Valentina Poltronieri bursts into the fashion scene with exuberance, recognisability and dynamism. The Joke Foolishly collection revives the unique and identifying liveliness of the brand, in the Fall Winter 23/24 collection, it chooses to tell an adventure, a human journey, which often appears tiring, but at the same time is fun, playful and nice: the life of the circus performer.
Hi Valentina, tell us something about yourself! How did your passion for fashion begin and how did you approach this world?
Good morning everyone, I’m Valentina Poltronieri, born in 1993, founder and creative director of the Valentina Poltronieri brand of the same name. I can define my passion for fashion as innate. The world of fashion has always been a fascinating place for me, I have been attracted to it since I was little. At the beginning, I still remember, I often drew and looked at fashion magazines relating to wedding dresses. Later, when I started studying, the world of Women’s Prèt-à-Porter opened up. The first approach to the fashion world was participation in some small events, obviously still in an anonymous format and only as a spectator to begin to get to know some figures of the Fashion System. The real approach to the world of fashion was in 2011 in conjunction with the last year of high school (I was attending the technical institute for surveyors at Salesiani Don Bosco Treviglio, BG) during which I had the opportunity, thanks to a gift made by my parents, to be able to attend an Individual Fashion Styling course at the Accademia del Lusso. Once the morning surveying lessons were over, a few afternoons a week I headed to the institute in Bergamo to learn various disciplines including fashion sketch design, textile merchandise, basic illustration of technical plates, etc. Thanks to the liveliness and energy transmitted by my teacher Luca, my passion from just attraction for this world has become a real passion in wanting to learn and continue my studies to integrate many more notions and details! After completing the course I sent my application to join one of the most beautiful schools in Milan, the Istituto Marangoni, here I attended the Three-Year Fashion Design Course.
The frenzy, the anxiety, the joy of the three years spent here were decided to open a dream and to continue with the last phase of studies at the Secoli Institute by attending the Master in Pattern Making and Women’s Tailoring.
How did you manage to create your brand?
I started developing a brand/logo idea when I was attending the Course at the Accademia del Lusso. Together with my teacher we experimented with some logos from which a really nice one came out that mixed the letter V with the P. Then together with the same teacher we created the real logo of the Brand, the one that you still know. An essential, clean and geometric logo. The birth of the brand as a collection development was born a month after graduating from Istituto Secoli thanks to the opportunity and visibility given by the Institute’s fashion show which gave some students the opportunity to participate in the Milano Moda Graduate and the Guangzhou Fashion Week . The launch came thanks to the inclusion in a closing event of the Milan Women’s Fashion Week in February where I had the pleasure of meeting the teacher Giuseppe Fata, then president of Camera Moda Giovani Fashion Designer. From this occasion other knowledge developed which allowed the emerging brand to be born and the first collections to come to life. I don’t deny that the knowledge and the opportunity to participate in other initiatives was simple, in fact the beginning was complex and difficult especially because I had to start getting to know this world from the inside, finding trusted people who could give me advice. The brand on a production level came to life within the laboratory in which I worked, Fiorella Cassaghi in Vigevano, which gave me the opportunity to develop the collections, to get to know, thanks to the internal team of seamstresses, pattern makers and cutters, many aspects of the production phases. I owe the real beginning and the real launch of the fashion system to the participation in Altaroma in 2020, an excellent scenario for Emerging Brands. Through the showcase, visibility has certainly increased but still, having entered our 4th year of activity, we are still in the brand development, expansion and communication phase.
In your collections we can see the search for an original style, which mixes urban streetwear with the elegance of tailoring. How important is this aspect for you?
The originality of this style, which I identify as fun, ironic, colourful, certainly helps me to differentiate myself from classic styles. The style I created starts from simple, clean, linear and feminine lines which are highlighted and enlivened by the use of color and by experimenting with color combinations as well as by ironic and fun prints designed by me according to the theme of the collection which make the style fresh and friendly. The clothes are all designed and produced within my laboratory, VP Fashion & Creative Lab, which is located in the historic center of Treviglio, BG. The garments strictly follow the points of Italian tailoring with attention to detail. Each garment is produced respecting the Made in Italy and the choice of fine and weaving fabrics. Since last year I have also taken on the project to enhance female entrepreneurship, craftsmanship and Made in Italy.
