The hacks for a successful sustainable thrifting or second hand hunt

Now that we have established that thrifting and second-hand/consignment/vintage purchases are the first and most tangible practice to make your life and your wardrobe more sustainable, let’s do it right.

View fullsize

First things first, I want to get this out of the way. There’s people that still frown upon buying used clothes and when asked what is it that turns them off is they think they are dirty and smell like mothballs. There’s nothing more disheartening than to listening to adults coming up with unfounded excuses like “climate change is a hoax” ok? Have you ever seen the sanitary and physical conditions of the places where fast fashion is produced? So let’s put things into perspective.

Is there such a thing as overconsumption of thrifted clothes?

I am not sure if “overconsumption”, but definitely you can end up hoarding thrifted clothes, and that’s not sustainable, it’s a catch 22, and a revolving door of clothes, you don’t have time to wear them and can’t grow attached to them. A friend told me: I have to find a way to control myself with thrifting, every trip I come back with a bag full of clothes and my monthly budget wasted on it.

It may sound a contradiction, but it’s common. You keep buying because the price was ridiculously low and couldn’t resist, and because ‘you never know’ and end up accumulating a closet full of stuff, occupying lots of space, cluttering mind and luggages, storage and shelves for no reason.

Do you know that more than 50% of what we own we don’t wear? No matter what type of trick we do to ourselves (rotation, switching the wardrobes, twisting the hanger) we still don’t wear it, so why have it?

It takes time and you must enjoy the process, we have grown used to the immediate gratification of a shopping cart.

Be creative and open minded.

The first mental switch is “use your own imagination” because whatever you’ll find you will probably remotely remind you what you saw on a runway or in a magazine you can certainly go to your favorite thrift store, access your consignment but won’t be the same. It takes time and you must enjoy the process, we have grown used to the immediate gratification of a shopping cart. It also exercises your knowledge of your style, what you are or could be comfortable with and expands your boundaries (I now own 1 red piece, never seen before in my closet)

View fullsize

What do I do to not overspend my budget?

A thrift store has merchandize priced ridiculously low, but still if you buy everything to keep instead of reselling, it becomes burdening. Go only with cash and that’ll settle it, like a kid with allowance.

Do short and targeted visits. Use your lunch time so you’ll have restrained time and you’ll concentrate on what you are looking for, go to that section and remember, that man tailoring is way better: blazers and pants especially.

Know a good tailor and seamstress: anything that you buy will have to be altered and sometimes mended.

Off season: the best time to find something is off season. A coat or a leather jacket you have much more choice as soon as spring starts, my empirical explanation is that people get rid of them when they clean up at the change of season.

Just plain E N J O Y, not all the times you’ll find something, and that’s perfectly fine.

DO THE SUMMER LIKE THE LOCALS DO: FIRENZE & PITTI EPISODE

I attended another Pitti.

For many it's still a dream that hasn’t happened, especially since it became the man/main event par excellence, “peacocking” included. I explain the whole story about it in the book, in the “Borrow from the Boys” chapter and I will not be repetitive.

From 1992 it evolved, changed, expanded, went online, expatriated, cancelled the woman, added a small woman representation, now cancelled it again. My “relatore” the person that introduces you and kinda mentors you through the extenuating preparation of the final thesis in university was Luigi Settembrini, the then communication director and creative consultant of Pitti.

Florence is the place where in 1957 Italian fashion was born with a defile’ in the Sala Bianca in Palazzo Pitti, where Gianfranco Ferre’ made his man collection debut, where the men socks Gallo were launched. Guccio Gucci and Marquis Pucci were home buddies. Firenze is where you breathe history, culture and fashion like nowhere else in the world, it’s the noble of the family of the fashion capitals.

This seemed the perfect backdrop to hold a workshop on how to feel empowered by maintaining your own style in the world of fashion. Part of the job of #luxuryisastateofmind and making all look effortless chic was done by the J.K. Place and its director, Claudio Meli.

What to do like an Italian, or, in other words, how not to look like a tourist.

·         Don’t confuse Pitti Immagine with Palazzo Pitti, Santa Maria Novella the train station, the basilica or the farmacia;

It's ok to walk the streets with that feeling that Caterina de' Medici will show up around the corner with one hell of a damask gown and a cascade of emeralds: it happens to the veterans

·         Scudieri is for the orange zest dipped in dark chocolate, winter or summer;

·         Ice cream is at Perche’ no

·         Don’t be stars truck, play it cool; They are all peacocks, some are fake, the real ones don’t hang out at the entrance of the Fortezza;

·         Be aware, you may find your friend from 20 years ago

·         Go local, like follow Claudio Meli’s footsteps, hang out at the J.K. Place and make yourself acquainted with "the other Florence" the artists and artesans of the sublime.

