, then quickly transported to New York’s Fifth Avenue in the springtime, yearning for that red feathered hat.

In short, Aloe will set the backdrop for my personal film, and depending on the day, the attraction can be fatal. It will be for you too. When Aloe and Giada see me walking towards the store, they understand it’s not “only” for that dress, but because that day I want a new film!”

– Roberta Torre

TALK ABOUT US

“Since 2004, we’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many fascinating people and seeing so many interesting faces come through. It’s such a stimulating environment—a real hotbed of ideas. We’ve hosted exhibitions, poetry readings, short film screenings, dance parties, and countless other events, all revolving around vintage, which is the heart of what we do.

Over the years, we’ve worked with designers, collectors, costume designers, and fashion lovers, diving into research and putting together special projects and tailored proposals for our clients.”