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my behind the scenes at #MFW

Pubblicato il da monchou_admin
04
Mar

I love fashion week, the frenzy around, and all those moments that bring me closer to people, allow insiders to get to know each other and have a chat in a more relaxed atmosphere away from the pre fashion show agitation. I attended events that allowed me to talk live with real people, seen up close and not through the iPhone screen. We exchanged ideas on projects that we want to carry out together. It was beautiful, intense and inspiring! Here I will avoid talking about all the fashion shows on the calendar during the MFW: it would be a long, complex and now out of time job given that Paris Fashion Week is now underway. Instead, I feel like talking about the events that are created around the fashion shows. The mission of events such as White Show held in via Tortona in Milan from 24 to 27 February is to support talent and influence visual literacy to help shape a more ethical and inclusive visual world. To give resonance to those talents who have not yet had the space they deserve. White Show is more than a well organized event. It is a place where you have the opportunity to create genuine connections with unique personalities from different sectors, worlds and cultures. An incubator of rising stars with the desire to make their “know-how” known to the world. Among the talents with whom I had the honor of having a chat and that I want to mention, there are: Marzio Emilio Villa, born in Brazil and based in Milan, is a black-indigenous photographer and artist who captured the highlights of White Show. The visual research of him offers a perspective to re read his past, often focusing on social inequality.

Riz Poli French designer who through his creations wants to express the independent image of the woman, whoever she is or wants to be. The brand’s philosophy comes from Pablo Neruda’s poem “Ode to bread” and is the same that guides the way she selects simple and natural materials and the way she works to create her style. Lieke Pansters is a Dutch designer who has gradually abandoned the traditional fashion designer path to devote herself to the art of weaving and hand weaving techniques applied to fashion and interior design. Lieke wondered about the rhythms of the production chain which have now become anachronistic. Starting from here, you began a research on the origins of creative processes that led first to the rediscovery of an ancient technique and then to learning about its many applications. The goal is to restore value to the creation time of a finished product, making it truly sustainable. The pieces of the collection are a hymn to imperfection as they are all hand woven and therefore unique from each other. Another name that I am pleased to mention is that of Pavlina Jauss, a German designer specialized in avant garde fashion with a focus on the theme of sustainability and fair trade. The high quality materials are produced at the studio in Hamburg, while the knitwear is made by a family owned knitwear factory in Bulgaria, Pavlina’s birthplace. Summing up, I can say that the offer of talent met at White was vast and far exceeded my expectations. I met a very close knit community that has incorporated the most important contemporary themes into their work, primarily that of inclusiveness.

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paola farina: interview

Pubblicato il da monchou_admin
04
Feb

Clothing style is a very important factor in asserting our personality. It is therefore important to know how to choose carefully what you wear in any of your movements. However, it is often a complex for some people to choose the clothing that best suits their lifestyle. For such people, a personal stylist could be the perfect solution, and you don’t have to be a celebrity to get one! Paola Farina started a career in fashion in 2000 and founded her company in2018, after an experience as a consultant for communication and events at Newscorp and Elsevier. “Paola Farina Styling came after a hard and spread period – she explains – when, at 35, I had to reinvent myself”. Rebuilding a life by following only a passion is very difficult, let’s go more in depth with this story.

How do you determine a client’s personal style?
It is important to make a premise; our personal style and identity are closely connected. It is no coincidence that when we are sad or elated this is reflected in our clothing, or our style leaves something to be desired when we are not clear about who we are and what we want to communicate. There is a strong psychological component in my work (for instance, I very often end up dealing more with souls than with people) and empathic, you cannot value a person unless you enter into a deep relationship with them. I take time to understand who I have in front of me, I listen carefully and observe, I mentally jot down all the details. To get a more accurate picture, I also help myself with a test that is used to identify different personal styles.