Three adjectives that identify your style?
Many have defined my style as “Wonderland”.
Your latest collection is called Joke Foolishly. From what or where does the initial inspiration come from? Can you describe the process, from concept to final product?
As always, the inspiration for each collection starts from a journey, in the Fall Winter 23/24 collection, I chose to tell an adventure, a human journey, which often appears tiring, but at the same time is fun, playful and nice: The Life of a Circus Performer. As always, the inspiration for each collection starts from a journey, in the Fall Winter 23/24 collection, I chose to tell an adventure, a human journey, which often appears tiring, but at the same time is fun, playful and nice: The Life of a Circus Performer. The collection is dominated by a riot of bright, exuberant colours, patterns designed by me, fun, geometric, bold textures, dynamic, rounded and soft volumes. The collection always starts from the concept from which a photographic, textile and color moodboard is developed. Using the following mood, the first sketches are sketched, developing volumes and combinations. Once the design and graphic phase is concluded, we move on to the creation of the model for each clothes designed as a sketch. The paper patterns are still created manually by me so that, at any time, I can create modifications and adaptations. I cut and sew the model, evaluating the sewing phases and adjustments to be made during construction. Once all the products are packaged they will be ready for the last precious creative phase, the photos for the photo campaign. Last phase but absolutely no less important than the others, in fact, useful for giving birth to and reliving the unique mood and style of the collection for the viewer.
What is your favorite part of the creation process?
My favorite phase is the packaging of the garment, because by joining the various pieces of the model you have the strength to give birth to what was previously just a 2D idea in three-dimensional format, above all the reward of seeing what was previously just a sketch come to life on paper. I really like sewing, in fact when customers and people come into my workshop and identify me as a tailor it’s an exciting word for me. Going back to the old days and being called a couturier is rewarding.
Research and development are increasingly present concepts in the collective imagination of fashion. What role did the research and development of materials, finishes and textures have within the project?
These are delicate and important phases that are carried out meticulously. Research is certainly the one that most of all identifies and best expresses the brand, so it must be done well and based on well-defined criteria. Without good in-depth research you don’t have a good collection. The choice of materials and accessories completes what we were looking for for our project. The fabrics must be precious and I must create sensations to the touch and sight. Natural, silky, enveloping fabrics are the basis of quality and experimentation. Attention to material and accessories have never been as fundamental as in this period with the development and growth of green, friendly and vegan.
Is there any great designer that you admire and who has particularly influenced you?
For me, two are the most important people who have given a creative and human turning point: Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld. However, I have always tried not to focus only on two great artists like them but to wander and capture the good from various designers to increase on a cultural level on all fronts.
Is there a dream you were able to make come true? Instead, what is your greatest wish that hasn’t yet come true?
Yes! I managed to make some of my dreams come true. Some small and some larger, some sweaty with effort, others unexpected but always fruitful from hard work and determination. I would like to share with you, without going into detail, some of these: the most important, in 2021, when on January 11th I opened my headquarters as well as creative and tailoring laboratory. The brand came to life;
unexpected, the award in September 2022 from the Chamber of Commerce of Bergamo to the “Recognition of Work and Economic Progress, Young Entrepreneurs Under 30”;
sweaty but after three years of failed attempts, the email from that evening in 2020 in which “Altaroma” accepted my participation in Showcase, promoted my collection in the event’s fashion show calendar and created an exclusive interview for me with Victoria Hyde;
excited, it will always remain the most significant meeting of my life. Having had the opportunity to present my collection to Anna Wintour. On that occasion I also had the pleasure of meeting, getting to know and presenting my project to: Sara Sozzani Maino (Vogue Talents), Edward Enninful (Vogue UK), Nicole Phelps (Vogue Runway & Vogue Business), Francesca Ragazzi ( Vogue Italia) and Viola Bisiach (Vogue Italia).
Do you have any future projects, life or work, that you would like to give us a preview of?
Yes, I have a project under development which is to expand the brand on a commercial level. An important and difficult step! I would like to say THANK YOU for the opportunity to have made my story known to your audience!
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