SANTA BABY

Quite the ride, but we made it to (my) favorite time of the year.

First things first: the Santa Baby list. Santa being myself expect a nice ride of second-hand, support artists, local and meaningful businesses that give back to nature and the community.

I like great stuff,

Not a surprise here, but I have learned to avoid impulse buying, especially when prompted by influencers infused fast fashion crap. Not giving in “consumer culture” is liberating, it may seem an unbeatable task, hard to rewire your overstimulated brain, but worth all the efforts.

Start with asking questions (to yourself, to the brands, to friends) then proceed with listing your no nos. This year for example I have opted for no NEW clothes: my body has changed dramatically (well menopause here I come) so I only bought second hand and almost all the time I have tried to have previously sold something from my current wardrobe or donated it to the local women shelter. The idea is not to accumulate, but to let energy flow and pass on to someone who will enjoy what’s been sitting there.

If you want to know more juicy stuff on how to buy second hand, like always say NO to polyester, check HERE so I stay on topic.

No new CLOTHES, but accessories and jewelry YES.

Debbie in Maya blue

This is Debbie, a structured minimalist bucket bag made of PETA-approved vegan leather. We go by first name because …

Knowing is half of the journey.

NOIRANCA is a family owned production company with long experience in working, treating, manipulating traditional leather and opted for a less harmful, wasteful substitute that is also the most environmental friendly material. Not all vegan leathers are equal, most of the common synthetic leathers are a by-product of PVC and or PU, oil based … and we don’t want to go there! So what if you still have all the good attributes of leather tactile luxurious feel, softness, lightness but in responsibly produced vegan leather?

PSST: if your Santa buys it for you, 20% will be donated to a charity of your choice. A win win and I wouldn’t even mind if we were to wear and own the same bag.

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Sparkle, I want all things sparkle, they are a joy to receive and make the joy of giving a real one. Now, Dear Santa, if those MIU MIU sling backs would happen to materialize and fit through the chimney … oh yeah!

The Francesca necklace by @happygalbella

This is called the Francesca necklace and I am officially obsessed.

HAPPY GAL by Bella is Bella’s brainchild, an 11-year old girl whom I am lucky to know personally. I am fascinated by and admire profoundly her creativity, vision, determination and the entrepreneurial skills she has cultivated this year and dedicated to the brand while attending school and the myriad of activities.

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A Kelly sight in the wild is always a good idea

EXTRA BONUS

So here is when I do a little letting-go exercise:

1. visualize my wishes and dreams

2. send them through the tunnel

3. let the universe handle the details.

THREE MORE ACTIVITIES

Instructions: they need to go chronologically as the recipe of a cake.

1

If you have a physical agenda or dated notebook, go through it a reminisce of the small accomplishments of the year. It’s surprising how fast you forget about very important milestones that seemed an unsurmountable big deal at the time. It’s been a heck of a shitshow of a year, but the eternal optimist in me tends to always see the glass half full.

Avoiding stupidity is easier than seeking brilliance.

2

Mix all of the juicy stuff from above in a bowl and come up with a word, a verb, an adjective, a pronoun, that will inspire your new year. Like the vanilla extract or lemon zest. My past words of the year have been joyful, slow, power. My new word is SPARKLE, if you hadn’t suspected yet.

3

To complete my end-of-year tradition, get The Angel Reading Forecast by my friend Fabiana of Holistic Mind It’ll be like the whipped cream with the pumpkin pie.

By happy, joyful, mindful and present for those friend who don’t enjoy the holidays.

The un-birthday of closet essentials: things are closer than they appear

This is a list that isn’t the usual list.

I am loyal to my readers/followers/Insta peeps who, when prompted, responded that they want more of what I do: more outfits, more style, more opinions and critiques. I do know my shitload of Fashion, keep myself informed and, if you didn’t know, I am taking a Master in Sustainability Leadership.

So, looking back at a year of interactions and blog posts, I have noticed that what I write is completely unplanned, I have no social media strategies and that’s one of the reasons I don’t have thousands of followers, I don’t grow exponentially, I am not viral (something that 20 years ago would have sounded terribly wrong).

Also, everything i have written in the book can be taken, adopted, dissected, applied and all of it has a sustainable purpose. However, the book isn’t a list of things to do or not to do, it has nothing to do with marikondo-ing your closet, i don’t do influencer-y spells, it’s C O M M O N S E N S E.