·         Don’t wear logos, branding or, for that, any cheap Zara knockoffs of logos and brands

The Cheat Sheet of Italian Style // Book is still found HERE and HERE (if you live in the UK or prefer using the Pound). 

Forget Sophia Loren: Italian style dished out

It’s ok to connect Sophia Loren and Anita Eckberg in the Fontana di Trevi when thinking of Italian style. That was la dolce vita, Cinecitta’ and the luxurious and extravagant lives of the first paparazzi-ed movie stars.

a screenshot for the movie "Made in Italy" of my new obsession channel M2M

That’s a good starting point, when thinking of “the Italian way”, it’s sweet, retro and glamorous. But, and here you have to trust me, we kinda moved from Sophia. She grew, evolved and became an Hollywood icon of Italian beauty, but Italians don’t recognize themselves in her anymore, we think she is the glory of our past, we are somehow proud of her, yet she belongs to a collective imaginary that is not modern anymore

Style however has evolved, and her stance may lead to the misconception that Italian style means expensive clothing, glamorous wardrobes, custom made shoes and lavish lives. Ennio Flaiano said: Fashion is the self-portrait of a society. 

Virna Lisi, Anna Magnani, Monica Vitti are more of the icons we look up to, because they kept it real, with irony, sense of humor, wit, elegance, simplicity, frugality, sensuality …

Eva Geraldine Fontanelli, one of the coolest editors, stylist, chic Italians  photo from Style du Monde

• Coffee
• Fresh flowers
• Your own perfume (chapter 7 has the whole shenanigans about it)
• Put a smile on it
• Sneakers and leggings belong to the gym
• Comb your hair, polish your shoes, because “you never know”
• Don’t take yourself too seriously
• Your grandmother’s armoire is where you go first
• No garlic powder or canned grated Parmesan cheese wannabe
• You fight for the best part of the fish, the cheek
• Sunday long lunches almost always end with an animated discussion about soccer or politics
• But the above mentioned Sunday lunches also are for fresh pastries from the local pasticceria
• Seamstress and cobbler are preciously kept numbers
• Coffeecoffee: expresso shot, no powder creamer or foam container
• Big pants and big watches

pic. from collegevintage.com

• Aperol spritz before dinner, summer time
• Pasta
• Frugally curate the closet
• Intangible quality of chic
• Don’t buy a size smaller

“there’s nothing more feminine, sensual, elegant, yet unconventionally pretty than alluding to a woman’s body instead of flaunting it shamelessly”

— There's no shuch thing as pretty - Ch.10

• Domestic goddessing, like Pandora Sykes calls it, is part of your life whether you are a man or a woman.
• Flats or heels
• Black is fine, but navy!
• Don’t keep the good stuff for Sunday

sabot + socks 

I learned from the movie that it's been said that "Italy is not a country, but a state of mind, a point of view, a way of understanding the world."

Santa Baby's list

It’s the Holidays and we dream by the fire, walking in the winter wonderland and it’s also (always) been my birthday for over 40 years now, so I know the drill very well.

I have always had my favorite things in mind for this time of the year when Santa comes and I am dreaming of a white Christmas and a few sparkles. 

A gift must come from the heart, gotta be something you have thought about whether it's for yourself or the recipient, the thrill when opening the box or ripping the paper begins with that. Am I the only one that connects the happiness of the thrill to the expectation? I mean, when you know that the person that is gifting you waits for Black Friday to buy the gifts, chances are the act donesn't come from the heart, but the wallet. A gift doens't have to be expensive to be welcomed, you don't need to fake it and pretend you can afford it. 

I remember my grandmother would buy each one of us a gift for our birthday and it was THE one, she knew us so well that she would always hit the jackpot. As a matter of facts, she is the one that established my queen-ship in the family: my birthday was the closest (still is) to Christmas and God forbid someone tried to be cheap and combine everything in one gift of lesser value. She would set the example, 1 for birthday and 1 equally valued for the 10 of us cousins. Same for her daughters, and btw, nonno Bruno was excluded, mostly … because then, story was if she’d give him something she had to give something to her sons-in-law and that was unchartered territory. I was born and raised in a matriarchal family.

