Why did you decide to become a jewellery designer?
Both my parents are designers [her mother is Silvia Venturini Fendi from the Fendi family and her father is jewellery designer Bernard Delettrez] but I never thought I would follow in my father's footsteps because I was much more interested in fashion design. It was almost a joke at the beginning, when I went to my father's workshop and started playing around with different stones and materials. My family is still shocked that I've decided to do this but they are happy to see that I've found my passion.
How did you develop your design aesthetic?
I finished school when I was 17 and then went to work several times at Chanel in Paris, in the haute couture department. I learned a lot about the intricacies of haute couture and how every detail needs to be specific and perfect. I launched my own label in Rome last year, when I was 19.
Did you undergo any formal training?
I have had no formal training - I learned jewellery-making by playing around with ideas and experimenting to see what stones and materials work best together to make my ideas a reality. At the beginning I would ask my father and his artisans for advice but now I am more confident on my own when it comes to knowing what works and what doesn't work. I also plan on taking some gemology courses to learn more about the stones.