To show you how the book is relevant and you can still gather useful intel on how to keep it Italian chic, I have decided to re-touch chapter 3 ‘START FROM THE ESSENTIALS’, which i am afraid you will have to go read, because this is only an addendum.

the wrap dress

the foulard, the exotic skin purse, the pied-de-poule blazer. Pants are optional.

Tim Walker x the V&A Museum

lace-ups, chiffon and the inherited fur coat worn with nonchalance (you know how I personally think that vintage/second hand/family heirloom fur is the most sustainable form of fur. I have no intention of offending or hurting anyone.)

the navy blazer borrowed from the boys, the velvet slippers, the Mercedes Pagoda

the silk neglige’, the only type of ensembles allowed, silk nightgown and robe, preferably to match upholstery.

"Made in Italy is a value" at NEXT Design Perspectives

The six top trends to impact people and businesses were revealed during the second edition of NEXT: Design Perspectives.

You know when they say retail is dead and marketing is obsolete and you smell BS? Fashion is a business, complicated, polluted, but still millions of people count on it as their premiere source of income. I, on my side, count on it because I believe in what’s left of good in it. There’s a lot of bad, I know, we shall hide it all momentarily under the umbrella of fast fashion. For the purpose of this blurb, let’s analyze the work, research and development that lays behind what’s still considered the frivolous world of Fashion.

When we talk about Fashion month, we see the bad and the ugly, the excessive carbon footprint, brands following the footsteps of designers and copying what it had been proposed the season before, models too thin and body shaming, creative directors interpreting the heritage of the historical maisons too personal and dragging the customers in Pindaric flights to unknown destinations. We concentrate in what we see. We are already lucky enough to be exposed to what’s to come the next season, in Fashion time six months from now.

The work of researching trends and analyzing data that WGSN does every year starts 2 years before at the moment of pulling the data, and 1 year before what it comes to delivering the results of the research and announcing the new trends. Try to look at fashion, and design that way for a moment and you realize the enormous power that knowing why you see what in the windows or why all of a sudden corduroy or mint green show up everywhere. You’ll watch that “cerulean” and “stuff” statement of Amanda in The Devil Wears Prada with brand new eyes.

Anyways, some macro takeaways from the conference:

• inclusivity and diversity

• sustainability and new consumer habits: the end of “more” as we know it, overconsumption of disposable objects, it’s becoming a world of the experience, the desire, and an economy based on the immaterial, of quality versus quantity. Rental economy and resourceful essentials (second-hand, consignment)

• tech and digital craftsmanship: from linear to circular systems, where the end life of the item becomes it’s re-birth.

• generations face-off: the effects of an aging population on one side and the demands of a “population growing younger”.

• the home hub and the sense of self-care. Home becomes an almost sacred environment for self-care and improvement.

• “Made in Italy is a value: the third best known brand in the world” according to the President of ICE. “Design is at its heart. Design means creativity, manufacturing, and innovation.”

Now, going back to that stuff statement, do you recognize yourself in any of the above mentioned macro-trends for 2021?

I do, in all of them. Some big time, some I wish I would more, some are brand new to me, like my new obsession for decorating the house with plants and the joy of taking care of them, something totally and fully not me. But it’s never too late, right? Or is it that late that I am on next level nesting, when you talk to your plants? Because I have already adopted that practice with the pup.

How about that initial statement that retail is dead? You see how retail - as we have known it- and marketing based on the old fashion economic rule of make-buy-throw are the dead ones? We are at the brink of a revolution, feels very Suffragette of me, but like at the beginning of the 20th century the industrial revolution made its statement, at the beginning of the 21st century we are living through the digital revolution, everything changes, economy and communication.

Gen X calls Gen Z

We are at a pivotal moment in fashion that scientifically has been recognized the fourth modern revolution. If you have been in in like I have for 3 decades, you feel it’s the turning point. When I read books and watch movies about the industrial revolution of the beginning of the 19th century, you palpably feel the conditions are similar and we will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

There are three generations currently grinding in the fashion world: Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z and the dynamics are diverse, at times crashing, at times colliding.

The following are some of my personal findings.

Premise: I do find a lot of affinity with Gen Z, and very little with Millennials. And not only because I am the procreator of one. I also attribute it to a personal struggle: growing up I was never the recipient of any type of social or psychologically support or understanding from my parents, the policy of “we don’t talk about it and we make it disappear” and, as a parent, I have opted for the educated decision of the “what not to dos” in case of. Have you ever screamed “you don’t understand me, I will never do this to my child”? I may have taken those moments seriously, hence my open, honest, dirty truth clean conversation with my daughter and her friends eased my mind in the process of beginning to understand their way of thinking. There are still many obscure areas, no easy feat, but I still don’t understand myself most of the times.

