fresh heir.(Interview)

Byline: William Norwich

_Lapo Elkann, the Fiat heir turned independent entrepreneur, is racing on all cylinders. Having transported nearly his entire wardrobe to Brazil for Vogue so he could have some styling fun in the sun-channeling everyone from "chill-ax" rock star (his word, combining chill with relax) to the Duke of Windsor-he is repacking now during a pit stop in New York for a flight tonight to Italy. Only 29, the best-dressed man in the Free World-if you want to argue, go ahead, disagree with me-is fielding some invasive fashion questions in his loft.

"Do you travel with a portable steamer?"

"No," he answers.

"A valet?"

"That was my grandfather." For the uninitiated, Grandfather was Gianni Agnelli, who was the best-dressed man in the Free World until his death in 2003. Lapo inherited his clothes, and the rest is style history: mixing the elder gentleman's custom suits with his own more contemporary, lushly colored, richly patterned tailored pieces, American Apparel cotton V-neck T-shirts, or the looks he designs for Italia Independent, the label he recently launched with state-of-the art carbon-fiber sunglasses, to be followed by clothing and home furnishings (Italiaindependent.com).

"Private plane?" I ask.