Under the Surface

StyleFashionUnder the SurfaceCanali gives a behind-the-scenes look at sartorial excellence: the time, precision and mastery that transform raw materials into a jacket made to lastBy The EditorsPublished: Nov 5, 20264 min readUnder the surface, unseen layers lie. They stay there, silent. They don’t demand the spotlight. They don’t seek glory. And yet, like a beating heart, they form the innermost foundation of any real achievement. Where passion, enthusiasm, and discipline meet, the logic of excellence takes shape. Such is the story of Under the Surface, the newest creative collaboration from Canali.Under the Surface is a look at the unseen architecture of a sartorial jacket by Canali. Every Canali jacket is born from a complex system of about 200 steps, each executed with meticulous care. Around 15 specialists are involved in the process—one that sees more than 520 feet of thread sewn into 22,000 stitches, both machine- and hand-made. Unseen when looking at the finished garment, the process informs each piece’s quality, comfort, shape, and durability.It’s not just a matter of talent: rather, it’s about staying faithful to one’s goals, pursuing them with dedication even when no one is watching. It’s then that quality truly makes a difference, and the end result becomes the visible manifestation of a long creation process that demands great effort, experience and willpower.Courtesy photoThat commitment of excellence unites the sartorial world of Canali and Ethan Hawke, the brand’s new Global Ambassador. The actor, writer, and director has dedicated almost four decades to perfecting his art, with endless, ever-learning curiosity. For their new Fall/Winter 2026 campaign, Canali has decided to capture what goes on behind the scenes. In the film, Hawke pores over his scripts, rehearses lines, refines each motion: a painstaking introspective process made of research, study, and exercise, preceding each of his performances.The behind-the-scenes of a Canali jacket starts with selecting the finest fabrics, sourced from the best Italian wool mills. Then, each textile is examined and interpreted. While technology now allows extreme precision and control, some assessments are still left to the eye and expertise of human specialists. Even tiny details such as slightly different shades of color or variations in texture can influence the final product.The fabric is then stabilized via steaming cycles and specific treatments, to ensure its behavior remains consistent over time. Then it’s time for digital mapping, guiding every cutting room decision: here, each of the jacket’s pieces is carefully positioned to also help keep waste to a minimum. It’s the first irreversible step.Courtesy photoThe garment’s three-dimensional structure is then shaped upon the canvas. Canali crafts theirs in-house, adapting it to each model’s fit and fabrics. Made from horsehair, plant fibers, and natural reinforcements, the canvas is modeled on custom-made concave shapes, known as Schiena d’Asino (Donkey’s Back), which replicate the chest’s anatomy. The canvas is crucial for determining how a jacket drapes over the body, avoiding stiffness. It’s here that the volume of the chest, the balance of the silhouette and ease of wearing begin to be defined.Then it’s time to craft the front, lapel, padded shoulder, and the sleeves. From planning to execution, nothing’s left to chance. The tailor observes, corrects, iterates. It’s a patient process, requiring time, knowledge, and skill. Lastly, the various layers are united through basting, stitching, and ironing processes. As these details interact, the garment takes on its structure and sophisticated character.The Craft of HeritageSomething special also takes place behind the scenes with Hawke: day after day, the actor’s preparation subtly transforms his thoughts and behavior until, almost by instinct, he takes on each role’s intimate characteristics.Courtesy photoTime underpins the whole process. After being assembled and pressed, the jacket is allowed to rest, to dissipate the steam and stabilize the cloth. This is how the fabric finds its balance, and the garment gains a sort of memory: the ability to naturally find its shape again, even after having been worn, folded, or packed into a suitcase.Courtesy photoIn over 90 years of heritage, Canali has refined their techniques through repetition, experience, and experimentation. Each garment is built upon the time-tested values of care, know-how, precision. The Canali style is not one made of grand gestures, but daily practice, intimate and subtle: the constant research into a shape that lasts. One hero of the Under the Surface project is the vicuña jacket, available exclusively at selected flagship boutiques by Canali.The campaign, and the collaboration between Canali and Ethan Hawke, speak to the art of shaping oneself, guided by an ambition to do things well with patience and self-awareness. Both in tailoring and in cinema, there is so much quiet work that happens behind the scenes to make creativity possible. Discipline and rigour do not constrain creative freedom; they make it possible. For Canali, excellence takes shape through the craftsmanship with which each element is made. For Ethan Hawke, it is the preparation that allows him to approach each role with confidence.And, as the Under The Surface campaign reveals, each of these steps adds something essential to the finished product. In the case of the Canali cashmere and vicuña blazer (the hero style of the FW26 campaign), it is structure, movement, character, durability, and a lightness that can only be achieved through the combination of expertly-chosen materials and complex fine tailoring. The knowledge required to execute this is almost tangible, felt in the quality of the piece.Courtesy photoThe finished result only has value because of the strong, unseen structure underneath. It is a story we can all resonate with. Little by little, layer by layer, day by day, we each build ourselves in pursuit of excellence. Our actions create the people we are – even, or especially, when nobody is watching – in the same way that the apparent simplicity of a piece of clothing hides the depth of work required to craft it. This is the essence of Under the Surface.Discover where to find the Canali vicuña jacketCourtesy photo