Al Bazar

“After 45 years in business, it’s still as much fun as day one,” says Lino Ieluzzi, owner and founder of the boutique Al Bazar. With his quintessential gentleman persona, he has become a symbol of style and elegance in Italy’s fashion capital, even gracing the cover of Dandy magazine. His store in Milan’s Vercelli neighbourhood is a world of its own, shaped by a distinct personal taste that makes it unique. Dedicated entirely to menswear, Al Bazar brings a personal touch to combinations of fabrics and colours, reinventing traditional formalwear with flair.

The essence of every garment and accessory here is genuine, rooted in the simple joy of playing with your wardrobe. Al Bazar’s winning card is Ieluzzi himself, who has created a space with a unique allure, entirely in his own image: every piece here was first conceived to be worn by him, then developed for the boutique. Whether blazers, shirts, trousers or ties, these are all items Lino wears or would wear, appealing widely to customers—including a younger crowd looking for formalwear for a special occasion.

The 20’s have always been a major source of inspiration for his collections, as have the costumes in classic Italian-American films, revisited through his own view of how a man—or rather, a gentleman—ought to dress. Al Bazar’s walls are lined with caricatures of the owner drawn by friends and devotees, alongside personal photographs of his travels around the world. Wooden furnishings and a genuine collection of objects straight from the 70’s and 80’s do the rest, making this shop truly one of a kind on the Milanese scene. Ieluzzi maintains that he stakes everything on quality artisan materials, for both classic tailoring and casualwear, working in close partnership with Italian manufacturers.

There are also a few signature touches that confirm Al Bazar’s uniqueness. Take the ties: some are crafted from the same fabric as the jackets, so they never crease and keep their knot neatly in place—an idea that is both smart and chic. Dropping in to browse at Al Bazar or, if you have the chance, chatting with Lino Ieluzzi offers a genuine immersion into an Italian, and above all Milanese, lifestyle and savoir faire that is rarely seen today. Perhaps that is why, once discovered, it is an experience to treasure.