I Am Fashion: Are You?

LEGGI QUESTO ARTICOLO IN ITALIANO

I DON’T DO FASHION, I AM FASHION. This is one of those statements that has been a question mark in my life. I often ask myself what was Coco Chanel feeling when she spoke these words: so powerful, courageous, nonconformist, arrogant perhaps, but typical of one who seeks her own nature. Fashion is one of my great passions, and without realizing it has become my life. It has taken me from being a model at a very young age, to writing for Vanity Fair Italia, and on to become an international fashion icon.

My secret? I Am Fashion. I don’t follow fashion but I draw inspiration from it. I seize what catches my eye and I make it mine. I try to be myself as much as possible and this is the greatest commitment of my life. I adore innovation and courage, and I believe that Coco Chanel was speaking of a similar approach to life. Fashion for me is two things: either it should be functional or it should be absolute art.  In America, you can walk down the streets of New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and savor the diversity of tastes and styles, which is a feast for the eyes.

This is where I get my fashion ideas, by looking all around me. Because I am a millennial, even social media has a huge impact on what I add to my wardrobe, but my trick is always to observe and experiment. Certainly a healthy dose of good taste never hurts, and, as an Italian, it’s in my DNA, it’s my birthright. My wardrobe is a fundamental part of my life; it represents me and it must express the full range of my multifaceted characteristics. I adore going to fashion shows because there I can see art in motion.

When, for example, you’re lucky enough to take part in the most exclusive fashion show in New York, created by the Blonds and Louboutin, there’s no going back; you fall madly in love with fashion at its highest standards. When you see pieces by Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, and Dolce and Gabbana, you cannot but love fashion and these artists in the purest form.  You love their being, their courage, their strength in swimming against the tide, and their courage to dare. In this column, I want to bring together all those who have the courage to be themselves, to truly be that fashion, that precursor of times and trends to come, even when doing so means being on the receiving end of criticism or getting it wrong.

Only by making mistakes and getting back the drawing board can you improve and bring about innovation. I’d like to interview stylists, designers, celebrities, fashion insiders, brand names, and those everyday folk who have, as a common denominator, the strength to bring about innovation and, why not, to do good. Whether it be trying to change the world with a way of being, with an innovation, bringing art, or whether it be trying to do good for the planet or are proposing something that will protect the rights of many, or whether it be creating beauty, or working in technology, it is all good. I want to interview all these people and be able to get them to say, in the end: I AM FASHION.

The US media call me the Celebrity Wishmaker because my great passion is to help make meaningful wishes come true, and to constantly inspire people. I’d also like to play host to some of my readers, giving them the opportunity to be known and heard in Italy and overseas for their excellence and distinctiveness, or perhaps to meet with me and go to an event together and have their story told by me, representing La Voce Di New York, the voice of the city, which perhaps more than any other city, can say I AM FASHION.

This is a fashion and lifestyle column and, as such, I would like it to feature as many interesting things as possible, both on this side of the ocean, and the other. I’d also like those of you who read my pieces to feel inspired; I want to hear your ideas, too. If there’s a new stylist you’d recommend, a person you’re curious about, an innovative brand, an ordinary person who represents I AM FASHION, write me.  Don’t forget, it’s you I want to hear from and who knows, I may choose you, the very person reading this, and tell your story in my next piece. From today on, let’s look in the mirror before going out in the morning, and repeat to ourselves: I AM FASHION. And let’s make sure we really try to diligently live by this new motto. As someone once said: Life is a party. Dress like it. Always.

Credits: William Russell-Edu Collaborator