What is your styling process?
Once I have identified styles-each of us has between two and three-I create outfit proposals. It also helps me a lot to take inspiration from famous people from the past, who somehow remind me of who I am looking at. Sometimes it is the clients themselves who tell me that they appreciate perhaps one celebrity over another.
Describe the most challenging person you have styled.
I work with ordinary people and emerging artists. The most difficult clients are those who do not come to me because they want to, but because they are pushed perhaps by their mother. They come with an idea of how they look and how they want to stay, in fact they don’t put themselves out there because they are not motivated by personal needs but only by wanting to please a person. Unfortunately, these are losing battles; they usually quit before the actual styling. Another difficult case is those who, although doing another job, are convinced they know everything about mine, are entrenched in their (wrong!) beliefs and end up not putting into practice what they are advised. I think it is a kind of fear; to change for them is to undermine the sandcastle they have built around themselves.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a personal stylist?
For me, it’s seeing an idea take shape. Imagining a certain look, building an appealing personal image, I think are the most inspiring part. The compliments clients receive are an added booster for my self-esteem and push me to do more and more. Then of course there is the financial gain, or it wouldn’t be a job but just a pastime. 
What’s your styling philosophy?
My philosophy is never to distort the client’s true nature, but to interpret it through clothes and accessories. It is natural that the more the client is willing to “take risks,” the more I can give room for creativity, play with colors and make-up, dare garments out of the ordinary. However, it is crucial not to force him/her in his/her choices, there is nothing worse than a person who is not comfortable in his/her clothes! And above all, never dress a client according to our personal tastes, we must not forget that the client is the protagonist.

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waiting for sabato de sarno

Pubblicato il da monchou_admin
04
Feb

While I’m looking for the right words to introduce readers to Sabato De Sarno, the new creative director of Gucci, and a name almost unknown to non-experts. Here, scrolling through Instagram, a photo of Pierpaolo and Sabato next to each other catches my eye. So the words to use are suggested to me by Piccioli, creative director of Valentino. Under that post there is a dedication addressed to De Sarno which reads as follows: “Me and Sabato. Same page. It means being on the same side, feeling the same things without wasting words and without regrets. Nostalgia does not belong to us. We have never celebrated the past because we have always thought that everything we need is here and now. I am happy and very proud of the goal you have reached, thanks to your commitment, your talent and who you are. I’m happy with the time we shared and how we shared it, because as the years went by, collection after collection, I found a friend. I’m happy because what you leave here you will take with you, because what has been is healthy and intact, because your colleagues here are rooting for you, everyone will soon understand why. Good luck friend. I will be there to applaud you, feel proud and say “I knew it”. Same page Always, pp». So, what better presentation than this?! Words, those of Piccioli, full of esteem, affection and pride addressed to a boy who until recently worked alongside him in the role of Fashion Director for the men’s and women’s prêt-à-porter lines of the Roman brand.

But before he became Piccioli’s right-hand man in 2009, De Sarno already had a long apprenticeship behind him. Begun in 2005 in the style offices of Prada, then continued by Dolce & Gabbana. De Sarno, the 39-year-old Neapolitan who moved to Milan seems to be reserved and not a showbiz frequenter. It will now be up to him to define the creative version of Gucci’s men’s, women’s, accessories, leather goods and lifestyle collections. Collecting the cumbersome legacy of the very talented Alessandro Michele, who during his years at Gucci led to an emotional identification between customers and brands that has not been seen since the 90s. And that, undoubtedly, left a huge creative void. Emblem of this void was the FW 23/24 fashion show, presented on the occasion of the Men’s Fashion Week last January, during which the brand felt the understandable need for a general clean-up of Michele’s decoratorism. The brand, however, took over the author, giving rise to a disappointing result. The archetypal garments of the men’s wardrobe were celebrated in a purified version, drawing on the brand’s archive. Some great classics of the brand have been reinterpreted in an amarcord version, the horsebit, the cross, the piston closure and references to Tom Ford’s aesthetics such as the Jackie bag. The first look on the catwalk, made up of a white t shirt and oversized chinos, represented a sort of blank slate on which to rewrite a new story, a new beginning, a new era. Good luck Sabato!

