Born in Brazil, rooted in New York, and inspired by the old-world craftsmanship of Florence, Mr. Max Poglia has built the POGLIA brand which blurs the lines between past and present, raw and refined. His creations—handmade knives, leather goods, and heirloom-quality objects—carry the weight of history and the soul of the artisan’s hand. Each piece is designed to be lived with, not just owned.
© Lorenzo Sodi
In this interview, Poglia takes us through the essence of his work, his relationship with imperfection, and the balance between instinct and legacy. He shares the story of a well-worn horsehide jacket that owns him more than he owns it, the allure of volcanic stone as an untapped medium, and the ritual of a proper coffee in Florence as a source of inspiration.
Read on to discover the philosophy behind Poglia’s craftsmanship and why, in his world, objects don’t just belong to people—people belong to objects.
© Lorenzo Sodi
“The” Jacket
Your personal style blends ruggedness with elegance. What’s one piece you wear that tells a story?
M: There’s this McCoy’s Buco J-24 horsehide jacket I picked up in Tokyo over a decade ago. It needed to be broken in—worn, stretched, sweated in, even rained on. Now, it fits like a second skin, molded by time. You don’t own something like that—it owns you.
© Lorenzo Sodi
© Lorenzo Sodi
The essence of Poglia in three objects
When asked to define the essence of Poglia beyond his own work, he paints a picture of contrasts:
“A battered silver bucket, a bottle of champagne, and a weathered vintage blanket. Poglia is about the refined and the raw, the celebration and the grit. You drink from the bucket, sleep under the blanket, and life happens somewhere in between.”
© Lorenzo Sodi
Embracing imperfection
Your work has a raw, handcrafted soul. What’s your relationship with imperfection?
M: Poglia is about imperfections that tell a story—scars, scratches, the fingerprints of time. Mass-produced perfection is boring. A real object, a real experience, should come with flaws.
Poglia pieces feel like heirlooms from the moment they’re made. How do you create something new that already feels storied?
M: You start with materials that have already lived a life—reclaimed steel, natural materials that have seen things, wood that’s been exposed to the elements. Then, you respect what it was and push it toward what it could be. The past and present shake hands.
© Lorenzo Sodi
Despite working with leather, metal, and wood, there’s one material Poglia has yet to explore:
“Volcanic stone. It’s older than history, shaped by fire, rough but refined. There’s something about it that speaks to me.”
Poglia’s style is influenced by a mix of old-world sensibilities and travel. Florence, New York, the land of southern Brazil—he takes a bit from everywhere, and his style is what happens when you collect pieces of life along the way.
© Lorenzo Sodi
What’s one item from your personal collection—besides your own work—that you’d pass down for generations?
M: A vintage leather jacket and an Italian tailor-made suit—both built to last, just like anything worth keeping.
The first experience of a Poglia knife
For someone handling a handmade knife for the first time, Poglia wants them to feel its significance.
“I’d want them to feel its weight, the pull of history in their hand. A Poglia knife isn’t just a tool—it’s a commitment. You don’t just use it. You live with it.”
© Lorenzo Sodi
He likes to think the objects have their own soul, and they find their people. A Poglia knife doesn’t belong to just one kind of person—it can be sexy in a woman’s hands, brutal, or super chic in a man’s pocket. The object defines its owner in the end. It earns its place, or it doesn’t, he says.
© Ata De Çin
Daily rituals of inspiration
Poglia finds inspiration in life’s simplest indulgences:
“A coffee in a proper bar in Florence, where nobody asks if you want oat milk and you can enjoy the time in slow form. Or a long walk through New York, where the city moves at its own rhythm and reminds you that life happens fast—so you better keep up.”
If Poglia could collaborate with any craftsman or brand, one name comes to mind:
“If I had the chance again, I’d love to collaborate with Jerome Jacques Marie Mage and his eponymous brand. He went on to transform the eyewear industry with his beautifully bold frames.”
© Lorenzo Sodi
When it comes to his brand’s legacy, Poglia prefers to follow instinct.
“Instinct first. Legacy happens when you do something worth remembering. I think about honoring the past rather than obsessing over the future. If you do something well, with integrity, the rest falls into place. My kids are the only legacy I truly care about.”
Poglia’s greatest lessons have come from the hands of artisans, and that's that you learn from trial and error, from failure. The process matters more than the outcome, he says.
The contrast between Florence and New York
“Florence teaches you to slow down, to respect history, to take your time. New York tells you to move fast or get out of the way. I need both. I mix both. I like to think about objects that play with these contrasts—slowing down New York with an old-school corkscrew and a fire BBQ, or cutting the necks off bottles of champagne in Florence with a sabrage.”
We also asked Mr. Poglia about his favorite secret spots and he named two; Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence—it’s like stepping back in time, he says. In New York, The Explorers Club, or his favorite spots on Grove Street for breakfast, lunch, or a late dinner.
© Ata De Çin
You’ve done quite a bit of modeling—what’s a recent brand collaboration that you really enjoyed, and what made it special?
M: I never really thought of myself as a model. I only do it when it aligns with Poglia. One of the last projects that felt real was a cover story for WM Brown with Ralph Lauren. It was shot in Florence, with a real friend, by people I respect.
“Ralph Lauren has always been an inspiration, and Matt from WM Brown is someone I’ve known since the early days of New York. Being on the cover? Just a cherry on top of a cake.”
To conclude is simple, Mr. Max Poglia crafts stories, objects with soul, and a philosophy that values time, wear, and the beauty of imperfection. His work, much like the man himself, is a balance of ruggedness and refinement, forever blending the past with the present.
Thank you Max for this lovely interview!
© Ata De Çin
Pictures: Lorenzo Sodi, Ata De Çin, Max Poglia
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