An interesting research came out that explains how can Gen Xers market and target Gen Zers and the findings are a corroboration of my positive personal and professional dynamics.

Provided that the word authenticity has become omnipresent, in many cases an overused empty vessel to make people think they are cool, like the echo when you scream in the valley, n.1 lesson is let’s fill it with meaningful actions and integrity. In other words, the good old marketing speak will not cut the chase with Gen Z, the same way that “because I said so” didn’t cut it for us.

How do we earn trust? How do we sit with them?

1. Catch their attention;

2. Tell the truth;

3. Treat them as individuals;

4. Practice what you preach;

5. Focus on brand values;

6. Admit you don’t know anything

And honestly my jaw dropped and if you re-read it, yours will too.

There goes, in 5 steps, the way out of climate and environmental emergencies, fast fashion, and humanitarian crisis. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is called “common sense”.

We have grown accustomed to believing that we had nothing to wear and we had to keep buying for this occasion or that event, that we needed a straw to drink (when as children couldn’t wait to drink from the glass instead of the bottle), that tomatoes are available all year round and they are to be impeccably shining and eerily identical in shape. Gen Z communicate via video and SMS with acronyms and Emojis, like the 2000’s version of the Morse alphabet, they rarely talk over the phone, but when they do is cut the crap, 1,2,3 arranged. Have you tried having a conversation with an adult? There’s always another call coming in, no presence or existence in the moment, attention is gone.

The kids held a handheld screen before flipping the pages of a book, they are fast. Have you ever tried to tell them a news? Answer is: yes it came out yesterday, and they are present to the news, have their formulated opinion and can easily handle a conversation about it in a room full of adults. We would read the news in the newspaper only after our parents (and on Sundays our grandfather) had read it before, they watch Snapchat news, which, if you haven’t tried them, are fast and furious and they skip and jump, from politics to Hollywood via Greenpeace. They are politically savvy, they know how to sniff the bs from far away, they can’t wait to be able to vote, they want their vote to count, you can’t be admitted to the conversation if you aren’t remotely interesting, which means, first of all, “practice what you preach”. If you think you know it all, please kiss yourself good bye, maybe your kid will be the only one listening to you because he has no other choice.

How to get them interested in your brand, product or idea? “you need to cut through millions of bytes of trash before you can even think of capturing their attention” says the article, and if they smell adulting you stand no chances, count within adulting knowing it all.

Now, frankly speaking, isn’t an adult that talks about irrelevant stuff, that isn’t moved by a purpose or a cause other than shoveling something under your nose for you to purchase with the because I said so attitude, the most annoying individual?

These are kids born with the Catholic church’s sexual scandal under their nose, as well as with the Kardashians and Love Island on repeat whether they like it or not, they have a psychologist and a psychiatrist on speed dial, they smell bluffing like a white truffle dog.

The difference with us? We fell in the trap of mindless consumerism, i’d give us power, the thrill of fast fashion, the advent of social media and the rush of WiFi, and we used and abused nature like there’s no tomorrow.

They see no tomorrow, they ask questions, they make educated decisions based on science, facts, research and they stick by their ethical principles, they aren’t told “God exist, have faith” they ask you “Prove it”, they shop and live their values.

How do we become cool like internet favorite daddy Jeff Goldbloom? Lead by example, drop the big pants adult cape, remember when you were a teenager, but make it 2019, don’t just blame the times and praise the good old times, use the good of the good ol’ times to show the kids how things can be done. Every single moment, revolution, movement started small and with difficulties, but started with one person, it could be you, your grandmother or your child, as long as believes, principles, and passions are solid, there’s no stopping.

Do you think can you find a calling in that? Don’t we all want a future, at least for the kids and their kids? I was privileged to learn from my grand parents and great grandparents, the same way I am humbled to actually learn from the kids, especially if that means teaching them in college. Without losing focus, though: keep it sustainable chic.

design miami/ 2018 where art and design met fashion

Design Miami/ the global forum for design, this year awarded Carla Fernandez and Pedro Reyes with the Visionary Award and set the tone for a 14th edition stronger than ever. The Visionary Award is given to creatives that made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of design.

