Regé-Jean Page's personal philosophy of style

IN A SWELTERING Milan in June, Santoni — beloved for its luxury footwear and Italian know-how — unveiled its new Spring Summer 2024 collection of shoes and bags in a shady palazzo garden. The guest of honour for the presentation was British actor Regé-Jean Page, otherwise known as the much-lusted-after Duke in Season 1 of Bridgerton and, more recently, the paladin Xenk Yendar in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

Page took time to speak with us at the presentation about Santoni’s reissued and updated Andrea loafer, named for founder Andrea Santoni, whose son Giuseppe now heads the company. The Andrea is emblematic of Santoni’s specialty for shoes at the nexus of casual and formal, and, naturally, Page is a fan. (He’s wearing a pair as we speak, and calls the updated profile of the shoe “both modern and classic.”)

Read on to learn about what first drew Page to Santoni, his philosophy on getting dressed, and how his style has evolved since he broke big.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

When did you first become aware of Santoni?

I heard about Santoni completely through word of mouth. Genuinely, it’s one of those names that floats around whenever people talk about high-quality, handmade shoes, things you can invest in and wear for a long time, as opposed to disposable fashion. It’s good, now, to actually encounter it in person, do a little bit of learning, and be immersed in its environment.

What caught your eye about Santoni first?

Certainly, it’s about an attention to detail, but also there’s balance of creativity and restraint. I personally have a philosophy that clothes and accessories should never shout louder than the person wearing them.

So, style is about enhancing your own sense of self rather than creating a new persona?

Well, if the person is a painting, clothes frame the painting. You don’t want to frame to shout louder than the painting.

Is that also true of acting? Do you have to preserve the “you” in any role that you take on?

I think with acting, it may well be the other way around. I think you release the “you” and try to make space for the role you’re trying to represent. You don’t want you getting in the way. It’s the inversion in a way, you frame the character and the character takes center stage.

Do you think your sense of style has evolved in significant ways since you have become well known as an actor?

Yes, definitely. But I think that if at any point in your life your style isn’t continuously evolving, then you’re probably stuck somewhere. I think I’ve encountered more and I’ve learned more as a result of acting. I found myself in interesting environments like this, where I got to meet Giuseppe for the first time and talk about style, design, fashion. If you fail to evolve in that sort of environment, then you’re doing something wrong.

Is luxury important to you?

Quality is more important than luxury for me; but where the two can meet, all the better.

And do you see yourself getting even deeper into fashion in terms of, like, working with brands to create special things?

I’m happy to always discover and not restrict myself. As you find yourself in new environments, you open yourself up to learning and discovering things. I can’t imagine stopping that process.

You’ve appeared dressed in shoots about you, dressed in great style. Is that a necessary evil, part of the actor’s job, or something you enjoy?

Absolutely it can be a lot of fun. It’s not dissimilar to my acting work. I think I see everything as, like, hitting the prism at different angles. It’s all about self-expression. It’s about expressing character, whether it’s your own character or a fictional character. How you do that can be through scripted work. Equally it can be through what your style is. I think clothes are always about revealing the person, and my job definitely intersects with that.

This article originally appeared on Esquire US.