I have made a list, selected items that I would want to give myself which also mean I would gladly receive. Maybe they can also be of inspiration for you, in case you don’t know what you want or want to give.

It’s a whole happy jolly season of giving, and receiving in giving. By the end, you’ll find that sustainable, conscientious, be supportive of local and small businesses is fun and delightful.

·         Barbra Streisand is coming to Miami next week and it would be a Memory for a lifetime.

·         In honor to an imminent trip to NYC, a Chrysler cuff 

from www.vibeconsignment.com

·         Fairtrade fairy little angel from Dawn Gallagher’s website 

·         How about 1 hour free of social media or screen time per day? 365 hours = 2 weeks and 1 day of freedom = how many books can you read in 15 days? Or, how many dinners can you squeeze in 365 hours? How many fun conversations could you have about the day that's gone by? One per day? There you have a piece of sustainability: 1 hour recouperated from BSing, recycling at its best form. 

·         Want to belong to a tribe that believes in honest media? Subscribe to Holl & Lane: I can’t get enough of the mag and their Instagram account

View fullsize

·         Consider a membership with UN Women. Emma Watson and Nicole Kidman have and they are working towards a world where women and girls live without violence, poverty and inequality. Even the smallest act of support adds to shifting the gloomy times are awaiting ahead of us. Have you heard of #orangetheworld in #16days or the #HeforShe campaign? There are many ways to get involved, for more inspiration look at what Somy Ali has created with No Mor Tears to stop domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking.

·         Big earrings don’t care

·         The BOOK If you haven’t done it yet, subscribe to my newsletter already? It is coming out sooner than you think and signed copies will be available to reserve. 

View fullsize

The crash of the Fashion Blogger Inc.

It happened and from the lips and the fast typing keyboards of the most commercial and ad-driven of fashion magazines, Vogue US. I'll leave this commentary of why I have this opinion on the magazine for later, because the point here is that through an article on The Guardian I have found out the news and the drama that ensued.

4 US Vogue fashion editors (who I follow on IG and admire, because honestly I have always wanted to be working at Vogue, overall) during Milan fashion week, called out fashion bloggers as:

pathetic
trolling
desperate
heralding the death of style
get yourself another business
sad women in borrowed clothes
distressing

#sorrynotsorry

But first, some factors cannot be ignored. 

There's always the generalization that hurts, because it's like "if you want to cook Italian, just add garlic to everything" because hell, no.
There are girls (and the Brian Boy guy) that have built empires and they have worked hard at it, and they pay taxes, and have collections of shoes or whatever under their name.
It must be taken into account that those same fashion editors have been flown into exotic destinations, invited to scrumptious dinners, gotten discounted runway looks. 

HOWEVER, these guys are all stylist, influencers, YouTubers, TV personalities, designers, in other words, the gods of fashion's Olympus. I can't help but wonder, if there have been different professional figures in the business for ages, now all of a sudden some social media fashionista can do it all? 
This needs a little bit of inside knowledge, but, to use the equestrian world as an example, the farrier is not the polo player and although they work together, the farrier will not even be considered to substitute a jockey, or a nurse a plastic surgeon. 

They appear as a swarm, sit front row, snap selfies, Snapchat (used as verb here), post Instastories of the entire runway to show they are indeed frow-ers, get out causing pandemonium, get snapped by the street-style photographer, change and 1) do it allover again if they are the top; 2) go home because they were only lucky to get one account. 

L e t m e a s k y o u "where's the style here?"

The collections are presented not for the crowd in front  of the venue, but to give inspiration of the moods of the next season. 

Do they even read the notes of the designer, like fashion editors do?

Are they obliged by contract to uhhh and ahhh no matter what or they'll be without a job?

Do they have an opinion, know how to formulate one and read through the looks, like fashion editors do?

I barely see a blogger at a re-see, which is when the day after you go to the showroom and get a close encounter with the whole collection, look by look on mannequins, so to hear it from the words of the artistic director, to touch and feel the fabrics, the details, the nuances, the accessories, the story. Like fashion editors do. 