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giovanna sannino: interview

Pubblicato il da monchou_admin
03
Gen

From her passion for acting, which has accompanied her since childhood, to her degree in Modern Literature. Giovanna Sannino is a curious girl who always likes to put herself in the game. Her book ‘Non sempre gli incubi svaniscono al mattino’ allowed her to give vent to thoughts that were tormenting her and her participation in the Mare Fuori series was a huge springboard for her.
Hi Giovanna, you have recently graduated in Modern Literature and already have important experience in film and theatre behind you. What made you choose this degree course?
I decided to start this university course when I chose to pursue only that which would make me feel truly fulfilled. I have always enjoyed studying, I am a very curious person and I believe that literature is not given its proper place. History, great authors, philology shape our minds and give us fantastic journeys into unknown worlds. I believe it is essential for an actor to have a vast and constantly stimulated cultural background, so I chose to go in search of new lives not only through the pages of scripts and screenplays, but also in books, in novels, in the ancient meanings of words, so I left.
Your passion for acting has been with you since childhood, thanks to your parents who have always been part of this world. What couldn’t you give up about this profession?
Empathy. It is a profession that requires an intimate relationship with the other, whether it is a stage companion, the audience or even just the camera, but you are never alone. We actors are privileged in a way, we can live lives that will never belong to us and make direct contact with the emotions of others while remaining perfect strangers. Although ours is not yet a category recognized in its own right by the state, we are necessary. Eternal children free from the judgements of adults, how can we not call this a luxury?

Since 2020, you have been one of the stars of the series Mare Fuori, which aired on Rai and is coming out in February with its third season. How did you react when you heard you had been chosen for this project?
I cried, I screamed, I trembled. I didn’t know what I was getting into, but the blood was boiling in my veins. At that moment I felt a jolt that turned on a light bulb in my head and showed me a path, which I am still following today. An actor is in constant conflict with himself and the world around him, he is always under scrutiny, especially if you are very young, and you are always trying to prove something more, to exceed your limits. I was not aware that, in reality, that phone call was not the end of the line, but only the beginning of my putting myself out there. It is difficult, but also beautiful.
Non sempre gli incubi svaniscono al mattino is the title of your book, released in August 2020, which tells of a very difficult family period. What prompted you to write and publish it?
Telling myself was a need, I needed answers that no one would give me, a shoulder to cry on, to clear my head; writing was my keeper. It was born at school, during Latin class. While the teacher was explaining, in a notebook I enclosed the thoughts of that dark period of my life. ‘Non sempre gli incubi svaniscono al mattino’ started out as a diary, after two years it began to take on the appearance of a book. Writing definitely freed me from many burdens, it allowed me a rapprochement with my father, not that we were distant before, but we could not talk about what had happened to us, it was taboo. This book exorcised our pain, we took each other by the hand and were resurrected, together.

Even though you are very young you have been very busy, putting yourself out there in many experiences. Which of them has particularly marked you?
The experience in Nisida undoubtedly shaped my personality. I entered the IPM as an external educator to hold an emotional literacy workshop and as a conductor I found myself a pupil with the boys. Nisida taught me about listening, the magic of silence, the importance of knowing how to observe what is around us with a different eye; it brought me into contact with leading personalities from the world of show business, allowing me to compare notes with those who have been doing this job for years. There I gained so much awareness and experienced moments that I jealously carry with me.
Talking about the more complicated aspects of the job, what do you find most difficult?
I was once told: “It’s easier to be a doctor than an actor!”, not bad for someone who has attempted medical entrance tests in the past! It is a continuous struggle. It is an exhausting job that knows no rhythms, I am slowly discovering this to my cost. I have very little patience and I would like to see all the sacrifices repaid immediately, but as Cremonini says, ‘per quanta strada ancora c’è da fare, amerai il finale’, and how can I blame him?