“Because art should not be oblivious of the world it lives in - Reyes + Fernandez”

Reyes is a contemporary artist and Fernandez has been more prolific in the world fashion, dedicating her time to the preservation of artisanal craftsmanship. Their collaboration with Design Miami/ 2018 has synthesized a large spectrum of influences into a substantial body of work.

The dialogue between art and fashion this year has been one of the most powerfully engaging and rewarding that I have experienced. Even the President of RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), one of the partners of the exhibition, found this edition “the strongest showcase since inception. Works like Katie Stout’s female lamps at R & Company and Design Visionary winner Carla Fernandez’s meticulously crafted garments characterize a shifting perspective at the show, which affirms that new voices are not only creating beautiful objects, but demonstrating how design increasingly integrates political and social perspectives.”

The Plaza installation, called Unite, in representation of solidarity in a world where political divide has aggravated geographical division and caused the impending humanitarian crisis that involved Latin American immigrants and their children.

The cart in the plaza that contained Fernandez’ fashion capsule, represented a cohesive piece of conversation from Unite: all proceeds from the sales of the artifacts were donated to assist indigenous populations of Mexico and Immigrant Families Together, the organization that assists families separated at the US border.

The booth and installation in the foyer of the fair included Disarm, musical instruments fabricated from destroyed firearms, and Fernandez’ textile works.

The graphic identity of the exhibition (I am a loyal collector of the bags and posters) was inspired by the symbolic graphics of the May 1968 Paris uprising that, from a worldwide cultural movement, it molded the social identity of a generation.

I have always been a believer of fashion as a form of art, the first form of communication, one’s individual unspoken language that also reflects the moment’s social and political changes. I may have shrunken the history of fashion, sociology and anthropology, my college degree and master in one sentence and I am not proud of it, but I have felt particularly attracted and personally engaged in the discourse.

“The exhibition offers us the chance to present […] pieces where design has a social dimension, either by addressing social justice, as well as the importance of handcrafted products in a world where […] most processes are automated and millions of people are losing their jobs.” Reyes + Ferndandez

The powerful use of creativity and social sensibility that Reyes and Fernandez infuse in the production of art and fashion breathes action and the desire of social change into two industries that are generally considered lucrative and superficial.

The emergent theme of the 14th edition of Design Miami/  has been collaboration, in terms of materials and textures, in terms of artists and galleries or Maisons like the Shape of Water by Sabine Marcelis for FENDI, between patrons/collectors and galleries. And the results were astonishing.

Practice with Purpose was the topic of the Visionary Talk that elaborated on the collaboration in practice and life of the couple recipient of this year’s award that brought architecture, design, fashion and art together in a discourse rooted in consciousness for social justice and respect for craftsmanship.

Fashion and the power of community engagement

Fast Company published an article that encompassed Fashion Revolution, circular economy, the UN Global Goals for a Sustainable World and its title was Stop Buying Crap and Companies will Stop Making Crap. 60,000 words, endless hours, and donated funds later, that is exactly what I have been trying to say.

There are two topics in this article, which breaks the n.1 rule of journalism, it would make me fail the class. But life is full of contradictions, and I will try not to lose you and make the two points collide with a bit of storytelling.  

Imagine style advice column meets philanthropy. I am especially looking at 4 of the UN Global Goals for a Sustainable Development: n. 4 quality education, n.5 gender equality, n.8 decent work and economic growth and n.12 responsible consumption and production.

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RENEW YOUR WARDROBE WITH SECOND-HAND CLOTHES AT THE LOTUS HOUSE

People still think that fashion doesn’t belong to them, because they are business people and they work, they don’t have time to waste in frivolities. Those are usually the ones that obliviously fell for the fast fashion wagon, met mindless consumerism on the train that fooled them like the fox and the wolf did with Pinocchio. Mindlessly. There’s no time or positive outcome with pointing fingers, not their fault and there’s no time to waste, must redeem ourselves from that vicious circle, we are boarding a Noah’s Ark and save the salvable. And to me it’s still that idea that Fashion is whispering, storytelling, an escape, Fashion is creating a dream, Fashion is doing good, craft and tradition, is heritage, Fashion is fair trade, is fair wage, quality vs. quantity.

I was talking with a friend just yesterday and she was telling me: “I am old fashion girl that still loves the smell of fresh crackling magazine papers, are we ever going to go back?”

Fashion Revolution is here to the rescue, the most modern and active revolution that aims to bring things back to how they were with the advantage of new technology and forward modern thinking.

We have so much crap in our closets that it’s enough to switch our mind to think and admit that there is more inventory than days to wear it. Statistics say that an average 28% of garments sleep unworn in one’s closet.