OPINION: MY OWN

1. It's a practice that brought to consumerism and conesquently the polluting and un-ethical plague of fast fashion;
2. Lack of self esteem:  they all look flawless, impeccable, thin and invisible size and you are pushed to look like them;
3. they don't have their own style, they wear what they are either paid to wear, post and bring engagement up on or are gifted in exchange of posting and bringing engagement up, double perks if they are snapped by street photogs;
4. they have brought ridicule to the world of fashion, degrading the work of the designers to the It bag or It shoe;
5. they are the reason why I never introduced myself as "fashion blogger" although I blog about fashion and style, I am far away from all of THAT

Where would you find this topic in THE CHEAT SHEET OF ITALIAN STYLE? Everywhere ... but if you want me to be specific, I'd start from Chapter 1 - "The Four Keys to the Italian Way"

Is Made in Italy sustainable?

I know right? If I hear "sustainable" one more time ...

Thing is, labeling has become the new national sport. Are you a millennial or are you not, basicbitches and their freaking avocado toast we can't take it anymore. 

"Sustainable" has been abused to the point that it lost its meaning and it has become a fad. 

Truth is: if we don't go back and resume a sustainable life, there will be no life for the children of our children. Time to take this shit seriously. 

While writing the book, it became evident (duh) that this Italian way of slow living runs at a paste that is a bit contrary to the madness we are used to, where life is a snapchat, comes and goes pouf and you are not even in it, because youa re taken by snapping the picture instead of enjoying the moment. 

#theItalianway as well as the Made in Italy brand has a series of characteristics that when followed and respected make a product the equivalent of a Chianti wine D.O.C.

Because "Made in Italy" should only mean matter-of-factly what it means, but through the years the concept has been stretched.  to the point that sometimes the Country of origin is not the same where the entire process is conducted and terminated. And that's not fair, it's confusing, misleading, inflicts turbulences in the supply chain that feed more the knock-off, fast-fashion industry. Who loses is who plays by the rules.

The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana hosted "Crafting the Future of Fashion" ( #SUMMITCNMI2016 ) a summit in which future, sustainability and digital have been discussed. What’s the vision, plan, prospects for the future, for the new generation of designers and the established ones that, by the way, are going strong. Did you know that Pitti and Milan Fashion Week are the strongest man fashion week in the world?

Status, luxury, quality, craftsmanship, durability, heritage, Made in Italy is also fantasy, perception and traceability.

Sustainability finally came into play. Livia Firth of Eco-Age said in an empowering keynote speech: “the quality of its design and the skills of its people […] that uniquely differentiate  Italy the Brand.” Made in Italy has to protect the heritage of its unique design as well as consider protection and respect for the environment and “social justice in the supply chain”.

What’s sustainability?

According to a research conducted on 3000 Millennials and presented at the summit, it’s related to words like recycle, green, durability, innovation, transparency. Sustainable fashion is a system that survives on its own based on two pillars limited environmental impact (carbon footprint) and social responsibility.

What’s Made in Italy if not all that?

We have huge corporations and small to mid-size companies thriving to transmit the crafts from generation to generation with an eye on tradition and the other on innovation, there’s no copying and infringing intellectual property, it's all about creating, experimenting, proposing; operating machineries and techniques are learned with practice and skills mastered by watching the experts. Traceability: we know where materials come from, or it wouldn’t be Made in. And, because it’s made with love, passion, not disposable nor knocked-off clothing, at the end of the chain we choose it because we appreciate its nature, lines, design, details, we take good care of it and certainly give it at least 30 wears.

On second thoughts: Made in Italy has always been sustainable, it is that now we have to introduce the concept and the label because we are living in a fast-fashion induced world in which buying-wearing-tearing-throwing-away is a 3-month cycle.  

On simplifying, poise and sophistication: in conversation with Sabine Masi of Raison d'être

View fullsize

"Dear Sabine,

you have brought poetry into my world of hand-bags, better said, the raison d’être that was missing.

I have never pursued the quest for the IT bag, au contraire, always steered away, naturally and you brought me to the realization that originality is indeed one of the features of a handbag, one that which I have kept ignoring.

A purse is where a woman puts her mood of the day, secrets, her entire paraphernalia of tools that accompany her all through the day. 

One of the main traits of highly stylish people is not to be a copycat and replicate street style looks or bloggers outfits. Your bags have that quality of looking worn and distressed obtained through skilled hands of Italian artisans and they tend to be different and have a personality of their own. 

I will never look at a bag the same way, you opened the door to handbag love with that key that dangles from the purses.

Sincerely, 

Francesca"

Ok I wanted a different opening paragraph and all it kept coming to my mind was all that I wrote, in this open letter to Sabine, the creative director of Raison d’être with whom I have had the chance to have a conversation. 

Get your cup of tea and read along with me.