The actor never throws anything away. The drawer of our emotions, our skeletons, monsters, joys and sorrows, are always in a state of never being forgotten, this has often caused a not inconsiderable amount of stress. I have wrestled with my head because so many times it has held me prisoner in memories that others would have relegated to the unconscious, I do not want to do this, I believe that every emotion is functional in the moment of enactment if it is returned with truth if, it is alive. I am, therefore, destined for a continuous shipwreck within myself, between a nightmare and a dream gone well.
What do you wish for the future?
I wish myself serenity. I wish myself to never lose my way, to always have the ability to look back, especially one day when I have climbed the highest peak. To have a heart that beats fast and gets excited about small things; not to lose the sun that I recognize I have inside, along with all the clouds. I hope to have more and more grit, more and more hunger. I hope to be as proud of myself tomorrow as those around me are today. To fall in love with life every day, because it is wonderful, and to never stop surprising myself.

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designed as artwork

Pubblicato il da monchou_admin
03
Gen

Oscar Wilde said: “Either you are a work of art or you wear it”. And it is precisely from here that the examination of the mutual relationship between art and fashion starts. The dialogue between these two worlds is constantly evolving. But what unites them? Both disciplines want to guide change by making aesthetics and emotion dialogue, emanating values such as freedom, inclusiveness, innovation and experimentation. Artists and fashion designers photograph the contemporary by relating to the individual from a deeply intimate and personal point of view. And they do it through the same creative drive, only the expression of their reaction to this stimulus differs. The boundaries between the two worlds are shaped and enter into communication by interpreting the values of society thanks to the attentive eye of the artists. One of the first noteworthy collaborations is that between Salvador Dalì and the visionary Elsa Schiaparelli who conceived of fashion as a surrealist work in motion. Emblem of their exchange of intents is the Organza Dinner Dress with Painted Lobster presented in 1937 and considered one of the most iconic garments of the time. More than a real contamination, it is better to speak of inspiration for what concerns the work of the French designer Yves Saint Laurent. Indeed, in 1965, taking inspiration from the painter Piet Mondrian, he created a dress characterized by geometric lines and primary colors, easily wearable by a large audience of women. But taking a big leap forward and arriving at the 2000s, one of the maisons most interested in the art world is certainly the French, Louis Vuitton which calls on a plethora of artists among the most renowned of the world to invent original patterns for monogram bags always – Takashi Murakami, Yahoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, just to name a few. Confirming the deep bond between the Fendi fashion house and the eternal city, the Fendi Roma Amor capsule collection was born, thanks to the involvement of the graffiti artist Pref. The capsule reinterprets the dynamism and history of Rome through streetwear taste.

Gucci owes the contribution of having highlighted how fundamental the power of street art is today and calls Trevor Andrew, known as “Gucci Ghost”, who invades the garments of the collections with graffiti and the photographer and writer Coco Capitán, whose poems also become advertising murals. Balenciaga’s SS/23 fashion show transports spectators to a post apocalyptic scenario by communicating important political messages. Through the mud installations created by the Spanish artist Santiago Sierra on which hovers the perfume created for the occasion by the artist Sissel Tolaas known for her attention to smells, Demna Gvasalia invites everyone to “dig” that mud in search of the truth. Diesel creative director Glenn Martens presented a giant inflatable sculpture 37 meters high and 49 meters wide, an intersection of bodies designed by the Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck of Rotterdam. The sculptures reflect the fluid and free society that Martens wants to inhabit. Bottega Veneta has the artistic genius of Gaetano Pesce create a resin floor on which we read: “This is a tribute to diversity”. The models parade surrounded by 400 unique examples of chairs renamed “How are you?”, created ad hoc for the fashion show. Jonny Johansson celebrates 10 years of Acne Studios fashion shows in Paris by choosing the Palais de Tokyo as the stage with an installation reminiscent of a wedding party created by the artist Sylvie Macmillan. On the occasion of the SS/23 fashion show Coperni once again demonstrates how fashion, art, design and technique can intertwine and cooperate with each other, giving moments of pure amazement and theatricality. The result is an art performance show during which the model Bella Hadid is dressed in the first spray dress. An exercise in style and technology that will remain in the memory of viewers for a long time to come. Through these artistic representations we understand how the line between the two disciplines is almost imperceptible, making art wearable, and not just usable. So, it doesn’t matter from which place, museum or fashion company , the message that prompts us to reflect comes. Culture has infinite ways of communication.