I am going to jump and skip one step, all you need to do is read my book’s chapter 8 But, first, shop in your closet.

What to do with what you have and don’t wear? Sell, donate, re-use, re-purpose, re-style, exchange, up-cycle. Chances are that stuff you haven’t been wearing belong to the you of a couple of years ago, maybe good quality but the new you would wear it with something else or in a different occasion. I am still not done with my boxes of heels, because I refuse to admit I don’t use them. Anyone with tips on separation anxiety, speak now.

Nathalia of Maria Loves Green, Joanis of Nomad Tribe and I joined forces to dismantle the bad rap of second-hand clothing (Global Goal n. 12) The topic was covered from many angles, statistics show that water, car miles, carbon dioxide are saved, we not only give a second life to clothing that are still wearable, we create new garments by up-cycling, we contribute to making new fabrics from garments that cannot be upcycled (more on this in a later workshop) and when we thrift we give the hope of a new life to whatever community we give back to. In our case, Saturday, it was the Lotus House, a female only shelter that welcomes, supports and empowers disadvantaged women and their children to build a new life, enter the workforce and provide their families a roof and a future. (Global Goal n.4,5 and 8) Everyone left with a (or multiple) bags and a heart filled with joy. I may have bought a desk.

To know more about Lotus House click the link.

To receive the PDF with a teaser of my new Sustainable Chic Manifesto, sign-up for my newsletter.

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HEART IN HAND AWARDS

I proudly attended the Heart in Hand Awards benefiting No More Tears, a non-profit organization that saves, supports and empowers victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking.  I have been welcomed as a member of the organizing committee two years ago, since then it’s been a steep learning curve that made me a stern advocate for victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking.

Some facts:

• the majority of them being women;

• the numbers are chilling;

• Florida ranks third in list of US capitals in which human trafficking is a business;

• Miami-Dade sits at the top of reported domestic violence cases as per Florida Department of Law Enforcement;

• 9000 are reported, the ones not filed we’ll never know;

• average age 12;

• $5000 saves the life of a woman and her children

My question is: who doesn’t have some extra time to volunteer or money to donate? In 2018 it’s unconceivable not to do good, not to contribute to better the community one lives in. I certainly get inspiration and a renowned will of doing more for women who for unfortunate life circumstances have less than what I have. These are trying times for women with an administration that keeps detracting all the rights we have gained through decades of fighting for them. It’s a tortuous and long route that will bring us to gender equality (Global Goal n.5) and the fight starts from one.

How does Fashion fit with this cause?

As per the words of award recipient Bernice Steinbaum, “I didn’t know that today everyone would look like they came out of Vogue”. Because badass women, 200 of them, can join forces, make shit happen and also dress damn well.

To know more about No More Tears click the link.

In an effort to redeem the effortless

Effortless became a dirty word, like "amazing", "iconic" been used so many times that became decontextualized and condemned to the Underworld.

At least in fashion.

At least with me.

There are words I cannot dare pronouncing because when you do, it means you are just opening your mouth to say something, without paying attention. This is not a judgmental proposition, I myself fall into that trap all the time. Au contraire, it’s an encouragement to think before speaking. Seems rhetoric and obsolete, but our life has been reduced to 140 characters and a handful of Emojis, we are prompted to immediately react, and it’s easy to reuse words especially when you last saw them on someone’s feed. Thing is here that effortless is one of the adjectives unanimously used to describe Italian style and it hits home not to be able to use “effortless style” or “effortless casual”.

Effortless is not only referred to the clothing that you wear, it doesn’t identify who wears brands from who doesn’t, it’s the whole attitude, like “luxury is a state of mind”. You can sit back after having danced the night away and eat your birthday cake, like JLo or wear the most exquisite Haute Couture gown and sing and dance like Celine Dion. Both, effortless.

Clothing goes with language, attitude, lifestyle as in whatever surrounds you, situation, the occasion, work, vacation …

This fashion editor claims she mastered effortless style when she embraced the effort. And it’s true that when you are adrift with your style, you have to buy something for every occasion because you have nothing to wear and your wardrobe becomes a receptacle of the disposable, you’ll never feel empowered enough. Refer to the book for the rest.

What’s less and what’s effort.

Search for the hashtag #effortlessstyle on Instagram and you’ll gather what I am saying: 150K meaning stripping posts.