 

How much research and trial is there before reaching the perfect nonchalant point of understated elegance?

There’s only one research, the one to reach the harmony of the form. I’m referring to a cit. from Bruno Munari, the great Italian designer and illustrator.  

“Complicating is easy, simplifying is difficult. To complicate all one needs to do is to add, all that you want: colors, shapes, actions, decorations, people, a scenery full of things. Everybody can complicate. Only few are capable of simplifying. To simplify one must eliminate, and to eliminate one must know what to take away, like a sculptor which with a chisel shaves the shapeless stone off all that extra material which exceeds the statue that he wants to make. Eliminating instead of adding means recognizing the essence of things and communicating it in its essential core. ”

— Verbale Scritto, Bruno Munari

Was it by traveling the world that an all-Italian brand was born?

It’s always been a forever love, that passion I have always read through the eyes of the Florentine artisans when as a teen-ager I used to visit their workshops. My cousin used to take me in the ‘80s, he was the buyer for my cousin’s leather goods store. Knowing the art of hand sawing vacchetta leather and creating objects saturated with that heart-warming smell of leather.  

The bags are rigorously Made in Italy, which became its distinctive seal of approval.  Was that essential to the birth of the brand?

It’s essential, as an unmistakable imprinting, Made in Italy has a precise characteristic. The idea can begin in far away countries, but manufacturing itin Italy completes the circle.

Your bags are like Mary Poppins duffel-bag, where objects and stories live freely. They are born as hollow carriers of the mood of the day, they take the shape of one’s character or philosophy. Do you grow attached to them?

A woman unveils her personality in each purse she owns. It’s her own secret socket and God forbid someone tries to break in and snoop around. 

Your bags are like the portrait of Oscar Wilde whose painter couldn’t detach from them?

I must confess that at times it happens that I too don’t have that exact bag I need for an occasion. It’s like having them all at home, truth is I don’t have that many.

You say that ‘beauty will save the world’ because beauty is over-rated?

For each one of us beauty is different, for me beauty can be represented by vivid colors, for others simplicity can represent beauty, but for everybody good manners, being good to the others are beauty. That’s why I believe beauty will save the world.

When you design a collection or a bag, do you have a woman in mind?

She is a determined woman, positive, confident within her own skin and that brightens a room when she enters it. She’s is not fearful of dreaming, daring and leaving a mark behind. She is a woman that inspires me and transports me to create.  

Intractable means?

It’s the name of the unisex line dyed with an effect called mestizo. They are first deep dyed, dried and consequently overlayed with an ombre’ technique and finally waxed. They end up looking vintage but I chose to call it intractable .

What makes it different from Couture, the limited edition collection?

Couture is a collection reminiscent of the papier peint a line of one-of-a-kind clutches  hand-painted that can be easily be hung on the wall as a work of art.

Chic is …

Chic is distinction, taste, sophistication. Grace is chic.

View fullsize

ON HOW TO BE ITALIAN

What’s Italian style in one word, or two?

Creativity

There’s a general idea that Italians are always dressed up, even when we go to the gym, you have been living in different parts of the world, what really makes the difference in an Italian woman?

 Attention to detail.

What’s an absolute no in Italian style?

White socks and monochrome.

Finally, in the book I am giving advice on how to adopt the Italian style: do you think it can be dissected and learned?

Yes, elegance is not reserved to an élite nor to a special way of being.

PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL

You sit on a bench in the park and … wait for the swans that come to shore at the end of the day.

Is sexy in the heel or a pair of brogues will do, if played well? Sexy is poise, so even barefoot.

Morning coffee or detox juice?  Purifying water with lemon followed by coffee with soy milk to wake up completely.

You know that summer has begun when … I am in Stromboli.

When I grow up I want to be a soprano   

The book on your nightstand is “La gaieté” by Justine Lévy, I adore reading biographies.

In conversation with Barbara Hulanicki: on Biba, swinging London and creativity as zest of life

You don't open an online business that booms into Biba, the 5-story legendary boutique symbol of the Swinging London, nor are honored with an OBE if there'snt something out of the ordinary in you and your name is not Barbara Hulanicki. 

I had the privilege of sitting one afternoon in Barbara's office in Miami Beach where she has elected to live and work. We shared coffee secrets, I listened  to fashion anecdotes as a child at story time, I absorbed every minimal detail I could from her longtime assistant/manager/so delightful I want her as my best friend Likrish. 

