How did you get your start as a designer?
I joined Max Mara when I was 18 years old. My family owned a fabric shop and I was always exposed to fashion and tailoring - it became a passion of mine. When I joined the company I had no formal training, so I started literally at the bottom and learned everything along the way.
You have spent your entire career at the brand. How would you describe your time at the company?
I feel lucky because I had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from the founder, Achille Maramotti. I started in 1964 and by 1969 I was entrusted with designing my first collection for our trendier diffusion line, Sportmax. Now, as fashion director of all the lines under the Max Mara umbrella, I feel like my growth from a girl to a woman is reflected in the designs from our more youthful collections to the sophisticated ones.
What was the best lesson you learnt from [founder] Achille Maramotti?
He always taught me to strike a balance between looking forward and respecting the history of fashion. Culture and tradition were very important to him and he thought of it as the basis of new innovations and ideas. In terms of design, this meant that traditional elements such as proportion, cut, quality of materials and tailoring must be perfected before considering what is fashionable, as this changes from season to season.
How is your aesthetic different to Maramotti's?