Effortless can be wearing a linen skirt, seating in the shade of a tall tree on a wicker chair and drinking an Aperol Spritz, effortless is NOT sitting at a bar in the piazza and posing with the sunglasses, the IT bag of the moment and the glass of Aperol Spritz. Same spirits, different spirit. One is nonchalance, the other is a bit monkeyed.

With the words of the late Christopher Gibbs:

“I like things in their natural state, people especially … objects and people that are unmonkeyed with, that are themselves, not trying to be something else.”

A series of words we could use instead.

Flair is ephemeral

Ease can be non-sophisticated

Grace is elegance

Uncomplicated is pretty close to simple, nothing wrong, but it’d miss the pizzazz

Natural can be constructed in a social media dominated existance, like a natural self-tan.

It’s like Formentera to Ibiza, Panarea to Stromboli, Gstaad to Verbier, Miami Beach to Cape Cod. It's like the difference between un caffe' e un cornetto and a venti skimmed almond milk latte with one pump of caramel. 

Some concepts that have diverted the meaning of effortless to its opposite.

EWW, Effortless White Woman, as in, you know who, the Gwyneth Paltrow of the early 2000’, a name a brand, the one of the woman with little to none BDE, but far away from a Lucille Ball, she is married, but doesn’t live for her family, she is indeed fulfilled by children and career. GP the brand that gives the impression that people can be like her, aspirational, she is the woman who has it all and tells you can too in an ostentatious way, the most rarefied form of effortless.

#Iwokeuplikethis is another infesting hashtag, because you know better. That ideal perfect bed hair is another way of feeding the obsession with an ideal of polished perfection, second to make believe

Normcore, hipster, Hygge, scumbro, athleisure and the need to label yourself to exist. That’s another practice born out of a digital generation that breathes keywords, categories, algorithms.

I leave you with a reflection by Diana Vreeland. 

“Style is everything. Style helps you get up in the morning and go down the stairs. And I am not talking about a lot of clothes.”

— The Eye Has to Travel

style + substance // Franco Mazzetti

Mr. Mazzetti has the honor to be the first man featured in style + substance. Another of my Insta-friends at first sight, he has always stroke a chord of the "Borrow from the Boys" chapter of the book. 

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I couldn't help but wonder, besides "What would Leopoldo say" how can I infuse some drops of Italian style testosterone? Because Italian men are as opinionated in style as much as we are. I can prove it with my younger brother. 

So here you go and you can indulge in his sprezzatura life style on his Instagram profile and read along: a man with no secrets. 

Style + substance = empowerment. Are you on board?
FM - Totally agree. Two indispensable ingredients although of different nature. Unfortunately style is not out for sale. Style, or class, is something that you either have or not, you can be elegant and dressed up with expensive clothing without having a drop of style. Equally true, one can wear clothing of a small monetary value and look extremely elegant. As per “substance” it is a derivate of knowledge and it’s represented by the easiness with which you create an outfit and consequently your image.

Everybody has a “comfort zone” a certain number of typology of clothing and accessories that make you feel at ease in your own skin. Around these staples is where you create the look that makes you feel confident in any situation. For me, I always try to combine colors harmonically yet without being obnoxiously clashing and, wearing almost every day a blazer I feel at ease with a vest and a pochette. The goal is to create combinations pleasant to the eye yet not flashy.

Your personal style in three words

FM - Style, simplicity and comfort, or like many like calling it, “sprezzatura”

How did you become an image consultant

FM - There’s a fact that people always attributed me  a hefty dose of style and good taste, but also, having to do with clothing for many years has made me, to my friends’ eyes, a valued expert to go to when in need of help. With the passing years, I helped friends and then friends of friends and from pure passion sparkled my profession. Obviously one thing is helping a friend with putting together an outfit and one thing is helping a person whom you don’t know with adapting and manipulating the wardrobe they have into something they like and feel comfortable in.

On shopping with a purpose

FM - The collaboration with the image consultant passes through a series of necessary steps. First you need to be the listener to understand what are the objectives, lifestyle, read the personality, aspirations and how much they are willing to change.

Then you establish the less disruptive necessary solutions to better their image. It’s a balance of knowledge and good taste, but never an imposition of one’s own style. The end of the route is when the client has acquired enough knowledge to make their own educated choices, purchases, and that only happens after the first sessions of personal shopping experiences. One of the advantages of the experience with a personal shopper is to be exposed to the reality that is most tailored to one’s own lifestyle, desires and budget, that is small factories and artisans that make, for example, made to measure shoes.

Do you feel like sharing one secret?