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sissy tranchese: interview

Pubblicato il da monchou_admin
04
Dic

After graduating in Law, Sissy Tranchese decides to transform her passion for accessories into work. Followed by more than 12,000 followers, known as ”Brillamiche”, today the artist continues to design jewels, drawing inspiration from everything that surrounds her, starting from Naples.
When did you first realise you wanted to pursue a career as a jewelry designer?
I’ve always been very vain, as a child I would wear my mother and sisters’ jewelry and just move around because I wanted to hear the magical sound. During the university period I started making handmade accessories with threads and beads and after graduating I realized that the best gift I could give myself was to transform my passion into work.
What is your creation process to make a new piece of jewelry from scratch?

I’m very instinctive, I let myself be inspired by the things that happen, by real life. I always walk around with my sketchpad because at any moment I want to be able to outline an idea.
What do you want people to feel when wearing your jewelry?
Strength, courage, awareness: I want my jewels to be reminders, and by wearing them they remind us that we can shine if we want to.
Who have been your biggest mentors in this industry?
My mentor has unknowingly always been my mother. In the 80s she had beautiful jewels that made me fall in love, I wanted to grow up just to wear her jewels! The first person I show the new jewels to is her: I let her try out the prototypes, I want her to test them too, I trust her intuition a lot.

What’s your jewelry philosophy?
The handcrafted production is the core of my corporate philosophy: I want each jewel to be unique, like each one of us. I want it to be light, no weights, no lobes that hang down, I want it to help lift us up not weigh us down.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt in your career?
Doing is the only way to grow. If you want to invest in your ideas, you must have the courage to take risks and learn from mistakes.
Tell us about your favorite piece of jewelry and why it’s your favorite?
The earrings, no doubt. Classic with pearls, modern and stylized, long, with buttons: in short, I have no preference.

I love them because they frame your face, it’s like they amplify the power of your expressions: they illuminate!
What’s your hope for the future of your brand?
I achieved a small dream a few days ago: my brand is in the Made in Italy section of Amazon, an incredible experience because getting there requires numerous verification steps. It is currently present in Italy and in six other European countries. Now, if you really ask me to dream big, I’ll tell you that I would very much like my jewels to also land in physical stores, going into a boutique and seeing my jewels would make me very excited!

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balenciaga per adidas

Pubblicato il da monchou_admin
04
Dic

“A collaboration between Balenciaga and adidas recontextualizes elements of sportswear that have been a part of Balenciaga’s creative language.” Balenciaga official site. The collaboration we didn’t know we needed has finally arrived. Balenciaga and Adidas had announced their first collaboration last May, but it is news on 3 November that the second part is finally available. Two brands that mark history in streetwear and glamour, coming together to create comfortable and super cool garments. Adidas had already recently ventured into a collaboration with Gucci, for fall winter 22-23. The collection was a great success and perhaps this was a signal that the right marketing and communication strategies are in place. Balenciaga on the other hand, in recent times, under the creative direction of Demna Gvasalia, never ceases to amaze, sending out messages through its innovative and undoubtedly impactful collections. It must also be said that the brand is very often the talk of the town, as in the case of the controversy that has arisen in recent days due to an advertising campaign featuring children surrounded by objects that recall the world of BDSM.