WARNING: it is clear I didn't want to leave and I really have exploited Barbara, I think I should apologize for not wanting to stop asking questions, shamelessly. To my defense though, believe me when I say you would have done the same.

FB - From Biba to the OBE (congratulations, from fashion illustration to interior design, from exhibiting your own works to working with such visionaires as Elio Fiorucci, Chris Blackwell and the Estefan’s, you are a pedigreed living icon. What’s your secret weapon?

BH - I have to move forward. I love to learn what makes men with a vision tick. They have this direct way from going from A to Z without any distractions on the way. Women are forever life shopping. I find it fascinating to work through other people’s minds as I find I am so predictable to myself and I do find that boring.

FB - What was the catalyst that brought you from a small mail-in order business with the dream of just selling your creations to becoming the designer that defined an era in a 5-story department store in the center of London?

BH - I was so lucky to marry a man who one of the A to Z people and he guided me. When I got into a fluster he always pointed me back in the right direction. He never crossed over on the creative side and believed that my ideas were always right. Everyone needs a mate of that caliber.

“I find it fascinating to work through other people’s minds as I find I am so predictable to myself, and i find that boring ”

— Barbara Hulanicki OBE

FB - The use of the word icon and iconic has been inflated lately, for the sake of labeling everything and everyone: the IT bag, the Icon XXX Award, the IT girl and the thumbs up Emoji. Biba’s success was fruit of a lot of efforts but organic, it happened because it was the truer than true expression of that generation and those years. Did you know you were an icon and felt the pressure of living up to the expectations or enjoyed the freedom of self-expression?  

BH - I never wanted the business to have my name so would not have to be upfront. It is a full-time job being a celebrity. I like to be behind the spotlight as I can get on with the people watching. This is how you learn in my opinion and you have to plod on, and I am a plodder.

FB - Your artistic career evolved in time and space, in a ground-breaking expansion from London to Miami through Brazil. Do you still feel like being Biba or that is a fabulous and cherished glorious phase of your life that reflects into your current YOU?

BH - I get nostalgic about Biba as it was so friendly and genuine, today everything has become so corporate. It is almost a sin to have an individual idea. That is why I love illustrations as no one can interfere with his or her ideas when you are working.

“I like to be behind the spotlight as i can get on with the people watching”

— B.H. on being an icon

FB – This year marks the 40th anniversary of Giorgio Armani, whose legacy is a forever mark of the Made in Italy, I see some similarity with the Biba look, which by the way, would be much older! I am not being flirtatious just because I am in front of one of my idols whom I have mentioned in my University graduation thesis decades ago, I am referring in specific to the gamine look, tweeds, three-piece suit, floppy wide brimmed hats, wing-tips: am I so off line?

BH - Yes, Biba is fifty years old. The strength of Biba was it was for wardrobe and lifestyle, for the daily working girls. Biba was not designed for fashion shows, or untouchable girls wearing untouchable clothes with exotic backdrops. In Biba, the backdrop was the shop itself. 

ON HOW TO BE ITALIAN

FB - Can Italian style be confined in a one-word definition? And, if so, which one would the word be?

BH - Very solid and beautiful and it always looks good in your closet. The clothes are for very organized women, with no flash.

·

FB - Are you of the advice that you can adopt a look, do you think one can learn how to be Italian?

BH - Yes, why not? Your won idea of Italian might be great fun!

·        

FB - You have been an innovator, a pioneer and collaborated with Elio Fiorucci, a staple of a specific moment in the history of the Made in Italy. Do you think the ‘Made in Italy’ still holds its crown?

BH - It will always hold the crown because of the years of beautiful manufacturing. That simply doesn’t go away.

FB - Fashion and trends are two opposite pulling forces: right or wrong? Which to follow?

BH - Trends are you mad moments, usually a mistake for YOU.

FB - The democratization of luxury brought more style in the streets or, contradictorily, confined it on the runway?

BH - There has to be a snobbery in fashion, It is the unattainable for most women who want just one extremely expensive piece. You have to have the right kind of friends.

FB - With years as an Italian expat, I came to conclude that Italian style is that harmonious mix of culture, art, design, creativity, passion and conviviality. What’s the element that comes before anything else according to you?

BH - Mostly creativity. That is the most important.

PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL

• Morning tea or coffee?  Coffee
• When I grow up I want to be:  A film set designer
• If you had a chance to live in another decade which one would that be?  The 1930’s
• I never travel without  My dark glasses
• The book on my nightstand  too many to name, and mostly half read.