FM - Frankly, there are no secrets, only experience and good taste shared with the only purpose to not impose them, but to blend and filter them to their best use. One consideration though, you don’t better your own image by simply changing and switching clothing, there is an ingredient that can never be forgotten, that is good manners. To say it with the words of American politician Henry Ward Becker "Clothes and manners do not make the man; but, when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance".

Your relationship with fashion: single, married, it’s complicated or …

FM - As an "attempato gentiliomo" at first impulse I’d say I am separated but living under the same roof. Obviously I follow trends and I keep myself updated, but on a personal basis I keep a classic vein rarely influenced by fashions. It is true we cannot live without being exposed to what fashion proposes. For example until a couple of seasons ago, man clothing were slim (sometimes too slim) and extremely reduced volumes, with short and slim paletot. The new trends have declared a visible increase in volumes and longer coats and trenches. Hence, my wardrobe has grown in length and width gradually and quite unconsciously. This is still following la moda.

What’s the one thing a woman should do to feel powerful?

FM - An extremely difficult question, since iI don’t believe we should generalize, every woman has her own character and personality. The reach of a good dose of confidence in oneself depends on a complex series of factors. There’s something I have noted and,I am sorry it can sound cliche’, but that can transform in a manner of a few seconds the attitude of every woman, a sort of miracle, it’s a 6 inch heel. You assist at a sort of transfiguration, when those few inches of elevation change attitude and walk, give the perception of a confident person that even wants to show off his own confidence.  

When did you find your confidence?

FM - The fact that I have always been able to wear with grace my own clothing gave me enough confidence but always with a certain “unconsciousness” I have found that I have a certain appeal later in life.  This frankly has helped design my profession, however I have always kept a dose of auto-irony, not to take myself too seriously. That people appreciates and notes my way of dressing is a bit agee. In this (ugly) period of puffer and sneakers, a man in jacket and tie creates some awe and I go back to a few decades ago, when my style of dressing was the same but it was normal encountering in the streets of Florence man elegantly dressed that would provoke scandal, because it was all normal.

When women “borrow from the boys”, what’s the look or item you appreciate the most interpreted by a woman?

FM - Personally I love seeing women dressed like women, but it’s true that women borros items from a man’s wardrobe. I am still remembering a woman dressed in jeans, nude stiletto and a double breasted oversized Burberry trench, exaggeratedly cinched at the waist, and the overall effect was fantastic. I don’t have a favorite item that I prefer seeing interpreted by a woman, but that young woman I remember clearly.

Is there anything that you constantly see we do wrong?

FM - I think the worst mistake is to hide one’s flaws in the wrong way. A non lean figure hidden under shapeless dresses, a shorter woman wearing disproportionally high platforms. A dress or suit adequately cut and tailored enhances the best parts of the body and veils the unflattering parts better than a tent-like one.  I have met a young woman, petite, wearing ballerinas with confidence and irony. She was extremely “simpatica” and her manners were cordial and positive that the last thing I would remember about her was her height. The secret to hide our own flaws is not to try to hide them (often done in a goofy way) but to focus on our better parts and elements of our bodies shifting focus from what we think is not flattering.  

Which irritates you more and why: “Sustainable fashion is boring” or “Fashion is frivolous”

FM - I think I am more irritated by the assumption that fashion is frivolous. Putting aside for a moment the fact what fashion and Made in Italy represent for our economy and reputation, I believe that following fashion and trends is a way to show who we are and how we relate to the others. Fashion is a business card for most of us, obviously it must be calibrated with good taste, especially for who is not a teen anymore, you and still be modern and current without decaying into ridiculous.

STYLE + SUBSTANCE // SOPHIE ZEMBRA

The best way to describe Sophie Zembra, our first style + substance powerhouse of the year is "veni, vidi, vici".

She moved from Paris to Miami "con furore" opened ANTIDOTE in Wynwood because it felt right and conquering our  hearts  with the perfect equilibrium of "sustainable chic" and acquired the title of "the girl of Wynwood" (according to her Instagram). 

Sophie is the embodiment of chic and young and fresh and happy, the store is the impeccable mirror of her personality and taste, but, as usual, it all happens when someone is motivated by a purpose, a passion, there's no style without substance.

Style + substance = empowerment. Are you on board?

SZ - Totally 100% percent

Your personal style in three words

SZ - I don’t really have one style: it depends on the day, it depends on my mood. But in three words: freestyle; Parisian; chic/casual

I find it extraordinary in how little time you moved to Miami and opened one of the best stores in town: what drives your entrepreneurship?

