Fashion & Fatherhood With Chef Rob Rossi
Harry Rosen x SHARP
Rob Rossi has a lot on his plate. The Michelin-starred chef serves as culinary director at three restaurants — Giulietta, Osteria Giulia, and Bisteccheria Sammarco — and, perhaps most importantly, he’s a dad. It’s a life built on long hours, sharp instincts, and a jam-packed schedule. Yet Rossi is far from overwhelmed: his father taught him well. “The most meaningful lesson I learned from my father,” Rossi tells SHARP, “Things that are hard are worth doing, and things worth doing are hard.”
It’s the kind of lesson that sticks. For Rossi, it shows up everywhere: running a kitchen, managing his staff, raising his daughter. “I always try to do the right thing, not the easy thing,” Rossi says. There’s no shortcut.
FULL LOOK AT HARRY ROSEN.
His style, unsurprisingly, is built the same way. “I am a true working chef, and I’m a restaurateur, so I find that I dress more like utilitarian than I would prefer to,” Rossi laughs. Everyday ensembles are practical and lived-in (“You have to be prepared to get dirty!”) yet thoughtful. That usually means a simple, black-on-black look — clothes that look sharp and don’t make a fuss. When he does dress up, however, it lands. “I wish I could dress like this every day,” he says of the Harry Rosen look.
“It’s the small things that hold the most meaning.”
Rob Rossi on Father’s Day gifts.
Whether he’s in the workplace or building his wardrobe, Rossi says that functionality comes first. The utilitarian approach seems to run in the family. “I developed my work ethic from my father. My father was always ready to hop in and do things,” recalls Rossi. “I’m just the same way. I love comfort, quality, and a great fit.”
You’ll find another small influence on his wrist: the chef is always wearing a good timepiece. “I simply can’t leave the house without one,” he says. A few of these watches are passed down from his father; Rossi holds onto timepieces and jewellery. His style is characterized by simple items that carry weight: durable denim jeans, breezy linen shirts, and accessories with a bit of history.
FULL LOOK AT HARRY ROSEN.
That said, there’s always room for something new. “I love watches, in particular, and I love shoes,” Rossi says. “Those are two things I can’t let someone buy me — for all kinds of reasons. I’d prefer to buy them myself. Honestly, I prefer to give gifts rather than receive them. That’s just how I am.”
For Rossi, the most memorable Father’s Day gifts aren’t found in the footwear aisle — or in any store, for that matter. Instead, he recalls a handmade item from his four-year-old daughter, Charlotte. “She spelled out our family names with Scabble pieces and framed it for me. I still have it in my office to this day,” says Rossi. “It’s the small things that hold the most meaning.”
Busy as he is, Rossi hasn’t lost sight of what matters most.
Photography: Sloane Bartley