“We would like to address the controversies surrounding our recent ad campaigns. We strongly condemn child abuse,” the brand opened in a statement posted on its Instagram profile to provide clarity. Getting to the heart of the collection, we find oversized tracksuits and t-shirts, but also denim garments, typical Balenciaga bags embellished with the three characteristic Adidas stripes, backpacks, shoes, jewellery and sports accessories such as water bottles. The testimonials include the likes of Bella Hadid, Isabelle Huppert and Jermell Charlo. The images through which this collaboration is launched, propose a working, office-like imagery, but overturning the old canons according to which one does not go to work in tracksuit. In fact, we find Bella Hadid in a fantastic oversized red acetate tracksuit, sitting on a leather swivel chair, resting her feet on the desk. In short, once again Balenciaga wants to subvert the rules.

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amina ladymya: interview

Pubblicato il da monchou_admin
04
Nov

Amina is a talented and promising model. She is strong and determined and she is making space in the world of fashion industry and social. One of her most important projects is to help people through her work and her project Fashion4Homeless.
Why do you want to be a model?
Being a model always been my dream. I never think to have another dream I even never tried.
When did you first realize that you wanted to become an artist?
I think I realized it since I was 6/7 years old when all my preoccupation was walking on tables, singing and performing because I was enjoying doing it, but apparently I attracted a lot of tourist and people who came to take pictures for their travel memories.

How do you handle working under pressure?
I think I’m lucky to be a very patient and calm person. I don’t get mad, I’m not in tension. I believe that what you can’t resolve with calm you can’t resolve it with tension. For me it’s never a tension, I’m doing the work of my dreams and pressure is not a big deal.
What did you learn from your work that you’ll take to future projects?
I think what I learned especially this last year of work is how people only care about money and forget the world they are living in. Humans are destroying the only world they have for things that won’t last. And this is something I would like to consider for my future projects.

How do you build good working relationships with other models?
I think that when I walk into a place where I work, I always come in with a little leadership and education and good vibes and if the people I meet have the same energy, all of a sudden it matches respect and this allows me to do the job in a simple way.
What inspires you as a model? Who do you admire in the modeling industry?
I think my greatest inspiration is to give attention to all those who come from nothing.

I think of those who have been able to come true in life and I always thought that Naomi Campbell inspires us all, she was one of the first people who opened the doors to all of us. I think one of my aspirations in life is to also become an actress. Being able to continue to help people in need with my project Fashion4Homeless.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
If I had to describe myself in 3 words I would say: stubborn, wind, lover.

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van gogh

Pubblicato il da monchou_admin
04
Nov

“Van Gogh’s behaviour seemed ridiculous, because he acted, thought, felt, lived differently from his peers… he always had an absorbed, grave, melancholic air. But when he laughed, he laughed with cordiality and joviality, and then his face brightened.” This description quoted in the essay Letters to Theo and taken from Van Gogh’s bookshop clerk, in «Kunst und Künstler», 1914, recounts in a few words the life of this exceptional and brilliant artist, who undoubtedly left a distinctive mark. An artist who sheltered his suffering in his art. From his window he admired the landscape and represented in painting what it conveyed to him: the shapes and colours he used were always significant of his deepest emotions. The artist’s bond with his brother is of fundamental importance for a full understanding of his life. All the letters dedicated to him, from August 1872 to 27 July 1890, are encapsulated in the essay Letters to Theo. Through these epistles emerge the frailties, experienced discriminations and torments of a misunderstood man. From 8 October 2022 to 26 March 2023, Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome hosts one of the most eagerly awaited exhibitions of the year illustrated through 50 of the artist’s works from the Kröller Müller Museum in Otterlo, located on two floors.

To wander through these works is to immerse oneself in his life, sharing his joys and sorrows. The tour celebrates his life from his birth to his untimely death at only 37 years of age, but above all the period in which he carried out his artistic activity between 1881 and 1890, as well as the works, quotations and techniques he used. One room of the itinerary is dedicated to a video installation of The Starry Night, at the entrance of which we read a quote from Van Gogh himself that states: “I often think that the night is more alive and richly coloured than the day and looking at the sky makes me dream.” As he was wont to do, Van Gogh painted The Starry Night looking out of the window of the hospital in which he was hospitalised. His malaise was not only limited to his body, but above all devoured his mind, often depriving him of rationality and the possibility of living in a peaceful manner. It is in this work in particular that the artist depicts his tormented life. A few months after his death, occurred on 29 July 1890, his brother also died, leaving Vincent’s estate to his wife and son. She wasted no time and immediately set about organising exhibitions and events to highlight the artist’s work, managing to sell and donate some 192 paintings and 55 drawings over a period of 34 years.

