Chatwin called it restlessness. It’s a state of the soul that searches, longs, and yearns to discover, to be amazed, to understand. A pull that pushes us beyond our own boundaries. This is the root of escapism: a tension toward the unknown, the unexplored, the not‑yet‑seen or lived, with eyes and soul open to be filled with new images and sensations.

An Escapist is not someone who runs away, but someone who seeks in imaginary or alternative places a reality that feels more livable, poetic, and stimulating. It’s a necessary form of escape: a way of looking into reality by going beyond it. An urgency, a doubled curiosity. A thirst to see, to grow. And to return to oneself, to reflect on what has been experienced, learned, awaited.

Marcel Proust

Travel is a state of mind where you gently lose yourself in your own thoughts, a dreamy, contemplative escape from reality. It’s that emotional enchantment in which time seems to slow down, and the world hangs in a balance of beauty, mystery, and wonder.

Travel releases an intense, almost magical energy that reveals itself in moments of deep inspiration and connection. Moments when an unfamiliar place resonates within you as if it had always belonged to you. It’s travel lived with intensity, vulnerability, and awe.

Those who travel make choices: where to go, with whom, what to bring along, the bag that will accompany them. What will be useful, or simply comforting.

That’s why we started with the travel bag, and from there we created beachwear, garments and accessories: our Capsule de voyage designed to come with you.

The first destination is the sea, the blue, a symbol of freedom and depth. Pieces that feel lived‑in, poetic, imperfect. Travel companions you grow attached to.

Every piece we create tells the story of where it comes from, who made it, which materials shape it, and the processes and finishes that make it special, never ordinary. Small productions, few steps, no filters.

Our supply chain is clear, traceable, and intentional. We collaborate with small, carefully selected workshops in Italy and Portugal, chosen for their expertise, ethics, and honesty.

In the Marche region, we work with specialists in garment‑dyed apparel and bag making; in Puglia, we produce our jersey pieces; in Guimarães, our swimwear takes shape.

Leonardo, Rosario, Matteo, Fabio, Katia, Ciro, Andrea, Alessandro.
We are a small team of passionate people who take care of this project every day. The soul of Escapista is Leonardo Girombelli, who envisioned it and founded it.

Leonardo Girombelli is Italian, raised in the Marche region overlooking the sea in Ancona, within a family of fashion entrepreneurs.

He joined the family business, Genny, early on, beginning a professional journey that would later lead him to collaborate first with Elio Fiorucci, and then to hold managerial roles at Yoox, Fendi, Prada, and Tod’s. He later focused on strategic consulting until, in 2026, he decided to launch his own project: Escapista.

After working as an entrepreneur in the family business, a manager for major fashion and luxury groups, and a strategic advisor and consultant, Escapista marks his first venture into a start-up. A father of three and married to Diamante, he is an avid traveler. Blue is his color.