SZ - Thank you for one of the best store in town J

My boosts are the meetings, the people!! Entrepreneurship it s an human adventure and in conscious fashion even more. My passion drive me in the good as in the bad times. I believe in life and dreams, I'm a dreamer that's why I am an entrepreneur. And to be an entrepreneur you need a bit of unconsciousness. 

Do you feel like sharing one secret?

SZ - Buy only what you like and what you feel good about. Never follow the trend follow only your feelings!!!

Your relationship with fashion: single, married, it’s complicated or …

SZ – It’s complicated by time I love fashion and by time I hate fashion!!!

What’s the one thing a woman should do to feel powerful?

SZ - Be yourself, listen to yourself. Women are raised without taking their word into account. So you have to listen to yourself and believe in your own power !

When did you find your confidence?

SZ – I’m still not confident enough in myself, but entrepreneurship helps me a lot. 

How do we get rid of the princess/cute/pretty/pink stereotype?

SZ - By creating new princesses: without stereotype!!!

You look at your closet holding your morning coffee ready to get dressed: personal uniform or outburst of creativity?

SZ - I like a personal uniform with a touch of creativity. 

Which irritates you more and why: “Sustainable fashion is boring” or “Fashion is frivolous”?

SZ - “Sustainable fashion is boring” I have heard this too many times, and it’s not true. People aren’t being curious and just follow big brands/company but now we have a new wave of designer who mix esthetic and sustainability with brio. SUSTAINABLE FASHION IS DEFINITELY NOT BORING!

STYLE + SUBSTANCE // ERIKA EHRMAN-REPOLA

She is a producer, an entrepreneur, a mother and a designer embracing fashion for a woman who is +50. I have noticed Erika Ehrman-Repola on Instagram, once again, for her elegance and discreet elegance, for her natural beauty and unfrivolous sensuality. She agreed on being featured, so please meet another fierce 'shero' who reinvented her life at 50. 

'Elegant, eclectic, bohemian'

Style + substance = empowerment. Are you on board? 
EER - YES 

Your personal style in three words
E - Elegant, eclectic, bohemian 

On shopping with a purpose
E - I love textiles and texture, so I am often inspired by that first, I prefer to buy items that are not overly trendy, and feel unique.
 
Do you feel like sharing one secret?
E - I hate spending a lot on clothes. My dirty little secret is that … sometimes I find pieces at Forever 21 and integrate them into my wardrobe. People have no idea and are often complimentary and think  it’s some high ticketed designer piece. It’s all in how you style it and wear it, sometimes I even cutout the tags and no one knows. 

Your relationship with fashion: single, married, it’s complicated or …  
E - I am happily and newly divorced and it has made me fall in love with fashion all over again, because I dress exactly how I want and experiment more too. 

What’s the one thing a woman should do to feel powerful? 
E - With regard to fashion, feeling comfortable in your own skin and what you are wearing. If you don’t feel good in your clothes, you don’t feel as empowered. I designed my line of dresses with that ideology in mind, I don’t want you to be a slave to your clothes. You should not have to starve yourself, or go to spinning class five times a week to feel sexy or beautiful to fit into a dress. It’s a state of mind, and it’s about being comfortable first and foremost, and then whatever you wear will look amazing, because you feel confident. 

When did you find your confidence? 
E - I think as I was about to turn 50. I thought I look pretty damn good for my age and I felt sexier than ever before. 

How do we get rid of the princess/cute/pretty/pink stereotype? 
E - Celebrating all types of women and styles. I think being unique, embracing individuality whatever it is, might normalize it and help. 

You look at your closet holding your morning coffee ready to get dressed: personal uniform or outburst of creativity? 
E - Depends on the season. In the spring and summer I love to wear colors and patterns and I often live in jeans and dresses. In the winter, I find I don’t wear as much color, but I love texture still, so I often have a furry something, a sweater or coat, and my favorite pair of red booties. I try to have at least an accent of color somewhere. 

Which irritates you more and why: “Sustainable fashion is boring” or “Fashion is frivolous”  
E - I am not sure I find either irritating. I think both statements can be true or false depending on context. Sustainable fashion, if done right, can be interesting. Fashion can be frivolous, but it’s also about self-expression and it’s about showing personality, even if it’s a uniform. Frivolous makes me think of excessive amount of the same things, but if you can afford a great piece and it makes you feel good, it gives you that extra pump of confidence, then why not?