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francesca montuori: interview

Pubblicato il da monchou_admin
04
Ott

Francesca Montuori is a very young actress who made her entrance into the world of cinema with the role of Elisa Greco in L’amica geniale 3. She has dreamed of acting since she was a child and thanks to her studies, passion and the support of her parents, she managed to become part of such an important cast at only nineteen.
Hi Francesca, right after graduating you embarked on this experience on the set of L’amica geniale 3, which came into your life like a bolt out of the blue. What does such a big experience represent for such a young girl?
It represents the beginning. It represents the sacrifices made over the years. It represents all the doors in my face over the years and never giving up. L’amica geniale and the universe of Elena Ferrante change you profoundly, I entered the project on tiptoe and it overwhelmed me as only beautiful things can do. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity and for those who believed in me on that project.
It’s an all female story that of Elena Ferrante, women who choose in complete autonomy what to do with their lives. How important was it for you, also on a personal level, to play one of these women?

To play one of these women, perhaps even in different eras, is both important and a duty. I think cinema, like seriality, also has an educational purpose and if men and women feel changed by a project or a character, for me, it is a victory. On a personal level, it is always a great discovery, a person who is not you always has something important to communicate to you as does a new character.
Which aspects of acting do you find most rewarding and which most difficult?
The gratification in acting, at least for me, comes after seeing the filming and even there I am quite self critical with myself, as I should be. The hardest part of acting is finding a connection with a soul so different from your own and feeling the conflict that the character poses, but it is also the most beautiful.
You formed a particularly strong bond with Gaia Girace, Lila in the series, how did you find her closest to you?
Actually, I established a wonderful relationship with everyone, they are wonderful people. Gaia Girace is such a talented and good girl, she inevitably had something similar to me, maybe the way of being in the world and being ambitious in life, but always remaining ourselves. I was very lucky.

Since the age of eight, you have dreamt of acting. What role did your parents play in your path towards cinema?
A fundamental role. They are the people who have to support you and believe in you. At one point, I think my parents believed in my dream more than I did. But I had no doubts, they are passionate about cinema and I had a film education and I think it was an obvious approach to cinema. My grandfather, for example, had a projector and watched films, he was a fan.
Your inspiration has always been Leonardo Di Caprio, what do you appreciate most about this artist?
Leonardo Di Caprio is my mantra in acting and in life. I see his films I know by heart and I wonder if he is human. I have studied his performances for years. All that talent and willingness to constantly put himself out there. One of his phrases accompanies me in my goals: ‘The point is to be in the right place, at the right time and get it’.

And the work he does, every day, to protect the environment is incredible. I recommend everyone to watch his documentary ‘Before the flood’ in which he talks with experts about all the problems our planet is facing.
What do you think was your strong point in getting this role?
It sounds trivial but over the years I have studied a lot. Even the auditions that went wrong helped me to grow, I did a lot of theatre, I studied cinema, I saw a lot of films. And in the case of Elisa it was talent, and I say this with the utmost humility, that met the opportunity.
Such an important experience undoubtedly teaches you a lot, what lesson in particular do you think you have learnt?
Total dedication to this job. I am very young but for the cinema I am ready for anything. It is my whole life and I am ready to dedicate myself to this profession totally, but perhaps I always have been.

p h o t o s  c o u r t e s y  f r a n c e s c a  m o n t u o r i 

i m m a  p e t r i c c i u o l i

p r e s s  o f f i c e  a n n a  c h i a r a  d e l l e  d o n n e

w o r d s  m e l i s s a  s t o c c h i

t r a n s l a t i o n  m e l i s s a  s t o c c h i